Search - Dollar Brand :: Reflections

Meet the South-african master of jazz piano

JEAN-MARIE JUIF | BESANCON France | 06/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yesterday,June 27,2003,was one of the most beautiful nights of my life.I saw Dollar Brand,or Abdullah Ibrahim,on stage,playing solo acoustic piano for two hours.I told many peaople in town to come to this concert,because it would surely be one of the most essential dates we had in some twenty years,with Randy Weston,Chet Baker,Tommy Flanagan,George Adams/Don Pullen,Shepp,Benny Carter/Harry Edison and David Murray;and I was right.And if they didn't believe me,too bad for them.We had two hours of pure magic.Abdullah played the first hour and a quarter without a stop,creating some kind of Ellingtonian suite,including only his own compositions;haunting ballads and african tunes;then he played two shorter parts ,twenty minutes each,and the first one included several Dukish tunes.There was an irreal moment at the end of the concert,when everybody was standind up applausing the Master for minutes and minutes,while he sent kisses to the audience.
This 69 years old king of piano,who was discovered by Duke Ellington (who organized Dollar's first recording session for Frank Sinatra's Reprise label),is one of the last great masters of jazz piano, with Hank Jones,Randy Weston and Ahmad Jamal.
This record is one of Abdullah's earliest ones;it was made in London,March 16,1965.He pays tributes to his main influences: Fats Waller(1904-1943),with an incredible version of the magnificent "Honeysuckle rose";Randy Weston,7 years older than him,with a beautiful song by Randy,dedicated to his son,"Little Niles";Thelonious Monk(1917-1982),with the sublime "Reflections" and "Monk's mood";and of course,his main influence,Duke Ellington (1899-1974) with an extremely beautiful medley including "mood indigo"(one of the most beautiful tunes ever written),"don't get around much anymore" and "take the A train".
Abdullah was 32 at this time,and already was one of the major piano players.He's the man who never played two notes if one was enough.He's the man who,when he plays his african,very swinging and rhythmical tunes,gives me as much pleasure as the old stride piano players,Fats Waller,James P.Johnson or Willie Smith.He's one of the few immense jazz artists still alive and playing.And this solo piano effort is essential.Just as many of his recordings: "african piano","anatomy of a south african village","live at Sweet Basil with Carlos Ward","Duke Ellington presents","Autobiography","african magic","cape town revisited","memories","ode to Duke Ellington","anthem for the new nations".You'll have troubles to find some of these in America (maybe most of these).It's a pity,because here are some of the most necessary records by this master.So,good luck.I wish you could find these records,but what I wish the most,is that you could see Abdullah Ibrahim in concert;you'll never forget this moment."