Water From An Ancient Well

Is this good jazz? Is this bad jazz? All I feel qualified to say is that this is definitely jazz.

On one of my first visit to Cape Town I was having a drink with  a black man who was a local. He pointed at a person with brown skin across the room and, said ¨the coloured guy over there is a good friend.¨ He was incredulous when I told him that in my country the term ¨coloured¨ was a derogatory term for a black man. He informed me that  under the Apartheid regime,  people were segregated into Blacks, Whites (mainly Afrikaans) and Coloureds (which were everyone else). Those terms are still used to describe people but are not considered racist and the severe ramifications of being in one group or the other are no longer proscribed by the government. Abdullah Ibrahim would have been a coloured person.  The Wiki notes for this one are quite limited. As one can tell from the names of some of the songs, there is a political side to this. The song Mandela is an obvious one given he was sitting in Robben Island at the time this was released. Mannenberg Revisited  was a well known and highly political song. I read that a copy of the record was snuck onto Robben Island and when Nelson Mandela heard it he remarked that ¨liberation is near¨.  Mannenberg is about the forced removal of those defined as coloured people from a downtown neighbourhood to the suburbs of Cape Town. What boggles the mind is that these songs effectively conveyed the message of protest and uprising  without lyrics.  Song for Sathima is about his wife Sathima Bea Benjamin  If you're interested, Spotify has a wonderful EP called African Songbird with three  of her tunes including Africa which is an avant garde jazz sung with love for her  Africa.

The score to a looney tunes cartoon when nothing is happening.

Gorgeous, sensitive, buttery smooth jazz. Wonderful. Like sinking into a warm, comfy mattress.

Awfully good and easy-swinging. Highly polished in composition and tone and execution. There’s real elegance in the straightforwardness and simplicity of the playing and a richness and warmth from the large format. Just strong all the way around. Solid 4.

In one ear and out the other.

The music that plays when you get kicked out of a cantina.

Although it was a little behind the times for the year this was released, it's an excellent assortment of original cool-jazz compositions. Ibrahim's piano is surprisingly sparse on here, but he sounds like a composed and stern father, who speaks up only when needed, and only as much as needed, to keep his somewhat wild, ambitious (and incredibly talented) children (the other musicians) in line. Speaking of the other musicians, dig the crazy bass on Manenberg Revisited, the unusual drum rhythms on Tuang Guru, the silky smooth saxophones on the title track and Song for Sathima, the wistful trombone on Sameeda, the self-assured flute on The Mountain. Only 2 slight critiques, the recording isn't as crisp as I'd like, and sounds more 50's than 80's, and the way all the songs finish with the same flourish is anticlimatic. OverallI, I'm really glad to have heard this and will be listening to more Abdullah Ibrahim in the future.

The cover of this record lead me to believe it was going to be a little more ambient or ethereal than it was, but that’s not a bad thing. This is an interesting, more traditional jazz record which was a nice surprise.

after the first two songs i was ready to question myself as to whether i do enjoy jazz after all. the rest of the album however proved i don‘t.

Simply delightful! The music just ebbs and flows like a river. Saved to my playlist

Water From an Ancient Well I resisted looking up anything about this before I listened, from the artist’s name, album title and cover I thought it might have been a Middle-Eastern/North African album. But of course it’s Jazz, with, when you think about it, one of the most Jazz Club album titles you could imagine, a kind of pretentious earthiness. I’m still not sure if I can distinguish good jazz from bad jazz, although I’m finding it less of a struggle to listen to than I did before doing the list. And the music on here seems to be a curious mix of not so great cruise ship banality and some genuinely good tracks like Song for Sathima, Manenburg Revisited and The Mountain. Song for Sathima has a lovely melody, excellent piano and a nice understated feel. Manenburg Revisited’s bass is fantastic, I’ve never really heard much jazz double bass played like that, and the piano led melody is great, punctuated only briefly by the horns, conjuring a nice smooth Film 89 feel, an excellent track. The flute, piano and slightly pastoral atmosphere of The Mountain, make it a rather pleasant and pretty song. The rest, while not necessarily bad do just tip into slightly irritating, with not enough piano and too many stereotypical jazz tropes of walking bass lines, splashy/brushy cymbals and overly prominent horns. Sameeda is probably the worst for this, with those comically low horns, and feeling like jazz parody. It also feels like a lot of the riffs and melodies are familiar, like Moon River on the Wedding. Maybe they are intentional references, but often it feels like they are going to turn into something well known, before drifting off somewhere less interesting. Overall the good tracks do just about outweigh the more boring tracks, and I did find it more listenable with repeat listens. While I may not actively seek this out again I wouldn’t be that bothered if it came on. High 2, low 3 territory, I’ll go 2 as realistically I doubt I will ever listen again. 🚰🚰 Playlist submission: Manenburg Revisited

I like jazz as much as the next man and i enjoy having my horizons broadened with world music, but i didnt see anything out of the ordinary here. It passed by and wasnt offensive but nothing stood out.

