The Morris Goldberg Quartet (1975)

This rare and unheralded recording showcases the jazz song-writing of Cape Town’s David Bravo and Morris Goldberg. As in much of his future work as a bandleader, Goldberg infuses an African, Cape Town and sometimes mbaqanga idiom into a latin and jazz-fusion melting pot.

The album has its own sense of completion, rendering songs that passionately pump and drive alongside others saturated  with contemplative beauty. I spun this record on a rainy Sunday afternoon in Durban, and the resulting mood left me in no doubt as to what I should post next on this blog.

Morris Goldberg with Chris Schilder (1966):
Photo: Ian B. Huntley

Goldberg was part of the early wave of music exiles, moving to England in 1960 and then, with the help of Hugh Masekela, settling in the United States in 1962. Since then he has backed the greats, including Masekela (Uptownship, 1989); Paul Simon (Graceland, 1985), amongst others.

Fortunately for South Africa, Goldberg keeps coming back: In 1974 he returned to record “Mannenburg” with Abdullah Ibrahim. In 1975 he recorded two albums in South Africa for two different labels. Morris Goldberg’s Urban Jazz Band was featured earlier on this blog here.

Today’s line-up is Goldberg, Cecil Ricca (drums), David Bravo (Electric Piano) and Marc Duby (bass). In 1983 Goldberg teamed up with Tony Schilder (piano), Gary Kriel (bass) Cecil Ricca on drums and Merton Barrow (vibes) to play the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town. “Jazz in Transit”, the double album of those shows is recognised as a world class offering. The album was released on CD in 2006, and again in 2009, and can be purchased here, and as an MP3 download here and here.

Morris Goldberg; Johnny Clayton (piano)
Midge Pike (bass). Cape Town City Hall
(1966) Pic: Ian B. Huntley

For reasons of space, the "Jazz In Transit" CD releases do not contain the last two tracks of the original vinyl double album: “Sometimes I feel like a Motherless Child” and Chick Corea’s “Spain”. These two tracks can be downloaded as a bonus below.

Goldberg heads up a highly successful U.S.-based SafroJazz band “Ojoyo” featuring the likes of Bakithi Khumalo (bass) and Bheki Khoza (guitar). They have produced three CDs which can all be found here.
Ojoyo played the Cape Town Jazz Festival in 2005, and four Grahamstown festivals in the 1990s.

Recorded at the Manley Van Niekerk (MvN) studios in 1975.


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Jazz in Transit (1983)
Two tracks not included in the CD re-release:
11. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child (Traditional) (The record label attributes this song to Richie Havens)
12. Spain (Chick Corea).

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