Camden "Africa" Series

[ep1str0phy]

As far as I can tell, the Camden reissue series is the only readily available outlet for numerous South African recordings of substantial import--including the first Jazz Epistles sides, Abdullah Ibrahim's African output (including the classic Mannenberg, which is only sparsely available elsewhere), and some of the only documentation of the African Jazz Pioneers, Kippie Moeketsi (the so-called "African Charlie Parker"), and several others. Recording quality is generally excellent (the original recordings have been cleaned up a bit), and the historical relevance of these recordings cannot be understated. A drawback, however, is that these recordings are generally jumbled up (the Camden album Jazz in Africa Vol. 1 is actually a combination of pieces of the epochal Jazz in Africa sides--the first South African "bebop"-style recordings--and the initial Jazz Epistles record). Any thoughts on this particular series (I know they've come up before), or perhaps recommendations for alternatives and other albums?

I'm listening to Abdullah Ibrahim's Voice of Africa right now, which features (I believe) all of the Mannenberg album. Beautiful playing here, especially by tenorman Basil Coetzee (a bruiser of a player in what might be considered a hard-bop mode, but uniquely South African in that manner that the finest among his peers--I'm thinking Dudu Pukwana--possess) and Ibrahim himself (working "regular", prepared and electric piano here, and unrelentingly powerful on all). A standout side for me is "The Pilgrim"--a lyrical, achingly expressive number that just washes over the most piercing of vamps (one to burrow into you). It's a successful compilation and a testament to the power of this music years after the brutal facts.

[JohnS]

Overall a very nice set. Previously out on Kaz.

Someone with more knowledge than me may be able to confirm that one of the tracks is edited on the cd, complete on the vinyl.

[king ubu]

There was ample discussion of these releases in the Kippie Moeketsi and Abdullah Ibrahim threads before, I think for one of them (the Kippie?) I even typed up the discographical info.

A great series of discs, I have all four by Ibrahim, plus by now both "Jazz in Africa" volumes (the first one has crappy annotation, only half of the tracks are really by the Epistles - see more in the other thread, too - and the second has more Ibrahim on it), and also the great compilation "African Horns".

Is there anything besides these seven discs?

I have most in their KAZ incarnations, by the way, only one Ibrahim and the first "Jazz in Africa" I have on Camden.

[king ubu]

here's the Kippie thread: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=3416

[ep1str0phy]

Yeah--there's an album by the African Jazz Pioneers (Ntemi Piliso) available on that (Camden) label (grainy cover art and all), which leads me to believe that there may be more releases. Unfortunately, I can't find a complete listing anywhere. That Pioneers album is fine, although it may suffer from overproduction and a synthetic sounding rhythm section.

Thanks for directing me to the discographical information, although it's too bad that there's no more regular online repository for this information. Something else your discographical info hipped me to--there could be overlap between the Camden/Kaz albums, which leads me to wonder why certain sessions may have been split up (across albums) in the first place. It's confusing as all hell.

Also ubu--have you read Gwen Ansell's Soweto Blues (one of the few easily accessible documents on SA Jazz in these parts)? I'm making my way through it now; it has a sort of narrative structure, which makes for dense reading at times. I also feel as if it gives certain aspects of the music short shrift, but that's subjectivity speaking. It's generally extremely erudite and studied (tho why certain interviewees--such as Louis Moholo-Moholo--seem to have been left out/inaccessible is beyond me, granted their import with respect to this music).

Edited February 9, 2007 by ep1str0phy

[ep1str0phy]

Overall a very nice set. Previously out on Kaz.

Someone with more knowledge than me may be able to confirm that one of the tracks is edited on the cd, complete on the vinyl.

Don't know if the Mannenberg tracks are the ones you mean or not, but there's a Gallo reissue of the album with the same track times.

[king ubu]

I think the Camden discs, at least in case of the Ibrahims, are straight reissues of the older KAZ releases, I also dimly recall the Penguin guide saying so.

I have a "review copy" of the African Jazz Pioneers, forgot about that - but I don't like it nearly as much as any of the others!

And I have never even heard of that book, I'm afraid, but I'll take a note, thanks for mentioning it!