BFT 48 answers - disc one

[king ubu]

So then, with Org back up I am on vacation now, hence bare-bones answers only, no comments... I will just post the pre-compiled material I have ready. Too bad that there hasn't been more discussion and more interest in general, but I want to thank everybody who did care to post and comment! I enjoyed it a lot!

1. THE JAZZ EPISTLES - Scullery Department (Kippie Moeketsi) 7:06

Hugh Masekela (t), Jonas Gwangwa (tb), Kippie Moeketsi (as), Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim) (p), Johnny Gertze (b), Makaya Ntshoko (d)

Recorded in Sophiatown, South Africa, September 1959

Originally released on "Verse 1"

Taken from: "Jazz in Africa, Volume 1 featuring The Jazz Epistles" (Camden CDN 1004)

2. JOHN MEHEGAN - Body and Soul (Green-Sour-Heyman-Eyton) 4:15

Kippie Moeketsi (as), John Mehegan (p), Claude Shange (b), Gene Latimore (d)

Recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa, 1959

Originally released on “Jazz in Africa”

Taken from: same as #1

Note: on the other tunes of this session, Hugh Masekela (t) and Jonas Gwanga (tb) are also present - with Kippie the full frontline of the Jazz Epistles

3. THE BLUE NOTES - Blue Nick (Dudu Pukwana) 4:06

Mongezi Feza (t), Dudu Pukwana (as), Nick Moyake (ts), Chris McGregor (p, leader), Johnny Dyani (b), Louis Moholo (d)

Recorded in Cape Town, South Africa, early 1964

Taken from: "Township Bop" (Proper Records PRP CD 013 - 2002)

4. WINSTON "MANKUNKU" NGOZI - Yakhal 'Inkomo [bellowing Bull] (8:55)

Winston "Mankunku" Ngozi (ts) & Early Mabuza Trio: Lionel Pillay (p), Agrippa Magwaza (b), Early Mabuza (d)

Recorded in 1968

Originally released on "Mankunku Quartet - Yakhal 'Inkomo" (1968)

Taken from: "Freedom Blues: South African Jazz Under Apartheid" (Nascente NCCD 048, 1999)

Note: this album has been reissued on CD paired with Chris Schilder's album "Spring" which also features Mankunku - I don't have the CD yet, seems tough to locate... I assume the CD reissue would contain more info about date/location of recording.)

(cover of CD reissue I couldn’t locate yet… not sure this was the album’s original cover)

5. DOLLAR BRAND - Memories of You (Blake-Razaf) 4:50

Kippie Moeketsi (as), Dollar Brand (p), Victor Ntomo (b), Nelson Magwaza (d)

Recorded in the early 1970s, first published in 1971 (same session as "African Sun")

Taken from: "African Sun" (KAZ CD 102, 1988)

[king ubu]

6. KIPPIE MOEKETSI - Kippie's Prayer (Moeketsi) 3:42

Kippie Moeketsi (as), Pat Matshikiza (p)

Recorded in the mid 1970s

Originally released on "Tshona"

Taken from: "Jazz in Africa, Volume Two" (KAZ CD 28, 1992)

7. JOE MALINGA'S MANDALA - Umdrah (6:07)

Joe Malinga (as,fl,voc), Clifford Thornton (vtb, african perc), Runo Ericksson (btb), Jürgen "Jux" Seefelder (ts), Walter Gauchel (ts), Johnny "Manhattan" Taylor (p), Mike Guildford (b), Brüning v. Alten (d)

Recorded at Phonag-Studio, Lindau, Switzerland, Feabruary 5 & 6, 1980

Taken from: "Tears for the Children of Soweto" (Canova CA 113)

(crappy vinyl transfer by yours truly)

(cover from CD reissue on the small Swiss Brambus label: www.brambus.com/joemalinga

– the CD adds 3 tracks I don’t know since I only have the LP)

8. DOLLAR BRAND - Mannenberg Is Where It's Happening (Cape Town Fringe) (Ibrahim) 13:38

Robbie Jansen (as), Basil Coetzee (ts), Abdullah Ibrahim (p), Paul Michaels (b), Monty Weber (d)

Recorded in the mid 1970s, first published in 1977

Taken from: "Voice of Africa" (KAZ CD 101, 1988)

9. DOLLAR BRAND - African Sun (Ibrahim) 6:13

Kippie Moeketsi (as), Dollar Brand (p), Victor Ntomo (b), Nelson Magwaza (d)

Recorded in the early 1970s, first published in 1971 (same session as "Memories of You")

Taken from: same as #5

Edited July 2, 2007 by king ubu

[king ubu]

10. HARRY MILLER SOLO - Homeboy (Miller) 5:03

Harry Miller (b,fl,percussion effects)

Recorded 1974

Originally released on "Children at Play" (Ogun Stereo OG 200)

Taken from: "The Collection" (3CD set, Ogun, 1999)

11. JOE MALINGA'S MANDALA - Nina's Dance (3:54)

Joe Malinga (as), Runo Ericksson (btb), Chris (foot calabash)

Recorded at Phonag-Studio, Lindau, Switzerland, Feabruary 5 & 6, 1980

Taken from: same as #7

Note: I have no clue who that "Chris" is, not one of the musicians or of the studio crew mentioend on the LP sleeve, as far as I can see.

