Customer Reviews

Capetown Revisited

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Abdullah Ibrahim's "Cape Town Revisited" captures the pianist's trio perfroming live at the Spier Estate in Capetown, South Africa, joined on three tracks by trumpeter Feya Faku. Pertinent background is that Mr. Ibrahim, born in South Africa but in self-imposed exile during apartheid, began performing in his homeland again during the 1990's. It is in this context that the CD is aptly titled "Cape Town Revisited". The joy of his homecoming is admixed throughout this CD with Mr. Ibrahim's influences from living abroad, notably that of his early mentor, Duke Ellington. There are classic, sweet jazz melodies, such as "Someday Soon Sweet Samba" pulsing with township rhythms below the melody. The three-part suite "Cape Town To Congo Square", strangely interrupted between the second and third movenmment by another track, nevertheless evokes the African cultural landscape within an easily recognizable jazz idiom that knows no boundaries. Mr. Faku's contributions add variety to the trio sound, and by the time we reach the stunning gracenotes of the last three trio only tracks, culminating with "Barakaat (The Blessing) we know that we have been blessed indeed to glimpse the musical and cultural wisdom of this stellar artist.

While I overall prefer Mr. Ibrahim's larger ensemble work (see my review of his "Voices of Africa" CD) and thus have given this CD 4 stars only, it is a wonderful, intimate listening experience that allows one to travel musically to other lands yet still feel the immediacy and familiarity of timeless, cross-cultural art. "Cape Town Revisitied" is music that people of all nations can cherish.

Ibrahim Caresses the piano with such nuance - blessed with his midas touch.