Ik word zenuwachtig van muziek met een bassist die steeds 'onderweg is'. Loopt over de hele hals van zijn bas, als een hondje die maar niet kan beslissen waar ie gaat poepen.

Great album - caught me by surprise. Has a timeless quality, many of the tracks harken back to roots in the 50s or 60s. Definitely a keeper!

7/5 awesome album..had been listening to Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, then this came along …wonderful…even found Ricky Ford my new favorite saxophonist….saxophone has always gotten into my soul deeply…

I love Abdullah Ibrahim.

Having just listened to Time out by the Dave Brubeck quartet i felt that the 30 years that separated the two albums hadn’t been kind to Jazz. It didn’t flow well for me, the transition from one track to another was too harsh at times. The tracks I enjoyed Mandela - quite punchy and upbeat, it’s gets the album off to a good start. Manenberg revisited- starts slow and builds up, whilst it’s quite repetitive it allows you to follow the beat and relax into it. Tuang guru - reminded me of the backing music to a 1950’s black and white cop film The ones I didn’t Sameeda- too “all over the place” with its beat, just couldn’t relax with it. There’s a couple of tracks I would listen to again, but not the whole album

i genuinely don't know why i love this album as much as i do, but it's everything that i want jazz to be.

Wasn’t really in the mood for it but solid

Nice smooth swinging jazz. My type to listen too.

Some lovely Jazz! Going into my library.

I liked it and it is the reason I do this project. I had never heard of them before, it expanded my horizons, and - now this is important - it was actually good!

Really interesting record. Starts with some big band era swing, moves through golden era Blue Note bebop and ends with my favorite track, the post-bop 'Sameeda.' It's blowing my mind that this came out in 1986. It sounds like something from the mid 60s. The trumpet and saxophone are what make this project sing. But the group as a while is very tight.

I did not know what to expect from this album. I’m a huge jazz fan but Ibrahim is not someone whose music I’m familiar with. He’s a pianist, but this is very much an ensemble effort. And it covers so much ground. It opens with Mandela, which really swings, and it never sits still. There are steamy, edgy tunes that reek if New York (Song For Sathima, Tuang Gura). Long, slow pieces (the title track & The Mountain). The Wedding is a beautiful tune in march time. I thought Mannenberg Revisited sounded very 60’s. Turns out it is a re-interpretation of a song he originally recorded in the early 70’s. A song which is often remembered as an unofficial national anthem. And the album ends a bit like it started, with the band really stretching out, on Sameeda. A terrific record.

South African jazz? Nice, though unremarkable.

Nice music, for the nice people

It made me appreciate Jazz a little bit more. So I didn't enjoy it but I listened to it until the end.

One of the jazz albums of all time.

Started good, then solemn, then next track sounds like the menu music or first level music from a child's video game 😂 kinda decent though, enjoyable at least.

Lift music pish

Well dang.

This album was really hard to find. Not because it's African, I think. But it was worth the search. Peace-enducing jazz, I will have to listen to more of this artist. I need this music in my life. 4.5/5

mandela - very nice, i like instruments. at 1 point sounds pretty similar 2 the song im playing w my band, "doxy" song 4 sathima - luvly manenberg revisited - i like the bass, dunno what instrument it is bc i cant have the volume that high where im at rn but i like it tuang guru - ooo i like the scale wfaaw - not on spotify (in my area atleast) 4 sum reason? shame, rly nice song so far (found it on youtube) very nice album, enjoyed it alot

This isn't your run of the mill elevator jazz music... this is your, black coffee, chain smoking cigarettes, late new york nights, very cool jazz music. Felt like I went through all emotions but boredom in this album.

this and cymande right after is a godly combo

Neat

Magic.

music is love

Loved this one

I loved listening through this album even though I didn't have a clue what it was beforehand. Its an excellent jazz album that I will gladly listen to many times over. Its so soothing and smooth I added the entire album to have on hand for future days when I want to relax at home.

i mean if you play me a jazz album chances are im gonna love it

Not on Apple Music. Will need to piece it together.

