Keeping Time: 1964 - 1974 The Photographs and Cape Town Jazz Recordings of Ian Bruce Huntley

This book celebrates the public emergence of an extraordinary visual and audio archive that was initiated by Ian Bruce Huntley in Cape Town fifty years ago. Electric Jive is very happy to announce that a limited edition print run of 500 copies is now at the printers. The book is expected to be available towards the end of November.

Covering the period 1964 - 1974, the Ian Bruce Huntley archive opens a window to a little known era of South African music history, documenting an ‘underground’ jazz scene that persisted in creative defiance of all that grand apartheid threw at it. In addition to 120 historical images, 56 hours of live recordings from many of the photographed performances are indexed in this book and will become available for free download through Electric Jive.

This previously hidden archive documents accomplished South African jazz musicians pushing the creative envelope and entertaining appreciative audiences. In his accompanying essay Jonathan Eato argues that Ian Bruce Huntley’s photos and recordings document an extension of the Drum decade lineage right through to the 1970s.

Many of the musicians Huntley worked with have passed on, and a large number were never afforded the opportunity to record (whilst others remain woefully under-documented). Combined with the loss to exile of yet more key people in the history of jazz in South Africa and the general inaccessibility of records that do exist, this conflation of events and circumstances has left a big dent in our historical understanding and resources. For those students, musicians, scholars, and devotees of South African music who wish to engage with the achievements of a generation of South African jazz musicians the newly found accessibility of the Ian Huntley archive goes a small but invaluable way towards maintaining memory and articulating lost stories

Published by Chris Albertyn and Associates in partnership with Electric Jive, the book is edited by Chris Albertyn. In addition to a biographical sketch of Ian Huntley, the book offers a substantial essay by Jonathan Eato, a full discography of all the recordings, and an index. Electric Jive's Siemon Allen is responsible for the design and layout, while Cedric Nunn has painstakingly spent many many hours restoring the  professionally scanned digitized images. More details will be made available in the coming months.

The front cover image is of Psych Big T Ntsele playing at a 1971 open-air concert in New Brighton Township.

So - in celebration herewith a very rare recording. As regular Electric Jive visitors will know, one of the bands that Ian recorded in Cape Town was "The Jazz Disciples" - which included Tete Mbambisa (piano), Barney Rachabane and Ronnie Beer (saxophones), Dennis Mpale, Trumpet, Max Dayimani (drums) and either Sammy Maritz or Martin Mgijima on bass. You can read more about them and hear their music here, here, and here,

It is known that the Jazz Disciples did record for the SABC in 1964. What is less known is that there was at least one commercial release of a 45rpm on His Master's Voice, featuring the historic Tete Mbambisa compositions, Umsenge (his first) and Tete's Jump. While the labels do not indicate a date or release, it is estimated that this would be either 1964 or 1965. 

Mediafire here
Rapidshare here

The Jazz Disciples - Cape Town 1964

 

Dennis Mpale, Barney Rachabane (18yrs) Ronnie Beer. Pic: Ian Bruce Huntley

In May 1964 "The Jazz Disciples" went into Cape Town's SABC studios to record for Radio Bantu, without Ronnie Beer. In "Black Composers of Southern Africa", Yvonne Huskisson documents the SABC recording as being made by Tete Mbambisa (piano), Sammy Maritz (bass), Max 'Diamond' Dayimani (drums), Dennis Mpale (trumpet) and "Bunny" (Barney) Rachabane (sax). Ronnie Beer was also considered a member of the Jazz Disciples. We can only speculate as to why he was not included in that particular Radio Bantu recording session. Perhaps it was to do with the SABC's own racial policies at the time?

Max 'Diamond' Dayimani 'getting a light' from
Sammy Maritz. Pic: Ian Bruce Huntley

Shortly thereafter, Ronnie Beer rented the Thibault Square recording studio in Cape Town for an hour and he and the Jazz Disciples laid down four tight tracks - one of which we need some help in identifying. Ian Huntley happened to tag along and plugged his reel-to-reel into the sound desk, and here, nearly fifty years later the recording comes to light. We do not know what Ronnie Beer did with the recording he made of that session. Maybe he wanted to press an LP - four songs, thirty minutes - but it just never worked out?

 

Of all Ian's recordings, this is the only one capturing Sammy Maritz on bass. Maritz played in the Dollar Brand trio in the early 1960s, and then in early incarnations of Chris McGregor and the Blue Notes. He subsequently played most frequently with Tete Mbambisa and Max 'Diamond' Dayimani. Ronnie Beer and Sammy Maritz played in Chris McGregor's band at the 1962 Moroka-Jabavu Jazz Festival in Soweto, while Dennis Mpale and a seventeen-year-old Barney Rachabane joined them all on the legendary 1963 recording, Jazz: The African Sound.



