Sometimes a musical message is so urgent that questions of recording quality are almost beside the point. Informally recorded in 1969 in a noisy club – Copenhagen’s famous Jazzhus Montmartre – the flavour of this album is ‘documentary’ rather than luxuriantly hi-fidelity, yet the essence of Abdullah Ibrahim’s communication comes through loud and clear. The listener is drawn into the robust rhythms of his solo piano style, as he re-examines the history of jazz from a South African perspective, with echoes of songs of the townships, and vamps that hint of Monk and Duke and much more. African Piano was a highly influential album, and it has lost none of its power.As part of the Re:solutions series this historical title has been mastered from original analog sources and reissued in January 2014.

A beautiful live performance from the same trio that delivered the Third World Underground album for Trio Records in 1972 – a set done with a similar mix of earthy, global elements as that gem – delivered by Carlos Ward on alto and flute, Dollar Brand on piano and flute, and Don Cherry on flute, trumpet, and percussion! There's a style here that's almost an extension of the energy of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – especially in the way the musicians mix up instruments – combined with some of the more globally-sensitive elements of Don Cherry's work in Sweden, which clearly brings out qualities in Brand and Ward that are different than their already-great work together on other albums. Titles include "African Session", "Air", "Berimbau", "Waya Wa Egoli", "Cherry", and "Bra Joe From Kilimanjaro".

Two jazz giants of the 70s come together on this rare Italian recording from the late 60s - South African pianist Dollar Brand (Abdulla Ibrahim) and Argentine tenorist Gato Barbieri - both working here in spare duo formation, with edges that are a fair bit sharper than most of their later work! The format is incredibly spare - just tenor and piano, plus some occasional cello work by Brand - dark and angular, but also filled with small flowers of hope, flowering in the spontaneous presence of these two great minds - a tremendous spirit that makes the record very different than freer jazz outings, and which maybe points the way towards some of the classic European tenor/piano recordings to come.

Recorded at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg, on 10.12.1973, except (4), (5) which were recorded on 7.9.1979.
South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim's effervescent sound is immediately recognizable. It is steeped in the folk traditions of his homeland - from township folk and A.M.E. gospel to Indian raga - and is wed to the elegant compositional flair of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk's canny notions of harmony and rhythm, improvisation, and classical technical proficiency. He is the most distinguished - and prolific - jazzman in South Africa's history.