5 stars, so glad i know this now, been listening to playlist based on this all day .

This was, no exaggeration, one of the best first-listens of this entire list. South African jazz is criminally underrated. Lush stuff

Too chill zafxulshi gamodgeba tho

Reminded me of Vince Guaraldi

Bello, per lavorare

Ooooo, this is a vibe. Perfect music for morning coffee.

What a unique and groovy vibing album!

Totally different than what I expected. A great listen!

beautiful, thoughtful, political, what's not to like?

Great jazz

Jazz

It’s records like this that make all the crap on the list worth the hassle.

Beautiful surprise, I loved this album. So many different things going on, the drums and bass especially a stand out for me. ChatGPT says that repeated horn line going on all through the improved sections in the last song is a traditional South African thing - ChatGPT lies like a sidewalk, but it's a very cool sound.

Some good jazz vibes

Gorgeous and had dada favourite song on it. Lovely listen very soothing

I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but wow, this was pretty awesome! I love jazz!

Really great stuff

Really peaceful. Kinda muzak but . . . like, the best kind.

Fantastic. I could listen to this all day.

Decent

This was a super chill listen. The melodies were pleasantly eclectic and just kinda all over the place and I loved it. Some of the basslines were really sublime and really had me groovin. My only complaint is that it's too short, but listened to it twice and still wanted more. Five stars.

Highly enjoyable jazz music. I listened through a couple times. Well worth the time invested.

Bom viu

Amazing. Need it on vinyl.

Wonderful ensemble playing.

I had to go on YouTube for the title track. Otherwise, I was able to find the rest of the album on my preferred streaming platform. With that established, Abdullah Ibrahim is the leader of the septet assembled for this record. He is a South African pianist and composer who helped spearhead the burgeoning jazz movement in Cape Town, creating such pieces that reflected on his wide-ranging influences from the multicultural ports of that town, alongside the likes of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. He achieved notoriety for his anti-apartheid composition "Mannenberg", which was revisited on this album. Across the entirety of Water From An Ancient Well, the pieces that Ibrahim and company compiled and performed reflect a sense of uplifting, heartfelt messaging conveyed without any words needed. Incorporating elements of gospel, blues, and other Western styles, the band was able to express their cultural freedom with subtle grooves and melodies that illicit such defiant joy. It's not necessarily all about the anti-apartheid movement, as some songs break up the pace for slower pieces that reflect on precious memories, such as the sultry lull of "The Wedding" or the heartfelt tribute to Ibrahim's wife on "Song for Sathima." But through each note, careful thought was put into each piece to allow space for each motif and improvisation to resonate without ever feeling overwhelmed. The result is a record where I can pick out individual lines from each member in the septet and feel rewarded for what I can pick out, such as the saxophone and trombone solos on "Tuang Guru" or the alto flute that leads the main melody on the title track. Water from an Ancient Well was such an enriching experience from Abdullah Ibrahim that it needed no words to convey the lifting of spirits. In a word, spellbinding.

Let me just say I was not expecting this sound when I hit play on the record. From the album cover and what little Wikipedia had on it, I was expecting a solo piano record with maybe minor accompaniment. Instead I was treated to all the sax and bass I could ever want, with beautiful melodies and solid foundation. I was wowed throughout, not just from the masterful composition and musicanship, but from the apparent obscurity this album sits in. All the tracks but Manenberg Revisited have under 60k streams, which itself only has 975k. The 12 minute soaring title track isn't even available on Spotify. Which is a damn shame because every other track went immediately onto my playlist. I am absolutely overjoyed with discovering this album, and this is exactly what I hoped for starting with this website. I cannot speak highly of this album, and I cannot discern any flaws with the material. This is what I want when I am in the mood for jazz.

A trip down memory lane that brings out the brilliance of the piano.

Smooth, joyous and breezy jazz for a summer day drive.

Easy to listen to, even my roommates enjoyed it in the common spaces

5/5. It's an album that derives inspiration from cocktail jazz yet brings an air of optimism and hope for a brighter South African future. You can feel the pain in each note, despite the uplifting and beautiful melodies. These compositions are so perfect and precise, yet allowing for improvisation from the soloists. I had a hard time finding any issue putting this one on and letting it play. A great discovery. Best Song: Mandela, Song For Sathima, The Wedding

Wow, this is smooth as silk! I had to search for it but the work payed off so much! This is beyond perfection.