(crappy vinyl transfer by yours truly)

12. DOLLAR BRAND - African Marketplace (Ibrahim) 7:04

Abdullah Ibrahim (ss), Carlos Ward (as), Jeff Jawarrah King (ts), Dwayne Armstrong (ts), Kenny Rogers (bari), Malindi Blyth Mbityana (tb), Craig Harris (tb), Gary Chandler (t), Cecil McBee (b), Miguel Pomier (perc), Andre Strobert (d,perc), Lawrence Lucie (bjo)

Recorded at Atlantic Studios, NYC, December 1979

Originally released on "African Marketplace" (Elektra 6E-252, 1980)

Taken from: "African Marketplace" (Discovery/Elektra/WEA CD, 1980)

13. AFRICAN JAZZ PIONEERS - Yeka Yeka [Let It Be] (Z. Nkosi) 4:07

Edmund "Ntemi" Piliso (as, leader), others unknown (6 horns, 2 g, b, d), but likely including: Stompie Manana (t), Sam Tshabangu (t), Jasper Cook (tb), Albert “Nkaka” Khumalo (g), Madoda Gxabeka (keys), Bheki Buthelezi (b) [complete line-up from 1991 Montreux concert: http://www.montreuxsounds.com/detail2006.php?fiche=1349

Recorded prob. in the 1980s (the band was re-formed then...)

Taken from: "Freedom Blues: South African Jazz Under Apartheid" (Nascente NCCD 048, 1999)

Also included on “African Jazz Pioneers” (Camden CDN 1005, 1998)

Note on Camden CDN 1004 "Jazz in Africa, Volume 1":

This disc doesn't consist of Jazz Epistles recordings only, but also include some tunes from John Mehegan's 1959 Jo'burg session with Masekela, Gwanga, Kippie, Claude Shange (b), Gene Latimore (d), orig. released as Continental CONT9. Neither the annotation nor the liner notes mention this, though. Two of the titles (#1 "Delilah" and #14 "Cosmic Ray") I cannot

Edited July 2, 2007 by king ubu

[king ubu]

LINKS:

GENERAL

AMG South African Jazz Page: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=1957

Homepage of photographer Jürgen Schadeberg (Drum): http://www.jurgenschadeberg.com/

musig.org.za (tons of info, mainly short artist biographical sketches): http://www.music.org.za/default.asp

The African Music Encyclopedia: http://africanmusic.org/index.html

Afropop Worldwide: http://www.afropop.org/

ARTICLES

The Development of South African Jazz (by Hotep Idris Galeta): http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=889

Forced removals in apartheid South Africa: http://www.dispatch.co.za/1999/11/05/features/SNAPSHOT.HTM

Bebop and beyond the blues – South African Jazz History: http://home.worldonline.co.za/~afribeat/ar..._sa%20jazz.html

Drum Magazine: http://home.worldonline.co.za/%7Eafribeat/archiveafrica.html

Edited July 2, 2007 by king ubu

[king ubu]

MUSICIANS

Basil Coetzee (1944-1998)

wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil_Coetzee

http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/lastpost2.php3?edit=920482852

Mackay Davashe

(photo: Jürgen Schadeberg, http://www.jurgenschadeberg.com/)

Johnny “Mbizo” Dyani (1945-1986)

(photo: Klaus Muempfer)

Discography (album listing): http://www.kultur-im-ghetto.de/discographia-johnny.htm

Abdullah Ibrahim (*1934)

homepage: www.abdullahibrahim.com (be aware that the discography is *very* incomplete)

Robbie Jansen (*1949)

wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Jansen

http://home.worldonline.co.za/~afribeat/cont_robbie.html

Chris McGregor (1936-1990)

(Berlin 1969 – photo: Karlheinz Klüter, http://www.jazzphotography.us/)

The Blue Notes (lenghty wiki entry): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Notes

Brotherhood of Breath disco: http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedCon...;threadid=18348

A remembrance by Chris’ brother Tony: http://home.worldonline.co.za/%7Eafribeat/...chris_tony.html

