Like his compatriot and close contemporary, has a 24-carat discography which stretches back six decades and digs deep into the taproot of jazz. Ibrahim is still with ushe has a new album scheduled for June 2019but Masekela passed in January 2018. Among the several solid Masekela compilations on the market, this 3-CD set is the most welcome. It deals with the most prolific phase of Masekela's career and brings back into circulation material from landmark albums which have either never been reissued or which were last reissued twenty or thirty years ago. Two of the most important albums Introducing Hedzolleh Soundz (Chisa/Blue Thumb, 1973) and I Am Not Afraid (Chisa/Blue Thumb, 1974)are included in their entirety. If Masekela '66'76 did no more than make these titles available again it would justify its existence.
But it does much more.The set focuses on Masekela's first years in the US, to which he exiled himself from apartheid South Africa in 1960, and the albums he made for Chisa Records, the label he set up with Stewart Levine in 1965. Bronx-born Levine studied with Masekela at the Manhattan School of Music and became his lifelong friend and longtime manager and producer. Drawn from eleven of Masekela's Chisa releases, the 37-tracks tracks on Masekela '66'76 were chosen by Masekela and Levine in the year prior to Masekela's passing. There is not one dud among them.The first four albums are: The Emancipation Of Hugh Masekela (Chisa/UNI, 1966), Hugh Masekela Is Alive And Well At the Whiskey (Chisa/UNI, 1967), The Promise Of A Future (Chisa/UNI, 1968) and Masekela (Chisa/UNI, 1969). Track Listing: CD1: The Emancipation Of Hugh Masekela: A Felicadee; Why Are You Blowing My Mind; She Doesn’t Write; Do Me So La So So; Ha Lese Le Di Khana; What Is Wrong With Groovin’; Child Of The Earth.
Hugh Masekela Is Alive And Well At The Whiskey: Son Of Ice Bag; Coincidence. The Promise Of A Future: Grazing In The Grass; Bajubula Bonke (The Healing Song); Vuca; There Are Seeds To Sow.
Masekela: Mace And Grenades; Boermusiek; Gold; Blues For Huey; Gafsa; Is There Anybody Out There.CD2: Reconstruction: You Keep Me Hangin’ On; Woza; Salele Mane. Hugh Masekela And The Union Of South Africa: Mamani; Caution; Hush (Somebody’s Calling My Name).
Home Is Where The Music Is: Minawa. Introducing Hedzholleh Soundz: Languta; Kaa Ye Oya; Adade; Yei Baa Gbe Wolo; Patience; When; Nye Tamo Ame; Rekpete.CD3: I Am Not Afraid: Jungle Jim; African Secret Society; Nina; Been Such A Long Time Gone. The Boy's Doin' It: Ashiko; Mama; The Boy’s Doin’ It. Colonial Man: A Song For Brazil; Colonial Man; Whitch Doctor.Personnel: Hugh Masekela: trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals, with:CD1 1-7: Charlie Smalls: piano; John Cartwright: bass; Chuck Carter: drums; Big Black: congas. CD1 8, 9: Al Abreu: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Cecil Barnard: piano; Henry Franklin: bass; Chuck Carter: drums. CD1 10-13: Al Abreu: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; William Henderson: piano; Bruce Langhorn: guitar; Henry Franklin: bass; Chuck Carter; drums.
Hugh Ramapolo Masekela
CD1 14 – 19: Wayne Henderson: trombone; Al Abreu: tenor saxophone; William Henderson: piano; Arthur Adams: guitar; Henry Franklin: bass; Chuck Carter: drums.CD2 1, 2: Joe Sample: piano; Larry Williams: piano; Arther Adams: guitar; Wilton Felder: bass; Monk Montgomery: bass; Al Foster: drums; Wayne Henderson: drums; Francisco Aguabella: congas; Letta Mbulu: vocals; Caiphus Semenya: vocals; Philemon Hou (Hugh Masekela): vocals. CD 2 3: Larry Willis: piano, vocals; Hal Dodson: bass; Al Foster: drums. CD2 4-6: Jonas Gwangwa: trombone, vocals; Caiphus Semenya: vocals; Joe Sample: piano; Arthur Adams: guitar; Wilton Felder: bass; Wayne Henderson: drums. CD2 7: Dudu Pukwana: alto saxophone; Larry Willis: bass; Eddie Gomez: bass; Makhaya Ntshoko: drums. CD2 8-15: Richard Neesai Botchway: guitar; Nat Hammond: flute, congas, vocals; Stanley Kwesi Todd: bass, vocals; Acheampong Welbeck: drums; James Kwaku Morton: congas, vocals; Isaac Asante: talking drum, percussion, vocals; Samuel Nortey: percussion, vocals.CD3 1-7: Richard Neesai Botchway: guitar; Nat Hammond: flute, congas, vocals; Joe Sample: piano; Stanley Kwesi Todd: bass, vocals; Acheampong Welbeck: drums; Stix Hooper: drums; James Kwaku Morton: congas, vocals; Isaac Asante: talking drum, percussion, vocals; Samuel Nortey: percussion, vocals. CD3 8-10: O.J.Ekemode: saxophones, vocals; Adelaja Gboyega: electric piano; Stanley Kwesi Todd: bass; Yaw Opoko: bass; Frankie Todd: drums; Guy Warren: shekere, bells, vocals; Asante: talking drum, vocals; Kwasi Dzidzomu: congas.
Hugh Masekela Discography
CD3 11-13: O.J.Ekemode: saxophones, vocals; Sivuca: accordion, vocals; Adelaja Gboyega: electric piano; Stanley Kwesi Todd: bass; Yaw Opoko: bass; Frankie Todd: drums; Guy Warren: shekere, bells, vocals; Asante: talking drum, vocals; Kwasi Dzidzomu: congas.Title: Year Released: 2019 Record Label.