R.I.P. legendary South African jazz drummer Louis Moholo, 1940-2025

Sadly, drummer Louis Moholo – of the Blue Notes, Brotherhood of Breath, Assagai – has passed away. He'll be greatly missed. 

South African jazz pianist Tete Mbambisa's "lost" African Day 2LP due April 5th

South African pianist Tete Mbambisa's "lost" recordings from 1976 are being released as African Day by As-Shams/The Sun.

 

Here's the scoop from As-Shams/The Sun Records...

Awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Cape Town in 2023, pianist Tete Mbambisa (84) is a legendary figure in South African jazz. Supported by the cream of the local scene, his albums from the 1970s are among the most cherished vinyl artifacts from this golden era. A monumental archival undertaking, African Day compiles unreleased recordings from 1976 to resurrect a "lost" Tete Mbambisa double album that falls between his seminal works Tete's Big Sound (1975) and Did You Tell Your Mother (1979).

Overseen by producer Rashid Vally as well as Tete Mbambisa himself, African Day is one of the most highly anticipated and deeply meaningful projects undertaken by As-Shams Archive to date. A portrait of Mbambisa by artist Zulu Bidi, the cover artwork was commissioned for the release at the time of the recording. Among a host of unique Mbambisa originals, the set features a 1976 rendering of the classic “Umsenge” (first recorded a decade earlier with the Four Yanks).

2LP vinyl with photo gatefold in a first edition of 500 copies. Album drops on 5 April 2024. We’ll be announcing a Cape Town launch with special guest Bra Tete shortly.

Mankunku Ngozi's 1975 South African soul-jazz LP with The Cliffs gets reissued

Toronto's We Are Busy Bodies are recirculating the Alex Express album by The Cliffs feat. saxophone great Mankunku Ngozi.

Here's the scoop...

Hailing from Cape Town, tenor saxophonist Winston Mankunku Ngozi (1943-2009) is a venerated figure in the pantheon of South African jazz. Inspired by Coltrane while rooted in indigenous folklore, he released the classic album Yakhal’ Inkomo at the outset of his career with the Mankunku Quartet in 1969. Backed by the Cliffs, Alex Express documents Mankunku’s return to the studio in 1975 with a handful of new and original compositions and his inimitable tone on full display. Shaking off the burden of Yakhal’ Inkomo, which was heralded as an earnest manifesto for modern South African jazz, the album is a carefree affair that leans into township grooves with joyful exuberance. In addition to a collaborative project with Mike Makhalemele entitled The Bull and the Lion, Alex Express is the first of just two rare snapshots of Mankunku in the 1970s. Disillusioned by the recording industry, it would take until his resurgence in the 1990s for Mankunku to flesh out his recorded legacy. 

Get a copy from We Are Busy Bodies via Bandcamp right here. Listen to the album following the credits below. 

The Cliffs featuring Mankunku Ngozi - Alex Express

1. Alex Express 3:39

2. Over The Cliff 6:16

3. Gu Gu Lethu 4:07

4. Ever Green 5:13

5. Revelation 6:40

Credits:

Alto saxophone – Winston Mankunku Ngozi 

Trumpet – Stompie Manana 

Trumpet – George Tyefumani 

Organ – Roger Khoza 

Guitar – Allen Kwela 

Bass – Philip Kiti 

Drums – Peter Jackson 

Originally issued in South Africa by The Record and Tape Company in 1975. 

Remastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering. 

Artwork Restoration by Steve Lewin.