Another archival offering from the man who once proclaimed himself to be the world’s fastest bassist is always welcome…..especially if one aspiring to attain some level of proficiency in the art of playing the electric basss.You may recall that I reviewed another volume of a Jaco Pastorious live set not so long ago and this one, to an extent, complements that work.

Unlike the previous trio offering, Live In New York City: Volume Three (The series is culled from the Big Apple concerts during the mid- 1980s) features a bigger band, although the core of the action is centered on Jaco, drummer Kenwood Dennard and guitarist Hiram Bullock.Volume Three has saxophonist Alex Foster and Butch Thomas,synth man Delmar Brown, pianist Michael Gerber and Trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez (he also plays congas) adding colour and texture to Jaco’s Funk R & B slanted structures.

Recorded in November 1985, Volume Three offers two classic Jaco offereings in Continuum and Teen Town….. typically of his non-retentive nature,they’re not repetitions of the studio recordings, apart from the signature motifs.As a bassist myself, I continue to remain astounded by Jaco’s emotive compositional skills, his fluidly melodic playing style and the distinctive (and much copied since) tone he extracts from his Fender Jazz fretless.

The remaining tracks are a mixed bag of covers, (Alfie, Why I Sing The Blues, If You Could See Me Now and Coltrane’s Niema) and jams (Bass & Percussion Intro, N.Y.C Groove) that, despite the occasional mundane moment, give a pretty good account of the outfit’s languid cohesion.

The extended jams that are Teen Town(over 15 minutes) and If You Could See Me Now( about 181/2 minutes) are typical of the fusion and Jazz genres through the years…. I suppose if you’re used to the meandering improvisational detours, this is very pretty much what you’d expected, although some of the fun factor gets buried under the music sometimes.

Still, Volume Three is mostly an enjoyable live set, both in performance and melodic / rhythmic context.The question is, how much of a Jaco fan are you…….?

*Distributed by Trident Entertainment / Hema Enteprises.

He is one of South Africa’s pioneering jazz giants and although the name’s not as immediately familiar as that of the legendary Hugh Masekala.Abdullah Ibrahim was instrumental in building that bridge between traditional African folk and American Jazz-two musical cultures, a world apart, and yet, with common roots in its people.
Born 67 year ago in Cape Town and named Dollar Brand, the pianist (he started playing at seven,and also sings,and plays the flute,sax and cello) cut his teeth with a variety of folk and religious bands before joining Masekela in the Jazz Epistles, one of South Africa’s first jazz bands, in the late 1950s.

Ibrahim left his country of birth in 1962 (the year Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) and settled in Zurich,from where he spread his musical wings,using a trio format; Duke Ellington was so impressed upon hearing Ibrahim that he arranged for the band to be recorded.

A firm association developed between Ellington and Ibrahim, the latter regularly opening for the Duke, and eventually joining his orchestra, where he stayed for five years before moving on to play with Elvin Jones. Around the time, he converted to Islam, a move that would shape his musical thought and personal character over the years, turning him from a difficult, unpredictable person to someone with a more philosophical bent.

He migrated to New York in the mid -1970, continuing to build his musical strengths, before returning to post-apartheid South Africa in 1990s.During three decades in the business, Ibrahim has recorded numerous albums, melding a traditional folk approach with post-bop sensibilities…..his music has been termed intense and meditative simultaneously and clearly, no one genre sits lightly on him.

Ekapa Lodumo has him performing with one of Germany’s top jazz orchestras, this session recorded at a jazz orchestra orchestras, this session recorded at a jazz venue in Hamburg almost two years ago. The seven-track album, interspersed with intros by the man himself, is an interesting take on the modern and traditional; all compositions are his own, but NDR members often take the spotlight,with extended colourful solos on flute,trombone,trumpet,clarinet,flugelhorn and saxophones.

It takes off with Ibrahim’s intro of Kramat and throught, maintains an amazing level of performing consistency- he and the NDR meander through ballads and upbeat pieces with ease, sometimes sounding almost New Age-y,at other, stoutly displaying their swing root.Tunes likes Mindif, Black And Brown Cherries, Pule and African Market exhibit to the listener a wide array of emotional textures and levels, in turns, inspirational and balmy. Not surprisingly, Ibrahim closes this set with a tribute to Ellington, Duke 88.

A hugely satisfying album, this, and one that leaves you craving for a bit more of Ibrahim and his earthy, philosophical tones. Very highly recommended… this is the textbook of soulful, entertaining jazz. – Sujesh

Available nationwide, distributed by Trident Entertainment.