Friday 3 May 2013

Reggie Msomi: Soweto Grooving (1976)


Soweto has long been a vibrant attraction for fortune seekers from all over South Africa and further afield. Reggie Msomi and His Jazz Africa attest to a pleasing accommodation of multiple roots, most probably originally forged in the pulsating Pelican Night Club.
Soweto somehow always seems to effortlessly fuse the old and the new, the young and the old. Leaders such as Msomi and Lemmy Mabaso had been producing great music since the late 1950s, while other names appearing on this album were yet to become famous – for example guitarist and singer Ray Chikapa Phiri went on to form “Stimela”.

“On first alto sax Lemmy Special Mabaso from Diepkloof Johannesburg; on tenor sax Aubrey Simani from Meadowlands Johannesburg; on baritone sax Freeman Lombatha from East London, Eastern Cape; on tenor and guitar Reggie Msomi from Port Shepstone, Natal; on lead guitar Chikapa Phiri from Nelspruit, Eastern Transvaal; on bass guitar Richard Shongwe from Nelspruit; on drums Isaac Mtshali also from Nelspruit.” (from the sleeve notes).

If you have not heard the other great Reggie Msomi offerings on Electric Jive, do yourself a favour and use the ”SEARCH” function on the right hand column of this blog:

Recorded at the EMI Studios in Johannesburg on 27th September 1976.
Recording Engineer; Glen Pearce
Produced by West Nkosi
Soul Jazz Pop BL90

All tracks composed by Reggie Msomi

1. Butterfly (6:20)
2. Soweto Grooving (6:30)
3. Lovers Party (6:00)
4. Nomndayi (7:00)

Rapidshare here
Mediafire here

5 comments:

  1. After your Durban Office Party post I asked if you guys could post the whole Reggis Msomi album, and now you've come through again. You guys are doing a great thing--thank you.

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  2. I am glad we could oblige anonymous - sorry it took a little while

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  3. Awesome. The kind of "groovy" jazz i love - and which i've found here several times before. Wonderful stuff, many thanks!

    I've just ripped
    Letta Mbulu: "An Evening of African Music" recorded for Canadian Radio and only issued in Canada.

    Since it is long out of print, i was wondering if you're interested in posting it here. We could do a "double post" and present it here and at my place.

    Drop me a line if you're interested:
    http://porcoshideaway2.blogspot.com/

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  4. Hi Porco - I replied almost immediately via the contact mail provided on the hideaway BlogSpot ... please mail me on recordforthe at gmail dot com

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  5. fantastic! thanks
    Nikos

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