Label: Gearbox Records, 2024

Personnel - Abdullah Ibrahim: piano; Noah Jackson: double bass, cello; Cleave Guyton Jr.: flute, piccolo.

The legendary South African pianist and composer, Abdullah Ibrahim, is heard leading a trio - with members of his EKAYA band: bassist/cellist Noah Jackson and flutist Cleave Guyton Jr. - in a double album that captures music in different contexts. The first disc consists of six originals recorded without an audience ahead of a concert at London’s Barbican Centre in 2023. The second disc is the concert itself, featuring a blend of original compositions and covers.

Expressing himself with distinctive idioms, Ibrahim flows calmly, benefiting from the wholehearted accompaniment of his peers, who tackle old tunes like “Tswake” and “Ishmael” on their own. The former starts with a flurried bass, and the flute imparts a pronounced bluesy and jazzy feel, while the latter revolves around a central bass groove. To contrast these piano-less numbers, “Krotoa-Crystal Clear”, previously included in the album Mukashi - Once Upon a Time (Sunnyside, 2014) - takes the form of a solo piano meditation with rich, exquisite harmonies sustaining quietly poignant melodies where emotions flow effortlessly.

The opening track, “Barakat”, rests in a slow movement characterized by grace, elegance, and space. The flute takes center stage, complemented by an enriching cello operating on the groove side but also melodic at times. “Marába” is a reverential African folk song delivered with a delicate touch, positive attitude, and gentle rhythm. The first half concludes with the meditative classic “Mindif”, at once beautiful and heartbreaking.

The second disc includes not only well-known Ibrahim compositions like “Water From an Ancient Well”, “The Wedding”, and “Nisa”, but also renditions of tunes by Duke Ellington (“In a Sentimental Mood”), John Coltrane (“Giant Steps”), and Thelonious Monk (“Skippy”).

Nothing really burns intensely on Ibrahim’s latest release but the music, possessing healing powers, maintains its flow with a refined gloss that reflects the heritage, unique playing, and masterful compositional prowess of a great artist.

Favorite Tracks (Disc One):
01 - Barakat ► 04 - Marába ► 06 - Mindif

Label: Gearbox Records, 2019

Personnel - Abdullah Ibrahim: piano; Lance Bryant: tenor saxophone; Cleave Guyton Jr.: alto saxophone, flute, piccolo; Marshall McDonald: baritone saxophone; Andrae Murchison: trombone; Adam Glasser: harmonica; Noah Jackson: double bass, cello; Alec Dankworth: double bass; Will Terrill: drums.

After a four-year hiatus, the legendary South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim returns with a wonderful album, continuing a trailblazing work of pure instinct and eclectic refinement started in 1960. For this new work, aptly titled The Balance, the 84 year-old artist balances solo and collective efforts, high energy and melancholia, elation and forlornness, celebration and restraint, as well as spontaneous rides and thoroughly written parts. So, balance is the key, and the music, an incredible blend of township folk and sophisticated jazz, provides that compelling emotional depth that we found in previous masterpieces such as Water From an Ancient Well (1985) and Ekaya (1983).

Ibrahim performs nine of his originals - six with the group Ekaya (none of the musicians from the aforementioned record are present here) and three solo presentations - along with a lilting rendition of Monk’s “Skippy”. The latter piece, featuring all the woodwind players, develops according an arrangement that deserves thunderous applause.

The same happens with the old hit “Nisa”, a bursting-with-flavor orchestral sumptuousness that projects the earthy, singular tones of Marshall McDonald’s bari sax before the rest of the soloists step in. Ibrahim is simply phenomenal in his note choices, creating intervals and motifs that attest the quality of his playing. This is also evident on the solo pieces, with “Tonegawa”, in all its impressive spiritual splendor, attaining an emotional peak through beautiful phrasing, underlying low pedal notes, and incidental dissonant chords.

Moods keep shifting throughout, and if “Dreamtime” had opened up the session with poignant pianism, leisurely beat, and a melodious flute that conveys serenity, “Jabula” emphasizes African folk elements in the form of gleeful melodies and celebratory rhythmic accents. The propelling brushwork offered by drummer Will Terrill plays a crucial role in this process.

This subtle play of light and shade becomes noticeable again, especially when putting side by side “Song For Sathima” and “Tuang Guru”. The latter avant-garde-ish piece is layered with a strong forward thrust via bass and hi-hat kinetic moves. It features the contrasting tones of a shrilling piccolo and a deep baritone, and is complemented with the slithering brassy lines of trombonist Andrae Murchison and the resolute advances of tenorist Lance Bryant.

There’s an unfluctuating state of grace that lingers long after the harmonica-tinged title track brings the album to a conclusion. Ibrahim continues true to himself and the magic of his individual expression is well alive. The Balance is one of his best records in many years.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Dreamtime ► 02 - Nisa ► 04 - Tuang Guru