Hugh Masekela - Live At The Record Plant - Sausalito, CA - February 24, 1974 (Remastered Version) '2020

Tracks list

Isaac Asante - talking drum, whistles, percussion, vocals; Richard Neesai
Botchway - lead and rhythm guitar, vocals; Hugh Masekela - trumpet, flugelhorn,
percussion, vocals; James Nii Kwaku Morton - conga, percussion, vocals; Nat "Lee
Puma" Hammond - conga, flute, vocals; Sammuel Nortey - timbales, percussion,
vocals; Stanley Kwesi Todd - bass, vocals; Salas Acheampong Welbeck - drums,
cymbals, talking drum, percussion, vocals

Born and raised in the oppression of South African apartheid, by the mid-1950s,
Hugh Masekela became one of the most in-demand young musicians in all of South
Africa, working with pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and his own future musical partner
and spouse, singer Miriam Makeba. Wielding his trumpet like a weapon, he soon
developed into a raw and powerful player, inspired by African-American artists
like Miles Davis and Paul Robeson.

While enrolled at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music in the 1960s, he was
exposed to the American jazz scene and the culture of New York City opened up a
world of new possibilities. As the intense cultural changes of the '60s
unfolded, Masekela's music also began to change, incorporating contemporary
musical elements into the mix. Along with a whole new wave of rock bands,
Masekela was ushered into the American consciousness by his appearance at the
1967 Monterey Pop Festival, where he truly emerged, along with artists like Jimi
Hendrix and Janis Joplin. The following year, he hit it big with "Grazing In The
Grass," which shot up to #1 on both the pop and R&B charts.

After riding a wave of popular success through the late-1960s, Masekela returned
to his homeland in 1970, joining Miriam Makeba for a tour of Guinea. It was
during this tour that he first met the Nigerian AfroBeat musician, Fela Kuti,
and the Ghanian band, Hedzoleh Soundz, who were blazing through Africa with a
new form of jazz-funk that was heavily influenced by the interlocking rhythms of
AfroBeat and the thick grooves of James Brown. In 1973, they made the
breakthrough album, "Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz." Even decades later, this
album remains one of the most compelling examples of a jazz musician working
within an authentic form of African music. It is rightly considered one of the
greatest and most influential African-Jazz fusion albums of all time.

Which brings us to 1974, when Masekela and Hedzoleh Soundz brought their highly
original music to American audiences for the first time. Thankfully, this Record
Plant recording captures this historical moment in crystal clarity. One of the
finest examples here is "Languta," a standout track from the above-mentioned
album. Every second of this performance cooks with volatile tribal rhythms and
thick sumptuous bass and guitar work. Add to this Masekela's blistering trumpet
runs and the belted out African vocals, and a swirling wave of sound engulfs the
listener into a world awash with emotion. As cerebral as this piece of music is,
it still remains ultimately danceable. Another highlight is "Stimela (Coal
Train)," destined for the album "I Am Not Afraid," which would be recorded
during the following months. This more somber introspective song, which
references the train that carried men into the Johannesburg mines (and is not a
reference to John Coltrane, as some have speculated) predates and signals the
arrival of a whole new genre- world music.

Toward the end of this remarkable set, the group begins stretching out, first
with "Love Song For A Jungle Afternoon," bringing light to the darker feel of
some of the songs that preceded it. Taken as a whole, this lengthy composition
is feel good music in its most literal sense, spreading a musical message of
love that transcends any language barriers. This is a phenomenal performance and
recording from a particularly fascinating time in Masekela's career, when he was
truly transcending musical and cultural boundaries.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Intro (3:34)
1.02 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Rekpete (4:00)
1.03 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Patience/When (8:56)
1.04 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Languta (5:19)
1.05 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Stimela (Coaltrain) (5:20)
1.06 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Nye Tamo Ame (4:32)
1.07 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Omusu Da Fe M'Musu (6:36)
1.08 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Love Song For A Jungle Afternoon (8:16)
1.09 - Hugh Masekela, Hedzoleh Soundz - Kaa Ye Oya (15:16)

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