Hugh Masekela - Home Is Where The Music Is

[kh1958]

Bringing this thread up again because I've been listening to this pretty much nonstop now for the last four months. I simply cannot get over how beautiful this album is. My favorite tune has to be "Minawa," though. Everything clicks on this track: Larry Willis stunning piano harmonies, the gentle repetitive thunder of the drums before they crash into the buildup of each section, and Eddie Gomez's colorfully understated bass lines, not to mention Masekela's luscious solo and Pukwana's urgent solo, and finally their rich harmonies that bookend the piece. I think that's what I love about this whole album: how marvelous the blend of trumpet/alto is throughout the whole album. I love singing along with the various harmony lines!

Very few albums hold me in such a hypnotic sway as this one. Pity that Masekela doesn't appear to have made more albums like this one, which is not necessarily a bad thing if one assumes Masekela simply wanted to move on to the next sound in his head!

A long time ago, I guess, but Hugh Masekela played in Fort Worth back in 1989, at the Caravan of Dreams. I remember it as one of the most exciting bands I ever heard there. It was so good I drove to Fort Worth two nights in a row--I don't know the names of any of the bandmembers--all were African, except for one of the two keyboardists was from Philadelphia. His records from around that period of time were a pale shadow compared to the band at the Caravan.

[Big Al]

I was looking over the Masekela discography at the Doug Payne site, and it would seem that this album is something of a fluke: I don't see where he ever used this kind of a quintet lineup ever again. Such a shame too, because the harmonies that he & Pukwana made are otherworldly, ethereal, and (insert your favorite overused cliche here).

[Stefan Wood]

Masekela Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz is a good one, though not in the same vein as the Home lp.

[kh1958]

Listening to the newly issued 3 disc anthology of Hugh Masekela recordings from 1966-76; the first disc and a half are pretty spotty; there is not much I would listen to twice. Then halfway through disc 2, you reach the entirety of Introducing Hedzoleh Sounds, which is a fantastic record (not issued before on CD?) with a group from Ghana, to whom Masekela was introduced by Fela. Worth the price of admission alone.

[soulpope]

2 hours ago, kh1958 said:

Listening to the newly issued 3 disc anthology of Hugh Masekela recordings from 1966-76; the first disc and a half are pretty spotty; there is not much I would listen to twice. Then halfway through disc 2, you reach the entirety of Introducing Hedzoleh Sounds, which is a fantastic record (not issued before on CD?) .....

Only individual tracks on (two) samplers but never in its entirety ....

[mikeweil]

I happened to step over Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz when it was originally released, liked and bought it, and still have it, to the envy of several people over the years. It's probably the most African, in conception, of Masekela's albums. That Ghanaian group adapted African multi-beat grooves to a guitar-based instrumentation, with great success. For this I will get me this box.

[mikeweil]

The new box includes a massive error: The first track titled" Felicade" is in fact Luiz Bonfa's "Felicidade" 

[felser]

52 minutes ago, mikeweil said:

The new box includes a massive error: The first track titled" Felicade" is in fact Luiz Bonfa's "Felicidade" 

 

Well, that ruins the entire thing for me - I'm returning my set and demanding a full refund!   In seriousness, it's a great set.  It and fills out the corners nicely!  And very low priced.

Edited September 1, 2018 by felser

[kh1958]

On 6/7/2018 at 10:17 AM, mikeweil said:

I happened to step over Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz when it was originally released, liked and bought it, and still have it, to the envy of several people over the years. It's probably the most African, in conception, of Masekela's albums. That Ghanaian group adapted African multi-beat grooves to a guitar-based instrumentation, with great success. For this I will get me this box.

The Hedzoleh Soundz album reissue on Soundway which pre-dates the Hugh Makekela collaboration is also excellent.

http://soundwayrecords.com/buy/hedzoleh-0/

[mikeweil]

Thanks, ordered a copy!

[king ubu]

I think that one is better than the one with Masekela ... he kinda jumped the bandwagon I guess.