via The Wall Street Journal
When jazz was in its infancy, people thought of it as music—if they regarded it as music at all—that was invariably loud, fast and rambunctious. From the beginning, “to jazz something up” meant to make it more exciting. Yet for nearly 100 years, the music has consistently also attracted more thoughtful and introspective players and composers, like Bix Beiderbecke (in his piano compositions especially), Billy Strayhorn and Bill Evans. It might seem ironic, then, that one of the most lyrical of contemporary jazzmen comes from the very continent often cited as the inspiration for the aggressive energy that jazz on the whole was originally known for.
The pianist, composer and bandleader Abdullah Ibrahim was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1934 and in the earlier part of his career worked under the name Dollar Brand. He has been a major presence on the international jazz scene since 1963, when he was discovered and subsequently recorded by Duke Ellington. On July 15 of last year, a few months before his 89th birthday, Mr. Ibrahim recorded two remarkable sets in London’s Barbican Hall. On both, he was joined by Cleave Guyton Jr., on flute and piccolo, and Noah Jackson, on bass and cello. Mr. Ibrahim’s new album, “3” (Gearbox, out Jan. 26), comprises both of these performances.