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Over 100 years ago, Joe Brown & the Brothers Band, a minstrel group from New York, performed in Cape Town, South Africa. To this day, a festival honoring their performance is celebrated there, and ever since that day, South African culture has, more than any African nation, mirrored American culture. So it should come as no surprise that there's a vibrant smooth-jazz scene emerging in the re-building nation. This compilation's marquee talent comes in two of South Africa's most well-known contemporary jazz musicians, Hugh Masekela and Jonathan Butler. In addition, two of the most distinct soloists on the Heads Up roster, keyboardist Joe McBride and the magnificent steel drum player Andy Narell, join with a host of rising South African musicians to deliver a radio friendly American product that could've just as easily been recorded in Los Angeles as in South Africa. The CD's 12 tracks are heavy on the "smooth" and light on the "Africa." In fact, it's not until Jimmy Dludlu starts his haunting scat-guitar vocal on track three, "Point of View," before any true South African music is heard. The middle sections of the album make this record a keeper, including Narell's gem "Mpule," Butler's rendition of "Manenberg"-- written by the famed South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly Dollar Brand)--and "Tazara Express." The latter tune features trumpeter Ian Smith, who surprisingly comes off sounding better on brass than Masekela. But Masakela--not Smith--beckons smooth-jazz lovers to go back and discover his more authentic South African jazz recordings. --Mark Ruffin

Review

"Heads Up" President Dave Love first heard guitarist Jimmy Dludlu and many of the artists featured on this "Smooth Africa" when he traveled to South Africa in January 1999 for the Jazzathon festival. "I returned with several recordings of their music and quickly recognized that there was something fresh and appealing that could easily catch on with jazz and smooth-jazz fans here in the U.S.," says Love. So Love decided to put together a recording that mixed smooth-jazz artists from his label with South African musicians. Most of this album was recorded in Johannesburg and in Cape Town, with solo turns by Jonathan Butler, Hugh Masekela, and Joe McBride added in the U.S.
--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc. -- From Jazziz, ISBN13:B00004SCDC ISBN10:B00004SCDC Material Type:audioCD