Words by Justin Turford
Detroit’s RJ Spangler and T-Bone Paxton have been exploring the richness and vibrantly soulful jazz sounds of South Africa for over thirty years and here we have further proof of their deep understanding and love of that distinctively gorgeous sound. The duo started on this trail with the Sun Messengers Band in 1980, and then the Sun Sounds Orchestra (winning Best Jazz Recording at the Detroit Music Award in 1991 for “Open the Doors”). They also won a Detroit Music Award for Outstanding Jazz Recording in 2015 for their PD9 Township Jazz Project; “The Duderstadt Session/Live at the Scarab Club”.
Last year’s “Anthem For The New Nation” was a fine collection of compositions by the great SA pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand), but for ‘Ugqozi’, the septet have taken a more sweeping view of African composers as their inspiration. Still heavy on the SA tip, we have legendary songs such as Miriam Makeba and Jerry Ragovoy’s evergreen ‘Pata Pata’ and Abdullah Ibrahim’s ‘Jabulani - Easter Joy’ from his essential 1973 album ‘African Piano’ sitting perfectly next to more contemporary SA artists such as the Blue Note Africa signed Nduduzo Makhathinan and the gently swinging ‘Ithemba’. Husband of the great singer Letta Mbulu and a wonderful composer and musician himself for decades, Caiphus Semenya, is included with his deeply funky Strata Records-esque ‘Part Of A Whole’, a tune that sounds tailor-made for the down and dirty Detroit jazz tradition, the song’s street-sass attitude and swagger amplified in this recording by these Michigan natives. Special guest Salim Washington, a reedsman, composer and educator of great acclaim contributes with his own composition, ‘Lwandle’s Lullaby’, a soothing pastoral trip with swirling flutes, oboe and saxes, expressive bass and piano moments and Sean Perimutter’s everchanging drum rhythms coalescing into what sounds to me, like a classic Mzansi jazz piece from the 70s such is its joyful poetry. A significant influence on the septet’s co-leaders was the English-SA outfit Brotherhood Of Breath. Founded by SA expat Chris McGregor in London in the early 70s, the composition ‘You Ain’t Gonna Know Me ‘Cos’ by the late Mongezi Feza contains everything that I adore from this period. Huge melodic hooks drenched by wild, unrestrained horn playing, the sunshine and warmth of the southern tip of Africa disguising the tension and violence of the country’s (then) Apartheid horror. This was always the way with SA jazz, an artful attempt to bring harmonic balance to a terrifyingly unbalanced scenario. Finally, we leave SA for Nigeria and the King of Afrobeat, Olufela Olufemi Anikulapo Kuti (Fela to you and me), the septet absolutely nailing his 1975 classic ‘Water No Get Enemy’, adding a subtle soul-jazz taste that sounds like Gil Scott-Heron collaborator and keys wizard Brian Jackson is deep in the jam (so serious props to pianist Philip J.Hale for this baby). I’ve heard so so many versions of this song and this really is a stunning version!
'Ugqozi' translates from the isiZulu word as inspiration and this album is both inspired and inspiring. Every player is right there, in the pocket, in the room, in love with the music that they’re performing and it makes me feel hopeful. A superb journey. 9/10