Ian made five different recordings of what could be considered the core of the Jazz Disciples playing together, Mbambisa (leader), Beer, Mpale and Rachabane. One recording at the Room At The Top during 1964 has Martin Mgijima on bass. On another recording of this group at the Zambezi Restaurant in District Six, Ian's notes uncharacteristically do not list who the bass player was. Among Tete Mbambisa's own compositions, Mr Mecca features in two sessions.



Beer, Mpale, Rachabane at Thibault Square 1964
Pic: Ian Bruce Huntley

While Mr Mecca does not feature on Ian's Thibault Square tape, you can hear the version recorded by the Jazz Disciples at the 1964 SABC recording session here. Big thanks to Struan Douglas of www.afribeat.com for his now out of print Archive Africa CD. See here for the story and tracklisting of important recordings on that CD.The Soul Jazzmen's rendition of Mr Mecca can be found here. In the next few months I will share another 1964 recording of pianist Bucs Gcongo (Chonco) and others rendering Mr Mecca at the Zambezi Restaurant.

Turning to today's offering: The first track is a tight uptempo rendition of Charlie Parker's 'Billie's Bounce'. I think the second is the Ronnie Beer composition "Immediately". The fourth track is a lovely rendition of "Green Dolphin Street". All help apreciated in identifying the third track in this recording, it is naggingly familiar.

The Jazz Disciples: Thibault Square Recording Studio, Cape Town - 1964

Ronnie Beer and Tete Mbambisa at Thibault Square 1964
Pic by Ian Bruce Huntley

Ronnie Beer (saxophone); Barney Rachabane (saxophone - age 18); Dennis Mpale (trumpet); Tete Mbambisa (piano); Max 'Diamond' Dayimani (drums); Sammy Maritz (bass).

1. Billie's Bounce - (Charlie Parker) (7:11)
2. Immediately (I think) (Ronnie Beer) (8:13)
3. Unidentified (7:55)
4. Green Dolphin Street (7:20)

Rapidshare here
Mediafire here

Pacific Express - Black Fire (1976)

Pacific Express's debut album Black Fire was recorded in October 1976 and pays passing reference to the struggle against apartheid. More often associated with themes not directly political the band were often called Cape Town's answer to Earth Wind and Fire. Formed in the 1960s by bass player Paul Abrahams and guitarist Issy Ariefdien (both previously in a soul band called the Pacifics), the band took on a new direction when in 1975 Chris Schilder joined.The band became a training ground for many young jazz performers from the Cape Flats. Players included Basil Coetzee, Robbie Jansen, Jonathan Butler, Barney Rachabane, Stompie Manana, and others. Previously at electricjive we have featured the album Expressions but we have yet to uncover their third LP On Time.


Pacific Express - Black Fire (EMCK (L) 11528
1. Brother
2. Feelings (Deep in Your Heart)
3. Sky Ride II
4. Heaven (I've Found in You)
5. Black Fire
6. You're Everything
7. Love Your Baby RIght
8. Wind Song
Bonus (Afrika Underground 12"):
9. The Way it Used to Be (Misa Negra mix)
10. The Way It Used to Be (Misa Beats)
11. The Way It Used to Be (Original)
12. Black Fire
Robbie Jansen (Trumpet, Alto Sax, Flute and Lead Vocals), Issy Ariefdien (Guitar and Vocals), Basil Manenberg Coetzee (Tenor Sax and Flute), Chris Schilder (Fender Rhodes electric piano(, Jack Mompie (Drums), Zane Adams (Lead Vocals and Percussion), Paul Abrahams (Bass Guitar and Vocals). Produced, arranged and composed by Chris Schilder.

Various CD anthologies of Pacific Express are available. Try here.

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

Holiday Special

As 2010 draws to a close its time for a special treat - a rarely seen Barney Rachabane outing with instrumental soul band the Sound Proofs. Just five tracks with the title stretched over the first side. This one pre-dates our earlier Sweet Matara offering from 1976.

And from me - Dabulamanzi - all the very best for 2011. We'll keep the electricity flowing and you just keep on jiving!

Barney Rachabane and the Sound Proofs - Special Ma-Ma (1975, SSL0108)
1. Special Ma-Ma 13:14
2. Lovely Betty 4:15
3. Sunday Special 5:07
4. Crazy Boy 5:23
RS/MF

All aboard the Pacific Express

Cape Town's answer to Earth Wind and Fire with one of their sadly out of print LPs from the late seventies. They recorded three LPs - On Time, Expressions and Black Fire - which have been anthologised on two CD compilations put out by Mountain Records in Cape Town. The track "The Way It Used To Be" also appeared on the Africa Underground (Counterpoint Records) and African Disco (Nascente) compilations issued in Europe.

