Abdullah Ibrahim Trio
Yarona

Abdullah Ibrahim, born in Cape Town in 1934, is undoubtedly the leading figure in the South African jazz scene. Together with Hugh Masekela and Kippie Moeketsi, he was a member of the legendary Jazz Epistles, the first all-black jazz group in South Africa.

In exile during apartheid, he went to Europe, and in Zurich, he had a stroke of luck: he was heard playing by Duke Ellington, who was so impressed that he immediately secured him a contract with Reprise. Ibrahim even replaced Duke at the piano with his historic orchestra for a series of concerts!

From that moment on, his rise began. He released many high-quality studio albums, adorned with his splendid compositions, and performed concerts with an almost mystical rituality. The name Dollar Brand (as he was called until his conversion to Islam in '68) quickly spread among connoisseurs, thanks to the absolute quality of his musical offering, and became synonymous with guarantee. He has become a true musical ambassador for South Africa, and an object of veneration in his country.

His piano style often makes use of left-hand ostinatos, over which the right hand builds phrases with a melodic and lyrical character. Ibrahim's melodic talent is truly extraordinary, and his improvisations, sometimes intense but rarely aggressive, take on the character of gentle hints, sophisticated musical thoughts with strong allusive power. Instant composition of the highest level, rich in sensitivity and a certain sense of inevitability; a philosophical Africanity, aimed at closing the circle, confirming ideas of eternal return and uniqueness in the whole. And his compositions feature the most diverse influences: melodies from African tradition blend with ‘classical’ pianism, swing, and oriental exotic shades.

As mentioned, for this musician, the live dimension is the ideal setting to express himself, and it is precisely a live album, this ‘Yarona’, recorded in a trio at Sweet Basil in New York in '95, in the company of the excellent Marcus McLaurine on double bass and George Johnson on drums.

A magical concert-record, constructed as a long suite, that from the introduction of the first track leads to a kind of emotional limbo, within which melodic languors cradle the mind and create ethereal images. Occasionally, in the opening of the tracks, there is a beautiful rhythmic tension, rich in bite. But it is the lyrical moments that truly make one dream, as in the beautiful ‘Nisa’ (dedicated to the women of South Africa), ‘African River’ (an oasis of peace), ‘Stardance’ (written for the film Chocolat), and the concluding ‘Barakaat’ (meaning ‘blessings’), a bright jewel imbued with resigned melancholy, where a Satie-like minimalism meets an inexorable rock rhythm marked by brushes.

Nonetheless, there are also episodes of cheerfulness or speed, as in Ibrahim’s classics ‘Mannenberg’ and ‘African Marketplace’, revisited here, or in ‘Tintinyana’ (a South African bird) and ‘Tuang Guru’. Worth mentioning as well is ‘Duke 88’, a heartfelt tribute to the master, to whom Ibrahim is indebted and feels sincere admiration and friendship.

In conclusion, an excellent album, full of emotions, enjoyable and magnificently played, which I highly recommend to everyone, even to those who might be new to jazz.

Abdullah Ibrahim will be in concert at the Auditorium in Rome with his current trio, on April 16.

I WILL BE THERE!!!