Abdullah Ibrahim

Jazz Bonus Break

October 19, 2012

By Sean Jacobs 

Uploaded in mid-August on YouTube, this 1968 clip may be the earliest known clip of Abdullah Ibrahim. In the video, a wiry (all arms and legs) Ibrahim is performing with his band at the time — consisting of John Tchicai, Gato Barbieri, Barre Phillips and Makaya Ntshoko — on German television:

If you haven’t had enough of Ibrahim, it was also his birthday last week Tuesday — we Storified an Abdullah Ibrahim Birthday Edition.

Tchicai, the tall, thin man playing saxophone on that 1968 live set in the video above died last week. Tchicai (Congolese father, who has an interesting story of his own, and a Danish mother) also collaborated with the South African bassist Johnny Dyani. RIP.

Here’s Tchicai performing in April this year (fast forward to the 6.23 mark):

Hugh Masekela performs a live version of Louis Armstrong’s “Rocking Chair” for The Guardian at Womad this past summer:

Drummer Tete Mbambisa, who doesn’t say much, has a new album. Buy it.

Now for the younger cohort. First up the Belgium-based, South African-born vocalist Tutu Poeane and her band:

Then Chicago’s Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

From London, Soweto Kinch and Shabaka Hutchings:

French double bass Stéphane Kerecki talking about his new record:

Finally, though not strictly classified as jazz (but what is jazz?), check out this trailer for a new film about chaabi musicians from Algiers:

Read more here.