Leo Africanus

I just discovered the music of the South African-born, London-based harmonica player Adam Glasser, who has just released his debut record, ‘Free at Last.” This is old school South African jazz. The tracks I liked–I bought them off iTunes–are an upbeat tune “Mjo” featuring Pinise Saul who performed with Dudu Pukwana and the two tracks “Low Six” and “African Jazz and Variety.” In the first song the poet David Serame in the first song Sophiatown, the slaughterhouses “where the Market Theater is now,” the group Low Six that came from Modderbee mine location.  Glasser gets the mood right.  In the second Serame (who performed with the Manhattans) recalls his maiden performance with the African Jazz and Variety Show (featured in the film Zonk). I’ve had them on loop for days now. The latter songs feel like oral history set to music. This is all nostalgia, but it feels good.

You can hear samples from “Low Six,” “Mjo” and the Caiphas Semenya composed “Part of a Whole” at Glasser’s Myspace page.

Nice.

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