Heading South

I'm headed South this Tuesday and midst my day-job, catching up with friends and family and some record digging I've also managed to score tickets (thanks Hilton!) to see Bafana Banfana play in the semi-finals of the Confederation Cup this Thursday in Jo'burg. It seems like a stroke of good timing and good fortune.

Dressed to Kill

FULL SHOW

TETE MEETS DUKU AT THE BLUE BERRY

Here's a real treat for South African jazz fans. Tete Mbambisa and Duku Makasi in this 1969 studio recording. Very rarely seen on eBay and mostly only gathering dust on collectors shelves. Enjoy!
It's hardly news anymore that Cape musicians are the best in the Republic of South Africa. It goes without saying that they are still the originals from who almost every group draws more inspiriation. Still it may help silence the jazz diehards who have been doing the 'Cape artists are not that great bit' all year. In this disc they have come out with a very impresive package that will knock you out. The title tune Inhlupheko (Distress) a ditty that wraps around you with infiinite sadness was born at the 'Blue Berry', home of iimpressario Ray Nkwe and Soweto's jazz workshop where entertainers meet to share ideas and knock tunes into shape. It happened during the festive season in 1968. Four gawky figures, their limbs ached and their faces were masks of dejection. They were from Port Elizabeth and had come to the Golden City to perform at shows. The concerts were financial flops and the four musicians were left stranded. When they finally reached the Blue Berry their lonely desperation flooded into Rays heart and he fed the four hungry men. With their tummies full the four jazzmen controbuted towards a drink work fifty cents and it gurgled happily down their throats.They picked up their instruments and started to blow. They blew into the night and temporarily forgot their distress. Thats how Inhupeko was born. The composer of the song, Duku Makasi has been called the new tenor-sax voice of 1969 and this recording proves he is also the sound of '69. He has that hard core of progressive jazz and tears up with a fine rhythm backing of Tete Mbambisa on piano, drummer Mafufu Jama and the thudding bass of "Big T"Ntshele. The other tunes on this LP record illustrates the group's fine voice. And the musical mind behind the success story of the Soul Jazzmen is Duku Makasi. Just one more treat for jazz fans. (From the original liner notes)

THE SOUL JAZZMEN - INHLUPEKO (City Special, CYL1000, 1969)
1. Inhlupeko
2. Relaxin'
3. Mr Mecca
4. How Old is the World
5. Love For Sale
6. Dollar the Great
The Soul Jazzmen: Tete Mbambisa (Piano), Duku Makasi (Tenor Sax), Psch "Big T" Ntsele (Bass) and Mafufu Jama (Drums)
Recorded 6th January 1969. Produced by Ray Nkwe. Cover photos by Alf Khumalo
LINK

Gemini Rising (Again!)

I've been away for a week taking in the sights, sounds and hotel interiors of Washington DC. 3000 plus buyers and sellers from telecommunications companies around the world gather at the International Telecoms Week for three days of meeting madness. I had a day off on Sunday when I walked to the White House and past the various monuments and museums before taking myself off to Som Music and Red Onion Records to look for vinyl artifacts. I picked up the Ofege reissue as well as an early Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and a Sipho Mabuse LP. Pretty slim pickings but it was a nice way to pass the day midst the strong sunshine.
In the meantime and between time I've been gathering some of the stronger tunes from new music issues over the last couple of months and I've put them into the following podcast which I hope you enjoy. The link for a direct download is at the bottom or you can subscribe into itunes by using the button on the left. I'm also listed in the iTunes store at this address: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=317148269
Update (Sunday 7 June: Apologies for the audio quality on the podcasts but I don't have a lot of bandwidth to burn. Instead I will be providing a higher quality file (160kbps VBR or thereabouts) as a direct download.

GEMINI RADAR
1. Secret Agent - Tony Allen
2. Live From Tigre Lounge - Mulatu Astatke and the Heliocentrics
3. Invisible Cities - NOMO
4. floating orange - Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu
5. Gimakiny Akia - Extra golden
6. Kamu Telyat - Group Bombino
7. The Fall Of Seven Diamonds Plus One - Tortoise
8. Diaraby Magni - Vieux Farka Touré
9. Happy Tibetan Girl - Jah Wobble and the Chinese Dub Orchestra
10. Neh Yelginete (My First Love) - Dub Colossus
11. Je t'aime - Staff Benda Bilili
12. Lima-Paris - RadioKijada
13. Maybe So, Maybe No - Mayer Hawthorne
14. Protect Ya Neck - El Michels Affair
15. T.I.A - K'naan
D/L LINK (173kbps VBR)