2010-06-14
Strut Records concludes a three-CD set of early South African music by highlighting that country's jazz musicians of the '60s, '70s and '80s. While many prominent artists fled South Africa for the safer and richer shores of the U.S. and Europe, these musicians stayed and kept jazz alive. Some interesting stuff here -- you can hear the roots of what Hugh Masekela wound up doing with "Grazin' in the Grass" in 1968. The Malombo cuts are the ones that fuse jazz and African rhythms the most extensively. That these artists could play so skillfully during a time of great repression is amazing. Such is the power of music. 06/10 Michael J.JAZZ PISTOLS
Superstring
HENRY BUTLER, STEVE BERNSTEIN AND THE HOT 9
VIPER'S DRAG
Soweto Kinch
A Life in the Day of B19: Tales of the Tower Block.
Ivo Antognini Jazz Project
Feggari Mou
MADEiLINE PEYROUX
Half the Perfect World
DANIEL SMITH
Bebop Bassoon
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