Pacific Express - Expressions (GULP903, 1979)

1. Look at the Smile

2. You've Got It All

3. Funky Sounds

4. Come True

5. Express

6. When I Think

7. What Is The Answer

8. Tired of Being Alone

9. What I Feel

10, She's Gone

Paul Abrahams (bass), Zayn Adams (vocals & percussion), Jonathan Butler (vocals & guitar), Tony Cedras (keyboards & trumpet), Jack Momple (drums & percussion). With guests: Barney Rachabane, Stompie Manana & Tully McCully. Recorded in Cape Town May-July 1979, produced by Tully McCully.

Groove Brother with Imperfect Timing

Now here’s a special one-of-a-kind recording – its just that Groove Holmes caused a stir by breaking the cultural boycott against apartheid to come and tour and record with some very good South African musicians in the 1980s: Barney Rachabane, Johnny Fourie, Pops Mohammed included.

From the cover notes: “This is an unique album of Afro-American Jazz. It combines South African Mbaqanga with North American funk and the mixture seems as though the music has one foot in Soweto and the other in New York. But both feet are firmly planted and the roots dig deep down into the earth. .. The combination explodes on such tracks as “Mannenburg”, “Barney’s Groove”, and “Mr Magic”. Benny Golson’s classic, “Killer Joe” is updated with an Afro-funk rhythm that underpins a lunging alto solo, some straight ahead guitar and a Groove Holmes outing that has him riffing and sustaining notes against his own intricate bass lines.”

Richard "Groove" Holmes is revered by the world’s soul jazz afficionados, and especially by those (myself included) with a soft spot for the Hammond Organ. The Acid Jazz set was turning on to him big-time in the early nineties before his untimely death in 1991 at the age of 60.

Barney Rachabane has already featured on ElectricJive. A new and welcome entrant is South African guitarist Johnny Fourie – also sadly departed. Fourie recorded with the likes of Billy Cobham and Charles Earland in New York (1972), and was a long-time resident guitarist at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London. ElectricJivers will be further treated to Pops Mohammed in due course.

The LP on offer today does not seem to officially exist in the published Richard Groove Holmes discographies – another vinyl I can’t find reference to on the internet. No doubt, the furore created by Groove Holmes’ country-wide tour of South Africa in the early 1980s was not the stuff that made for international popularity. After all, Groove Holmes was known for opening a Malcolm X Los Angeles rally in 1963 with 45 minutes of Jazz organ.

This LP was released in 1988 quite some time after it was actually recorded. Produced by Rashid Vally. Enjoy!!

Mannenburg
Killer Joe
Dark Clouds
Since You’ve Been Gone
Barney’s Groove
Mr Magic

UPDATED LINK

Bump and funk with Barney Rachabane

Saxophonist Barney Rachabane belongs comfortably in the top-drawer of South Africa’s jazz iconography. Search the internet and be amazed at how many blogs about other great South African musicians describe having played and recorded with Barney. But try and find out more about the man, maybe even a posting focussing primarily on him, and there is very little. Forget about finding a discography.

This 1976 vinyl of Barney’s own compositions we share with you today is so rare that it just draws a blank on google.

Born in Alexandra, Johannesburg in 1946 Barney Rachabane undertook his apprenticeship carrying instruments and running errands for the likes of Kippie Moeketsi. In the 1960s Barney played with the Early Mabuza Quartet, Chris McGregor, the Soul Giants (more of them in another post), and Tete Mbambisa. Rachabane’s international recognition came through becoming Paul Simon’s saxophonist of choice during and after Graceland. In 2003 Rachabane took up a one-year tenure as leader of South Africa’s National Youth Jazz Band.

Leaving the exciting African bebop wave in the 60s, Rachabane and the remaining “in-ziles” had to negotiate a 70s decade that saw diminishing opportunities for black jazz musicians in South Africa. Political and economic factors conspired to make life hard for black people who played jazz. Much like American vinyl sales shifted from jazz towards rock and funk in the early 70s, the most viable markets in South Africa were the jive and mbaqanga niche, or the pop, funk and disco direction.

And so it was that in 1976 Barney Rachabane and a collection of other musos found themselves gathered in Johannesburg as the backing band for Richard Jon Smith’s national tour – (who remembers his number one “Michael Row the Boat Ashore” in 1979?). Seizing the opportunity of a few days to spare during rehearsals, Barney and the band went into the studio to record Sweet Matara. The personnel comprise some solid jazz musos mixed with the core of evergreen pop and (then) soul/funk band “The Rockets” – who are still playing today. Described by Black Music Productions as “one of the best jazz/funk albums”, this sweet and short recording deserves to be heard again … and perhaps again. Give it a try.
Barney Rachabane – Alto Saxophone
Stompie Manana – Flugel Horn and trumpet
Willie Netti – Trombone
Ezra Ngcukana – Tenor Saxophone
Molly Barron – Drums (Rockets)
Frankie Brown – Bass (Rockets)
Jerry Watt – Guitar (Rockets).

NEW LINK