Home Is Where the Music Is / The African Connection

Am I too old to learn to play trumpet? No

Favorite track(s): Part of a Whole, Minawa, The Big Apple, Maseru, Maesha

Never heard of this artist in my entire life. Probably because I don't know so much about jazz/afro-beat.

But damn this album is fantastic! I will definitely listen to it again very soon.

So:
4/5

Had to get past the first song and that awful electonic organ sound, but pretty delightful after that.

Maybe a bit too long but for the most part this was a very chill listen.

It is not an issue but I'm not really hearing much Afrobeat in this regardless of what Wikipedia claims. Very likeable none the less. Charts a different mellower route through 70s jazz than the more obviously dedicated almost academic fusion stuff or Miles Davis' wild live albums from the time.

Love a good jazz record. This one in particular is real smooth like most jazz but showed a whole other level of feels to it once I immersed deeper. Love the traditional jazz sound merged with cultural sounds as well. A really nice touch. I you like jazz you'll most definitely like this record

This is definitely on the more accessible side of jazz. It's just super easy-going, with real nice grooves, nice trumpet and nice overall playing. Some tracks are suuuuper smooth.

I definitely found it fading into the background a bit, just due to the nature of it, but I still really enjoyed it for what it was. It's really nice to work to.

3.5 rounded up.

To jest wielka zasługa tego zestawienia - że pogodził mnie z jazzem. I to nie tylko pogodził, ale sprawił, że sięgam po niego z przyjemności. Do tej płyty chętnie wrócę jeśli najdzie mnie ochota na bardziej klasyczne podejście do tego gatunku, bo naprawdę dużo dobrych rzeczy się tu dzieje. A wspomnę jeszcze, że jest mocne deszczowo-burzowe popołudnie i naprawdę, dzieje się.

Soothing. But not worth a repeat for me

one of the best albums we've had so far

Hab schon wesentlich schlimmeren Jazz hier gehört

I looked for reasons to downgrade this one, but after 2 listens, I can't talk myself into it. Maybe a little too busy to put on as background music at a cocktail party, but that doesn't stop it from being a killer jazz record.

I like Hugh Masekela. I love his hi-life stuff. It's flipping joyous. This album is good, but is more straight jazz than I like from Hugh.

I unfortunately can't do 70s jazz. The constant wailing on the brass makes my ears hurt. The way they linger on a note makes me want to commit violence, just begging for it to end. Didn't hate the last song though.

Just fantastic, and somehow had no idea that Miriam Makeba's husband was just as great of a musician as she was. Added immediately to a bunch of playlists which is the real test. Reminded me a bit of that Ethiopian instrumental album that I'm blanking on the name of.

A South African jazz album is an interesting choice of album for a Saturday evening. Expectedly, it's nice and relaxed, with excellent rhythm section and trumpet(?) playing. At first, it just sounds like regular old American jazz, but then "Maseru" comes in with its fast grooving and excellent playing. Well, the whole album is excellent on a technical level, but that track in particular sticks out compared to what came before it. After "Maseru", the album calms back down again and starts doing more interesting things than it did in the first half. There's a nice funk track and a drum solo before a regular old jazz number on "Nomali". The last track then reveals an ethnic African flavor that hasn't been seen throughout the entire rest of the album. While this wasn't quite the album I hoped it would be, it was still a very good jazz album. It's definitely got soul and has very technical playing that is excellent in the way you'd expect from jazz. It's not the best jazz album ever, but it's also not anywhere near the worst.

This album is ranked #14 of 31 albums released in 1972. Other 1972 albums rated by me:
Ziggy Stardust(abbreviated title)(1/31)-4
Vol. 4(4/31)-5
Can't Buy A Thrill(5/31)-4
Talking Book(6/31)-4
Superfly(7/31)-4
Machine Head(11/31)-5
Paul Simon(12/31)-4
All Directions(13/31)-4
The World Is A Ghetto(15/31)-4
Eagles(16/31)-4
#1 Record(20/31)-5
Manassas(25/31)-2
Something/Anything?(26/31)-3
American Gothic(31/31)-2

Today I am building an IKEA Hemnes daybed for my toddler who is getting too big for a crib and I have the pleasure of listening to this album on repeat while I work. It’s been a good day.

Twas the day of Confessions II releasing, so I had to listen to this album earlier in the day. It was a good listen, but too long for me on that day, coulda streamlined it (although I think that's going against the vibe of jazz)

I drove to Lake McMurray to watch the fireworks. I recently got rejected and I needed so badly just to clear my head. I've been crying off and on a lot lately. But it was a good night. On the way back home, I listened to this, because I needed something new my brain could latch onto. This is a sweet album, and I think it's what pops into people's heads if they think about the word "jazz." I wish it had more defining characteristics, I don't necessarily think there was one instrument or performance that stole the show, but I think it was a pretty good album to have on.

You listen to it at home while doing other things. That's where the music is.