Message: Working for Nothing (1977)

A 1977 South African jazz recording involving saxophonist Aubrey Simani. I am hoping that readers can help me with more information – for example, who was “A. Nxumalo”?  Sadly, this is one of those records in my collection that does not possess the original cover. The cover picture displayed here was one of the 150 covers displayed at Alliance Francais' Vinyl September exhibition during 2016. The music more than makes up for an absence of information though.

Aubrey Simani was not lightweight. At the age of 22 he was playing alto saxophone to Mongezi Feza’s tenor as a member of Eric Nomvete’s Big Five, at the 1962 Castle Jazz Festival where they performed the ground-breaking “Pondo Blues”. Before that, Simani was a member of Tete Mbambisa’s “Four Yanks”, which also included Dudu Pukwana.

Simani joined up with Johnny Mekoa in 1967 to form the Jazz Ministers. Switching to tenor sax in the 1970s he contributed to a number of important recordings. In 1976, for example, his credits included at least four full albums: Tete Mbambisa’s Big Sound, Dick Khoza’s Chapita, Reggie Msomi’s “Soweto Grooving”, and then with the Jazz Ministers Live in Newport.

Track three (One for Erick) is most likely dedicated to Eric Nomvete. Simani was killed by a car in Mdantsane on 11 August 2009. 

Link here

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 27^th 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