Monday 5 March 2012

Roots (HSH 8000, 1975)


Roots were a short-lived band comprising Barney Rachabane (alto), Dennis Mpale (trumpet), Duke Makasi (tenor), Sipho Gumede (bass), Peter Morake (drums) and Jabu Nkosi (organ). Replace Jabu Nkosi with Abdullah Ibrahim, add Basil Coetzee on sax and you have the group that recorded the seminal African Herbs LP under the direction of Abdullah Ibrahim.

Roots are often cited as a key strand in the development of an indigenous afro jazz sound that links the Drive, the Pelican Club house band under Dick Khoza, Spirits Rejoice and later Sakhile. The liner notes (repeated below) make reference to the public performance diffculties of the times, something well noted by David Coplan in "In Township Tonight". There was nowhere left to perform this kind of music in the late seventies.

From the original liner notes: "Within two months of its formation, the group has already got down to composing and recording this LP. Barney Rachabane on the alto and Dennis Mpale the trumpet master are the backbone of Roots. These two have played with the greats, such as Mackay Davashe and Gordon Mfanda who were both nipped in their buds by an untimely death. Duke Makasi plays the tenor sax, Sipho Gumede is on bass, Peter Morake on the drums and Jabu Nkosi on the organ, The group plays Rock Jazz with a local sound. Their music takes one back to Dorkay House jam session days which are now no more. They play in private homes and intend making more recordings."

For a long time no recordings of the Roots were thought to exist but slowly we uncover the past through the artefacts we are fortunate to find. We hope you enjoy today's recovery. Highly recommended.

Roots (HSH 8000, 1975)
1. Jabu
2. Roots
3. School Girl
4. Emakhaya
5. Poor Mother
6. Barney’s Shoes
Prod by Almon Memela
New MF LINK HERE

14 comments:

  1. amazing find and the artwork is really nice. The music is beautiful. Thank you.

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  2. thanks for this incredible record!!!!!!

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  3. Looking forward to listening today. many thanks.

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  4. You guys truly rock for finding (and moreover sharing) all these treasures. Big up!

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  5. Does anyone have access to the track "Monk from Harlem" which was on the original vinyl release of Abdullah Ibrahim's "Blues for a Hip King" but never seemed to make it on to the Kaz/Camden reissues?
    Thanks
    Alfie

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  6. working on it Grandmaster_Groove

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  7. Replies
    1. Oh, I forgot to mention that the link you have here is for Roots Izimpande, not the Roots with Sipho Gumede

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  8. Many thanks for this! I bought this album on vinyl not long after I first went to work in Africa and it led me on to Sakhile, who I got to see perform on more than a few occasions. I still love this album...

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  9. Ken ... new link updated with the correct file

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