Items12The creator’s order
  1. 1Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) – Mannenberg - 'Is Where It's At'Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) – Mannenberg - 'Is Where It's At'Recorded in Cape Town with an assembled group of local masters including Basil Coetzee and Robbie Jansen, Mannenberg captured the pulse of a besieged community with breathtaking warmth. Ibrahim's rolling, hymn-like piano vamp anchors the piece, allowing the saxophone frontline to weave joyous,…0
  2. 2Winston Mankunku Ngozi – Yakhal' InkomoWinston Mankunku Ngozi – Yakhal' InkomoTranslating to the cry of the bull before slaughter, Yakhal' Inkomo is one of the most revered statements in South African jazz history. Mankunku's towering tenor saxophone leads an intimate quartet featuring Lionel Pillay on piano, Agrippa Magwaza on bass, and Early Mabuza on drums. The four…0
  3. 3Hugh Masekela – Home Is Where the Music IsHugh Masekela – Home Is Where the Music IsRecorded during Masekela's American exile, this double album brought together pianist Larry Willis, saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Makhaya Ntshoko. The ensemble fuses township grooves with deep modal post-bop agility. The legendary reading of Caiphus Semenya's Part of a…0
  4. 4The Jazz Epistles – Jazz Epistle Verse 1The Jazz Epistles – Jazz Epistle Verse 1Formed in Johannesburg by Dollar Brand, Hugh Masekela, Kippie Moeketsi, Jonas Gwangwa, Johnny Gertze, and Makaya Ntshoko, The Jazz Epistles created the first full-length modern jazz LP by Black South African musicians. Despite recording under the shadow of the Sharpeville massacre, the sextet…0
  5. 5Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath – Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of BreathChris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath – Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of BreathForged in London by South African exiles alongside British avant-garde improvisers, the Brotherhood of Breath was an explosive, joyous sonic hurricane. McGregor's sweeping piano arrangements channel big-band swing through raw Kwela pulses and free jazz turbulence. The sprawling brass frontline…0
  6. 6Dudu Pukwana – In the TownshipsDudu Pukwana – In the TownshipsAlto saxophonist Dudu Pukwana led his group Spear into London's Virgin Studios to record this definitive document of South African groove. Driven by Mongezi Feza's searing pocket trumpet and Harry Miller's muscular basslines, the ensemble surges through raw township jive and blues shuffles. The…0
  7. 7Bheki Mseleku – CelebrationBheki Mseleku – CelebrationRecorded at Abbey Road with a stellar group of British and international collaborators including Courtney Pine and Steve Williamson, Celebration marked the triumphant arrival of a multi-instrumentalist visionary. Mseleku plays piano and saxophone simultaneously, yet the album's brilliance lies in…0
  8. 8Moses Molelekwa – Finding One's SelfMoses Molelekwa – Finding One's SelfPianist Moses Taiwa Molelekwa was the beacon of post-apartheid South African jazz, and his debut album captured a young ensemble brimming with optimism and virtuosity. Blending Marabi piano chords with modern jazz harmonies and contemporary funk breaks, the group navigates complex shifts with fluid…0
  9. 9Nduduzo Makhathini – Modes of Communication: Letters from the UnderworldsNduduzo Makhathini – Modes of Communication: Letters from the UnderworldsPianist and healer Nduduzo Makhathini constructs a profoundly spiritual sonic cosmology on this Blue Note debut. His expansive ensemble features soaring horn dialogues, evocative vocal ceremonies, and intricate polyrhythmic percussion. The musicians do not simply accompany one another; they…0
  10. 10Shabaka and the Ancestors – Wisdom of EldersShabaka and the Ancestors – Wisdom of EldersRecorded in Johannesburg over a single weekend, this collaboration between British saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings and a brilliant cohort of young South African players feels ancient and urgently modern. Featuring Mthunzi Mvubu on alto saxophone, Siyabonga Mthembu on vocals, and Nduduzo Makhathini on…0