Wonderful, the kind of music that has you closing your eyes and listening to every note. I should be listening to more jazz.

Initially, this feels slightly bland, but then you might pick up on the subtle joy and beauty expressed in these songs. Definitely dig a bit into the history and background for this and look for the title track, which is unfortunately missing from this collection on Spotify for some reason.

Incredible, so lucky to learn of this beautiful album.

I don't know much about jazz but I really liked Water From An Ancient Well.

9/10

Liked this, hearing the Monk influence. Am I giving an extra star because I discovered he is Jean Grae's dad, and he raised her at the NY Chelsea Hotel? Probably...

I enjoyed most of this album. The start of it wailed a little too much for me and had me concerned, but really started enjoying as it worked into itself. Standout track manenberg revisited. Good resolution in some songs that tied it together.

ei moitteita

# Playlist Track - Mandela # Notes - A surprisingly accessible, fun and warm jazz album. - Had never heard it before, but ended up spending most of my afternoon with it.

1986. Jazz

Water From An Ancient Well" é uma experiência auditiva sublime. A sinergia entre os instrumentos é impecável, criando uma atmosfera rica e envolvente. Ibrahim conduz uma jornada sonora que eleva o jazz a novas alturas, proporcionando um verdadeiro orgasmo para os ouvidos.

Something for everyone.

This is the kind of album I get excited about- it comes from a part of the world of which I am wholly unexposed, it is awesome, and also it reminded how much I like jazz. I wish we got more worldwide exposure on this list. I (probably) like the standard rock that makes it onto this list as much as the next guy, but I think this project is at its best when it is expanding horizons and forging bridges.

Excellent instrumental. Jazzy and Bluesy. Very cool music.

Smooth but unpredictable in the nice ways that make my brain smile. Made me happy and didn't outstay its welcome. Also the history of his music is cool.

5/5

A beautiful mellow set, perfect for a relaxing evening. Challenging in scope, but soft on the soul.

Absolute banger

I had no idea what to expect from this and wow I love it. Listened to it 3 times and it grew on me each listen, which is the mark of a keeper. For that reason it’s getting a surprise 5

Beautiful jazz album. On repeat. 5/5

This is pretty much dead center for me. Right on the cusp of all this brilliant, American folk, Copeland-esque harmony of the plains, very new school, Keith Jarrett, but also mournful, spiritual-feeling, even in the way the horns are played. But… just the tip! Tiny bit of that, and stone cold horn standout solos here, too. I love it. I love it! Is it just me, or do the horn player all sound like they’re really buds in real life, pal-ing around, trading lines? It’s so loose and fun! 1001, I love you, but you have been a slog recently. Sometimes the generator just wants you to have REM album after REM album. With a nice after-dinner serving of Costello. No, but this! This is some genuinely good shit! 5/5

Thoroughly enjoyed this one. Great listening.

Amazing jazz record that I would have never heard of if not for this list.

I don't know how to describe what I just listened to - this is one of the most easygoing listening experiences I've ever had. I regret having not heard of Abdullah Ibrahim before (nor many of the other various players here) - but he's a leading figure in the 'Cape Jazz' subgenre that's rooted in South Africa. While it doesn't deviate too far from your typical 'Cool Jazz' formula, it almost takes a maximal approach to that subgenre ... in a minimal way that is. The song 'Manenberg Revisited' for example may be the most spacey here, but the light horns, piano, and especially that bassline allow for that voided space to thrive effortlessly, making "the space" its own instrument. It all feels like some sort of stroll, never pushing too far ahead too fast as it soaks in its own beaming atmosphere. It exercises its rudimentary ideas to the max before moving on to new ones; it reminds me a lot of ambient music in that sense. A lot of elements here reminded me of spiritual jazz as well, especially the shorter 'The Mountain'. This album maximizes minimalism, traditionalism, and clarity without ever coming off as dull or boring. It all feels like you're staring out into the sunset on the beach while it soundtracks the closing credits to a day filled with excursions and peace (especially with the title track). Some damn good jazz. And so so chill and soulful. Really loved this one.

Chill music makes for a nice commute. I'll look into more of his music & compositions.