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Melanie Scholtz: Zillion Miles
by Seton Hawkins
On her debut album, Zillion Miles, vocalist Melanie Scholtz spends a great deal of time demonstrating her chops in multiple genres--deliberately avoiding classification in any sort of mold. It's a daunting style of album to make, though several other South African jazz musicians have been doing it lately, notably Gloria Bosman and Concord Nkabinde. Like these ...
Hugh Masekela at SOB's
by Seton Hawkins
Hugh Masekela SOB's New York City April 25, 2006 2006 is going to be the year Hugh Masekela reminds the world why he is a musical legend. Following the somewhat lackluster kwaito experiment with his 2005 Revival, Masekela opened 2006 with the excellent Hugh Masekela Presents the Chisa Years ...
Four Fourty: Us+Them=1
by Seton Hawkins
In an age where many albums rely on pyrotechnics, famous guest musicians or outright all-star lineups, Four Fourty offers a refreshing alternative. While each of the musicians is a solid soloist--from Mvuzo Dimba's Horace Silver-like piano playing to Vuyisile Sabongo's Maceo Parker-inspired saxophone funk--the band emphasizes the collaborative aspect of playing on Us+Them=1. The results speak ...
Louis Mhlanga: World Traveller
by Seton Hawkins
Louis Mhlanga has established himself as one of Southern Africa's most influential and unique guitarists. Originally from Zimbabwe, he now records for South Africa's Sheer Sound label. While his music, as the title of this album suggests, draws its inspiration from all over the globe, his guitar playing seems to draw its greatest influences from the ...
Dennis Mpale: The Man Behind the Trumpet
by Seton Hawkins
The late Dennis Mpale was one of South Africa's greatest trumpet players. Chronologically, he entered the picture shortly after Hugh Maskela and worked with artists from Abdullah Ibrahim and Jonas Gwangwa to Mackay Davashe and Kippie Moeketsi. Like many of the musicians of his generation, Mpale left South Africa to live in exile in London, not ...
Gwen Ansell: Soweto Blues
by Seton Hawkins
Gwen Ansell Soweto Blues Continuum ISBN 0826416624 350 pages 2004 Gwen Ansell's Soweto Blues is the book South African jazz lovers have been praying for. Originally conceived as a radio show entitled “Ubuyile, the book is the result of over 80 hours of ...
Wessel van Rensburg / McCoy Mrubata: Kulturation
by Seton Hawkins
Pianist Wessel van Rensburg and saxophonist McCoy Mrubata have both established themselves as giants in the world of South African jazz in their respective solo careers, as well as their work together in the Sheer All Stars. Both have demonstrated ample chops, compositional skills, and musical creativity on all of their albums. But on Kulturation, the ...
Robbie Jansen: Nomad | Jez
by Seton Hawkins
A new album by saxophonist Robbie Jansen is unquestionably cause to celebrate. His two previous releases as a leader, Vastrap Island and Cape Doctor, were both essential additions to the South African jazz record canon. And while the title of Nomad | Jez might suggest a diverse range of music, Jansen actually stays near to home ...
Labella: Child of the Soil
by Seton Hawkins
Labella is an artist in transition. Her debut album, Still Lonely, showed a singer with strong R&B and dance influences. However, for Child of the Soil, she has teamed up with guitarist/composer/producer Selaelo Selota--the album is for his label, C-Lota Records--in a move towards forging a more old-school Afropop/Safro jazz sound.Selaelo's influence is constantly ...
Themba Mkhize: Hands On
by Seton Hawkins
If one were to divide Themba Mkhize's career into periods, it could be split in two: the Sakhile period--his time with the now-legendary Zulu jazz/pop group; and the post-Sakhile period--solo albums on which Mkhize's own highly bop-influenced piano comes to the forefront, and the albums come across as accessible post-bop outings with strong African influences. On ...