A tribute (introduction to Maxine McGregor’s book): http://home.worldonline.co.za/%7Eafribeat/..._macgregor.html

Edited July 2, 2007 by king ubu

[king ubu]

Miriam Makeba (*1932)

(1955 – photo: Jürgen Schadeberg, http://www.jurgenschadeberg.com/)

Joe Malinga

Stompie Manana (#1935) (member of the African Jazz Pioneers)

http://www.joburg.org.za/2006/aug/aug14_stompiemanana.stm

Hugh Masekela (*1939)

(photo: Paul Weinberg)

Biography & discography by Doug Payne: http://www.dougpayne.com/hmhome.htm

Biography (& more): http://www.ritmoartists.com/Hugh/Masekela.htm

Interview (2002): http://www.afropop.org/multi/interview/ID/37/

Pat Matshikiza (*1938)

Biography (from a recent CD’s liners): http://www.music.org.za/artist.asp?id=231

Harry Miller (1941-1983)

(1971 – photo: Chris Biscoe)

Detailed info on “The Collection”: http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/labels/ogun/ogunhm.html

Kippie Moeketsi (1925-1983)

"I was not yet myself’: representations of Kippie ‘Charlie Parker’ Moeketsi (by Michael Titlestad): http://www.criticalmethods.org/p100.mv

Edited July 2, 2007 by king ubu

[king ubu]

Louis Moholo (*1940)

(2003-03-23 – photo: Russ Escritt, http://www.russpix.co.uk/index.html)

Biography: http://www.music.org.za/artist.asp?id=144

Article by Gary May (May 2005 of ImproJazz, no. 115): http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/fulltext/ftmoholo.html

Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi

biography: http://www.music.org.za/artist.asp?id=55

Reissue of "Yakhal 'Inkomo" (with Chris Schilder Quintet feat. Mankunku "Spring"): http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=9871

Edmund Ntemi Piliso (1925-2000)

Short bio: http://www.jazzhouse.org/gone/lastpost2.php3?edit=984059354

African Jazz Pioneers: http://www.music.org.za/artist.asp?id=75

Dudu Pukwana (1938-1990)

(photo from Leeds Jazz Archives: Pinise Saul)

wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudu_Pukwana

Dolly Rathebe (1928-2004)

(1955 – photo: Jürgen Schadeberg, http://www.jurgenschadeberg.com/)

Biography: http://www.afropop.org/explore/artist_info...Dolly%20Rathebe

Lemmy Special

(2003 – photo: Jürgen Schadeberg, http://www.jurgenschadeberg.com/)

Philip Tabane

(1976 – photo: Paul Weinberg)

http://www.music.org.za/artist.asp?id=106

Edited July 2, 2007 by king ubu

[king ubu]

FURTHER LISTENING

The Blue Notes – In Concert Vol. 1 (Ogun – OOP) [don’t have this one for real…]

The Blue Notes – Township Bop (Proper) [early sessions (1964) by the group, still in South Africa – I assume this is the one Proper release I really, really love!]

**Pierre Dorge & New Jungle Orchestra – Brikama (Steeplechase) (incl. Johnny Dyani) [great, joyful and crazy small big band stuff, similar vibes in there as you can hear with the Dutch bands of the time]

*Johnny Dyani – Witchdoctor’s Son (Steeplechase) [a classic, I assume, but one I haven’t gotten yet]

Mongezi Feza – Free Jam (Ayler, 2CD) [Feza guesting with Bernt Rosengren’s group]

Anders Gahnold – Flowers for Johnny (Ayler, 2CD) [trio w/Dyani & Gilbert Matthews]

Abdullah Ibrahim - African Marketplace (WEA) [one of his greatest, Carlos Ward is the main soloist, Craig Harris is there as well, and Cecil McBee anchors it on bass, great blowing, plenty of spirit and soul]

Abdullah Ibrahim – all the “African Recordings” (African Sun, Voice of Africa, Tintinyana, Blues for a Hip King) (KAZ/Camden) [the early 70s material from after Dollar Brand went back to SA, featuring Kippie, Basil Coetzee, Robbie Jansen, Barney Rachabane and others, but also a date with Blue Mitchell, Buster Cooper and Harold Land alongside Coetzee and a few other SA musicians]

Abdullah Ibrahim – African Piano (JAPO) [one of his best, an early solo outing]

Abdullah Ibrahim – Yarona (Enja) [1996 trio set from Sweet Basil in NYC, glorious!]

Abdullah Ibrahim – African River (Enja) [one of the best Ekaya albums]

Abdullah Ibrahim – South Africa (Enja) [a great live set with Carlos Ward]

Abdullah Ibrahim – Africa – Tears and Laughter (Enja) [a meditative set with Talib Kibwe]

Abdullah Ibrahim/Johnny Dyani – Good News from Africa (Enja) [duos, sublime!]

