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Abdullah Ibrahim


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Guest Bill Barton

Re: African Suite

This has been in my collection for quite awhile. I really like Daniel Schnyder's arrangements. It's one of the more successful "jazz with strings" kind of concept recordings, although it's nowhere near the same level as Focus. In terms of Ibrahim's extensive discography, IMHO it's rather minor compared to the real gems. Thoroughly enjoyable though...

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

"Capetown Fringe" was a surprise hit in NYC in 1978. The jazz radio station played it all the time.

I have it on a great CD titled Voice of Africa; the track was renamed Mannenberg is Where It's Happening. Another great track on the CD: Black Lightning. But the whole album is good (tho I'm not fond of The Pilgrim).

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  • 1 year later...

abdullahibrahimekaya.jpg

Catching up bigtime on the old Ekaya albums... just started playing side 2 of the so far magnificient "Ekaya (Home)" (Ekapa-005), of which I got a NM or even better vinyl. Magnificient SOUNDING album, too - Cecil McBee's bass is gloriously captured by RVG!

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Also recently got hold of "Water from an Ancient Well", "Mindif", and finally a real copy of "African River" (used to live with copies of lots of my dad's Ibrahim CDs, about to finish my buying them all), as well as "Mantra Mode" and "Duke's Memories" with different bands (well, "Mindif" isn't quite Ekaya either).

I guess "No Fear, No Die" will remain a sentimental favorite as I've had it for years and love several tunes on it (Calypso Minor, Angelica, Nisa...), but "Water..." might after all be the most excellent of the bunch!

Ricky Ford often sounds rather tame here (in his own apeshit-measurement, that is) - and all the better for that!

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"Duke's Memories" is from the Black & Blue label and has been totally off my radar until recently when I saw it on some website and immediately ordered a copy! It's all Carlos Ward, from 1981 - in the middle of the period when Ward was most often the lone horn on such great discs as "South Africa" and "Zimbabwe", as well as "At Montreux" (where Craig Harris is added, nonetheless it's the least favorite of the bunch).

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"Mantra Mode" is from 1991 and was recorded in Cape Town with some old friends from South Africa: Robbie Jansen and Basil Coetzee stand out on alto/baritone/flute and tenor, respectively, Johnny Mekoa is on trumpet, Errol Dyers is on guitar (an instrument rarely heard with Ibrahim's groups... he had Lawrence Lucie on banjo for a second on "African Marketplace" though), Monty Webber keeps the good groove, and Spencer Mbadu plays bass.

The disc contains some classic Ibrahim tunes such as "Barakaat", "Mantra Mode" or "Tsakwe", one track with Ibrahim on drums ("Beautiful Love" an Ibrahim tune, not the standard), and there's also the great "Tafelberg Samba/Carnival Samba".

Ultimately, the album falls short on its expectations... or rather my expectations. It's a delight to have more of Jansen's and Mannenberg's blowing and it's a lovely disc, but it's not as great as I'd hoped for (in vain actually, as I played half of it in a store several years ago and actually knew - but I still got to have it!).

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One more thing... who's that guy Talib Qadr, heard on "South Africa - Tears and Laughter", which ranks among my favorite Ibrahim albums? Anyone knows more about him? Does he also go by another name, or is he a virtually unknown saxophonist who popped up on that album and then vanished again?

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  • 8 months later...

Up for some air. I was listening to a cassette of side 2 of the duet with Carlos Ward, "Live at Sweet Basil, Volume 1" (I don't think there was ever a Volume 2). Released on his own label, Ekapa; I don't think it's ever appeared on CD or mp3. What wonderful music! Ibrahim and Ward are just in the zone, as they float from tune to tune, almost like a jam band would. Deeply spiritual, moving music. In fact, Ibrahim seemed to hit that zone often in the '70's and '80's. There was a wonderful solo record originally released in the US on Pausa, entitled "Memories." Again, the way he glides and builds from song to song...great stuff.

Why is it that so many of his tunes from this time somehow remind me of Civil War days? Is it some of his sonorities or the sound of his piano that sounds like it could be from the soundtrack of Buster Keaton's "The General"? Maybe that's just me.

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One more thing... who's that guy Talib Qadr, heard on "South Africa - Tears and Laughter", which ranks among my favorite Ibrahim albums? Anyone knows more about him? Does he also go by another name, or is he a virtually unknown saxophonist who popped up on that album and then vanished again?

Not definitive, but a little research suggests it might be Talib Kibwe (T.K. Blue).

Mike Fitzgerald lists his name as Talib Qadir Kibwe here:

http://www.jazzdiscography.com/fitzgera/muslim.htm

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One more thing... who's that guy Talib Qadr, heard on "South Africa - Tears and Laughter", which ranks among my favorite Ibrahim albums? Anyone knows more about him? Does he also go by another name, or is he a virtually unknown saxophonist who popped up on that album and then vanished again?

Not definitive, but a little research suggests it might be Talib Kibwe (T.K. Blue).

Mike Fitzgerald lists his name as Talib Qadir Kibwe here:

http://www.jazzdiscography.com/fitzgera/muslim.htm

That was my thought, too... would be good to really know!

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Another vote for Live at Sweet Basil. Fine, fine LP. You are right - no volume two was ever released.

I have that one also, bought it used many years ago. I really like it a lot and wondered if I'd ever find vol.2. I'm glad to know that I can stop looking but sad that there wasn't one.

Surely there is more music on tape from this performance that could be released?

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  • 2 years later...

I didn't read every word on every post, but is there no mention of the wonderful 1973 solo piano releases on Sackville? I was in the studio when they were recorded, and I think I'm still hearing and digesting what he played...

Great records. African Portraits is the Ibrahim album I spin the most. It has a photo of him all bundled up in the Toronto winter.

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  • 2 years later...
On 4/27/2017 at 9:33 AM, kh1958 said:

I'll see them in New Orleans on Saturday. The Atlanta concert was cancelled, so Town Hall and New Orleans JHF are the only such concerts in the United States.

I am sitting in the Jazz Tent in New Orleans right now, second row, far left side of the center left section of seats, waiting for Abdullah Ibrahim. Come by and say hello if you can. I have a Kansas City Royals baseball cap.

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