Born in South Africa in 1939, flugelhorn, trumpet, and cornet virtuoso Hugh Masekela was inspired by American jazz as a young boy and served an extensive apprenticeship with some of his homeland's musical giants. In 1959, he and pianist Dollar Brand (aka Abdullah Ibrahim) formed the legendary Jazz Epistles, but after a brutal government crackdown on political opposition, Masekela and a host of other artists and intellectuals fled the country. A long but fruitful period followed, during which he worked with Yehudi Menuhin, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Harry Belefonte, Miriam Makeba (his ex-wife), Herb Alpert, and Paul Simon, consolidating his reputation abroad. He achieved mainstream hits such as "Grazing In The Grass," and, later on, his South African-born musical, Sarafina, achieved iconic status. The present two-disc release brings him full circle, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Johannesburg's Market Theater, which was an important crucible of the anti-apartheid movement. Backed by a swinging team of local players, Masekela is in great form, sounding far more jazzy and less adult-contemporary than in years gone by. An exile no more, he is a seasoned elder statesman, moving easily between hometown mbaqanga and jive, through Fela-vintage Nigerian Afrobeat, while harking back to memories of classic New York and Cape Town grooves. Recording live without a net, Masekela has made a career-summing, essential recording.
By Christina Roden