Abdullah Ibrahim/Johnny Dyani – Echoes from Africa (Enja) [more duos, almost as good]

The Jazz Epistles – Jazz in Africa, Vol. 1 (KAZ/Camden) [with John Mehegan date, see Masekela disography for details]

Chris McGregor – Very Urgent (Polydor – OOP) [sort of a grail, it seems… don’t have it for real]

Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath (self-titled) (just reissued by Fledgling)

Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath – Brotherhood (just reissued by Fledgling)

*Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath – Bremen to Bridgewater (Cuneiform. 2CD)

*Chris McGeegor’s Brotherhood of Breath – Travelling Somewhere (Cuneiform)

Chris McGeegor’s Brotherhood of Breath – Country Cooking (Virgin) [one of hist last releases, mostly with UK sidemen, pretty good!]

Hugh Masekela – Still Grazing: The Musical Journey of H.M. (Blue Thumb) [a nice compilation of mostly early material]

Harry Miller – The Collection (Ogun, 3CD – OOP) [all his Ogun albums, solo, duo with Radu Malfatti, Isipingo, the album with Breuker, Trevor Watts and the Tippet(t)ses, as well as the Harry Miller Quintet album with Charig, Wolter Wierbos, Han Bennink and Sean Bergin, originally on Varajazz]

Harry Miller’s Isipingo – Which Way Now (Cuneiform)

*Louis Moholo – Spirits Rejoice (Ogun – OOP?)

*Benny Gwigwi Mrwebi – Mbqanga Songs (Honest Jon’s)

Zim Nqgawana – Zimphonic Sounds (Sheer Sound) [a younger man’s celebration of the great tradition, the music in all its glory and pain]

*Winston Mankunku Ngozi – Yakhal ‘Inkomo (Teal Records)

*) albums I don’t own in any form (some of this stuff has been around in the blogosphere…)

**) albums that are not actually “South African jazz,” whatever that is

Compilations

Freedom Blues: South African Jazz Under Apartheid (Nascente) [mostly classics by Mankunku, The Blue Notes, Harry Miller’s Isipingo, The Jazz Epistles, a.o.]

Africa Straight Ahead (Heads Up) [mostly younger musicians, Zim Ngqawana, McCoy Mrubata, Bheki Mseleku, Hotep Idris Galeta, Paul Hammer, a.o.]

African Horns (KAZ/Camden) [a great teaser, including “Thsona” (see below) as well as a few other lenghty jams, plenty of great sax players featured, incl. Kippie, Coetzee, Jansen & Barney Rachabane]

Jazz in Africa, Volume 2 (KAZ/Camden) [includes Kippie’s terrific album “Tshona”, as well as two looooong jams with Dollar Brand]

Edited July 2, 2007 by king ubu

[king ubu]

a great many reactions here, huh?

[king ubu]

cover courtesy of couw: get it here

thanks a lot, Sir!

[Man with the Golden Arm]

WOW!

i did not partake as time was crazy, BUT, great job Flurin , I picked some Dollar Brand KAZ eons ago that went by way of the dodo (not marmarosa) at some point.

seeing the epilogue really makes me want to pick up the book, so, hopefully it's not out of print yet?

... and time for that couw to open up a nice soggy design studio.

[John B]

a great many reactions here, huh?

I think the BFTs are on life-support these days.

I apologize for not posting more thoughts but I've been very busy at work and haven't been online very much.

I loved your test and appreciate all of the effort you put into the test and into compiling the answers. I look forward to exploring some of the artists I was not as familiar with previously.

[fent99]

Hey Ubu

Love the selections and strangely enjoyed it more having read the liner notes... (New job is in sales and been driving a lot so lots of opportunity for listening) Makes me think about picking up the rest of those Camden issues, since you see them a lot. More study needed...

[king ubu]

Thanks guys, good to see some positive reactions!

Colin, do get the Camdens - all four by Ibrahim plus the two "Jazz in Africa" plus "African Horns" are all great ones! The African Jazz Pioneers isn't that great, just in case... but I liked the one tune I picked a lot!

I have the "Mankunku" disc on special order from HMV for two months now, sucks badly - anyone has an idea where I could find a copy?

[fent99]

Thanks guys, good to see some positive reactions!

Colin, do get the Camdens - all four by Ibrahim plus the two "Jazz in Africa" plus "African Horns" are all great ones! The African Jazz Pioneers isn't that great, just in case... but I liked the one tune I picked a lot!

I have the "Mankunku" disc on special order from HMV for two months now, sucks badly - anyone has an idea where I could find a copy?

I have a few of these so not so many to find...