Customer Reviews

The Best of Hugh Masekela 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection

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THIS CD IS AN AWESOME COMPILATION OF SOME OF HUGH MASEKELA'S GREATEST SONGS. GO "GRAZING IN THE GRASS" AND THEN LISTEN TO SOME OF HIS LESSER KNOWN WORKS. YOU WON'T BE DISSAPPOINTED.

Well, I must say from the outset that this is NOT the best of Hugh Masekela. It is in my opinion the SAFEST selection of Hugh Masekela songs. If you're after more classic Masekela, you've got to go for that one CD that no-one ever talks about that is sitting in the bargain bin. His work is so eclectic, you really couldn't have a CD that represented something that would please everyone.
This CD is a fine jazz CD with SOME of the African overtones (undertones in this case) that makes Masekela such an exciting person to listen to. Again, if you're after more of the African influence, steer away from Masekela's overtly jazz recordings (although there is nothing wrong with his jazz!).
I won't go into the songs, as that's just my opinion of each song, which stands for nothing, but I will say that this CD will not leave anyone looking for some top notch laid back jazz by one of the most prolific and underated trumpeter/vocalist of our time dissapointed. Cerainly worth the investment, but please don't assume that it's garden variety Masekela: he is much deeper as an artist than this CD could ever hope to portray. But to be fair, no-one ever said that it was portraying anything other than what it delivers!

Not knowing all of Hugh's work, I purchased this "best of" collection not wanting to buy several albums at randon or trying to figure out which album (s) had those selections I wanted to own. With the excpetion of Stemale (cut 12) and Felicidade (and of course the well-known and great opening Grazing in the Grass), I was disappointed in the songs/tunes, finding them middle of the road jazz cuts without the real passion or standout trumpeting or passionate heartbeat of African music I sought. May be I expectations were too high, having listened for several years to Fela Kute.