This post is the first in a thread of four worthy bop-oriented albums recorded by a common core of eight jazz musicians (all featured on this recording) while they spent much of 1974 touring South and southern Africa. In kicking off chronologically with Kirk Lightsey’s February 1974 recording, a preface on the special role of one Lovelace Watkins is appropriate. Watkins signed Lightsey to accompany him for five years of playing all around the world from 1974 to 1979. Detroit-born Watkins was a charismatic and gifted singer whose travelling and musical networking seemed to open up opportunities for good things to happen around him.
The last three albums in this thread also feature Marshall Royal, Count Basie's saxophonist and band leader for more than twenty years.
Watkins recorded two albums in South Africa , both of which went gold. Watkins went to number 6 on the south African charts in 1974 with Neil Sedaka’s “The Way I Am”. Download that song here (15th Nov 1974). Watkins died aged 58 in 1995 of leukemia.
Kirk Lightsey’s enduring keyboard genius stretches back to the 1960s where he appears on five recordings with Chet Baker on the Prestige label. After his five-year stint with Watkins, Lightsey went on to tour with Dexter Gordon from 1979 to 1983. Since then, the last thirty years have cemented Lightsey’s reputation as a gifted modern Jazz pianist with a career that has included sessions with some of the world’s finest jazz instrumentalists, along with a series of classy recordings and solo performances of his own.
 |
| Kirkland Lightsey |
Habiba was “a concept thought up by trombonist Al Hall jnr. The sleeve notes record that Hall suggested the group try “to put our thoughts down musically on some of the aspects we have seen” (in southern Africa). “It is obvious that the rhythm and voicings of Africa have been deeply etched into these compostions by Kirk Lightsey and Rudolph Johnson.”
“On this album a combination of African rhythms and harmonies give licence to the inventive genius of the musicians who explore the moods of black Africa”.
Notable among the listing of U.S.-based jazz musicians is one South African, bass player, producer, writer and engineer, Johnny Boshoff. Boshoff's bass graces numerous genre's of South African recordings from Johnny Kongos, through prog-jazz rock band "Square Set", to Juluka. Boshoff ably filled in on three of these recordings because of contractual record label issues with Watkins' own bass player, Monk Montgomery. Montgomery headlines the next record to be shared in this thread, with a 1974 live concert at Orlando Stadium in Soweto. For now, enjoy what has become a sought after and highly rated album!
Recorded in South Africa 17/02/1974:
Kirk Lightsey (Keyboard);
Rudolph Johnson (Tenor Sax / Flute);
Johnny Boshoff (Bass);
Curtis Kirk (Drums);
Charles Mallory (Guitar);
All Hall jnr. (trombone);
Delbert Hill (Clarinet);
Danny Cortez (Trumpet).
Produced by Peter Thwaites and Peter Lotis
Recorded by Peter Thwaites in the Gallo Studios - February 1974. Album released in February 1975.
Gallo GL1774
Here It Is (Rudolph Johnson) 11:57
Fresh Air (Kirk Lighstey) 5:32
Rapidshare here
Mediafire here
Last saw Mr. Lightsey playing in a bar called Rusty's in Toledo, Ohio around 1982. What an evening.
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for this discovery.
ReplyDeleteI have to thank you for your excellent hitorical narratives accompanying the rare out of print gems you post
ReplyDeleteThanks and be blessed
sicncerly wuod k
Very interesting looking stuff Chris, many thanks.
ReplyDeleteThank you Chris so much,Habiba is one of my favourite compositions,and plus Lightsey on electric piano and Johnson on tenor,what a wonder of an LP,great post.
ReplyDeletereal nice - thank u
ReplyDeleteThanks for the appreciation good people. There are three more recordings of this tight outfit to come - the Soweto live show in 1974, led by Monk Montgomery will drop later this week - the two Mallory-Hall specials will feature in February
ReplyDeletemany thanks for the masterpiece,I love the track Habiba
ReplyDeleteIn 1975, I was a 17 year-old kid when I toured with Lovelace Watkins, Kirk Lightsey, Blues Mitchell and the All Stars in South Africa. Apartheid, notwithstanding, it was one month of an exciting experience as a young entertainer. Jo-berg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Cape Town. My partner, Ivery Wheeler, and I missed the flight on the way back to U.S. fooling around with the locals. We ended up staying 3 extras days. Charles Mather and Yango John Productions "really" appreciated this! We flew out with Lovelace as far as Paris and that was that. I am Terry Criner and the dance trio was named the Third Generation Steps.
ReplyDeleteIn 1975, I was a 17 year-old kid when I toured with Lovelace Watkins, Kirk Lightsey and Blues Mitchell and the All Stars. Apartheid, notwithstanding, it was some 30 day tour. Jo-berg, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town. My partner, Ivery Wheeler, and I missed the flight on the way back fooling around with locals. We ended up returning to the then Landdros Hotel and left out with Lovelace to Paris and then went our separate ways. I'm sure Charles Mather, and Yango John Productions "really" appreciated us missing the flight. My name is Terry Criner and our dance partner who did not miss the flight was Cindy (Notz) Jones.
ReplyDeleteTerry! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story, I really do appreciate it. A couple of months ago I had a discussion with Bass player Steve Watts when he was touring South Africa as a member of Tete Mbambisa's Big Sound. Steve was next going to celebrate Kirk Lightsey's 80th birthday with him. By Steve's account Kirk is still out there performing. Steve recounted he had played bass on "Habiba" in many shows with Kirk - what he had not realised is that it was first recorded in Johannesburg. Best wishes to you.
ReplyDelete