Water From An Ancient Well

Good

Great

Great instrumentals

This is some really smooth jazz. Some of the better jazz I've heard on this generator. It's got a bit of an African/mid-eastern vibe to it. Especially in the song "The Mountain". Favourite songs: The Mountain, Mandela, The Wedding, Tuang Guru, Manenberg Revisited Least favourite songs: Sameeda 4/5

I thought this was enjoyable post bop jazz but nothing incredible until I got to Tuang Guru, that song was fantastic

Big band jazz in South Africa just swings in a different way. This was absolutely lovely and unique. Wonderful recording.

Very pleasant. I’m not a jazz guy, but this list has helped me establish why: shrill and stressful trumpets put me on edge. But this is smooth and easy. Skittery drums, warm double bass, with lovely flute and sax providing the high lines. I’d be tempted by a 5, so that I have a record to listen again but the production is pretty noisy and it’s not exactly pushing things forward in ‘84.

My streaming service didn’t carry this album, but I was able to cobble together most of it from other albums. Absolutely beautiful, but not Miles Davis

This was great! I wish the bass was higher in the mix because the bass playing on this album is stellar.

Smooth and tasteful jazz which inspiring melodies and a laid back and beautiful sound. Pulls in a number of different musicians that contribute very well to the project. Additionally, his story of escaping Apartheid is really beautiful as well.

Smooth

3.5 ★ Way better than I expected.

I don’t know the first thing about jazz but this seemed solid and smooth.

Very smooth jazz but missed a bite at times.

Nice pop

Interesting, Never heard of this artist before. Thanks for the introduction. Just what the 1001 Albums project is designed for.

Oikein toimiva, nautinnollinen ja miellyttävä

I liked the album a lot. The jazz is really nice. I prefer the more softer side to the album such as the wedding and Song for Sathima

A good jazz album, but nothing more. It is suitable for relaxing listening after a stressful day.

This is kind of great. I had no idea what to expect, and honestly, the title, the cover, I'd just skip right over it, or think it wouldn't be interesting to me. Jazzy, funky, good swing, nice horns...

I actually like jazz so I liked this one!

Ya like jazz?

Listening notes 1. "Mandela" - makes me feel light and happy. Oddly makes me think of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", but it's really poppy 2. "Song For Sathima" - is airy and beautiful, but there's a lot of emotion coming out of the sax 3. "Manenberg Revisited" - feels like driving music for a sunny fall day; relaxing and light 4. "Tuang Guru" - love the drums on this; the repeated ascending/descending scales are ominous 5. "Water From An Ancient Well" - starts off very soulful; the trumpet work is great, love the vibe the whole way through 6. "The Wedding" - gorgeous, I can feel the love here; this is pretentious, but this song feels like what it is to look into the eyes of someone you love

My theory continues to be proven true. Although this album isn’t composed by, or doesn’t involve anyone I’m familiar with. This doesn’t really seem to be well known or popular at all. Which, if true, makes me sad, because this is a seriously under appreciated piece of jazz music. The most interesting part of this album to me is how it manages to keep each song unique and slightly different, but also have everything still fit under the same jazz umbrella. Mandela is very fun and upbeat. Song for Sathima slows things down and is much more calm and serene. Manenberg Revisited gives Charlie Brown Thanksgiving vibes. Tuang Guru feels like Indiana Jones detective crime thriller music. Think Grim Fandango soundtrack. The title track, which is not on Spotify for some reason, and The Wedding get even calmer than Song for Sathima, but I don’t find them to be as interesting. The Mountain fits its title really well. It sounds like backpacking up a rural mountain in Thailand or something. Reminds me of a Studio Ghibli movie. And Sameeda feels like the music from an episode of Tom and Jerry. This is just as traditional and simple of a jazz album as Kind of Blue, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the complexity. As I’ve already said, Kind of Blue is one of the most flawlessly crafted jazz records ever, simply because of who was apart of it. But the complexity and skill of those working on this record, while not 100% comparable, is still excellent. This is also a much more modern jazz record compared to the majority of the very popular ones from the golden age of the genre, which gives it a more refined sound. Rating: 8/10

like it!

Phenomenal jazz album.

Exquisite. Really lovely jazz that winds its way around your bones. For once, saying "this is superior background music" wouldn't be a backhanded compliment; I'd play this to demonstrate to house guests just what a big brain man of taste and sentiment I truly am.

Who knew this existed? It's not even on Apple Music. But I'm sure ding-dang glad I found it on YouTube. Is this the jazz discovery of the entire list?? I think that's a solid yes. This thing swings, sounds terrific, doesn't overstay it's welcome, and is just pleasing to listen to. Real, real good!

Enjoying these jazz albums much more than I expected. Very listenable.

Super chill. Enjoyed this.

Really really nice jazz. Listenable yet still very varied and free

This is such pleasant, easy-listening jazz. This is what I imagine plays in the grocery store on Sesame Street. I did not mind having this playing in my headphones at all, and would welcome hearing more like it.

excellent jazz album, would like to listen more!

I’m noticing that I have been rating jazz albums really high which trust me is a surprise to me too since I haven’t historically listened to jazz. I’d say a pleasant surprise though. Really strong start here with Mandela.

Opening song doesn't reflect the full album. Good melodies. 3.7

Heerlijke jazz plaat, zeer smooth

Ótima opção para conhecer e escutar mais jazz.

Nice, soothing jazz. Good background music. 4/5

Lovely album, I liked the tenderness of Song for Sathima the most. I think I would enjoy a whole album of that type of song.

Toujorus bon (presque) les albums de jazz sur cette album. Adoré celui-ci. 4.75

It is a pity that the album's title track is not available on any streaming service. These seem to be banned tunes in this part of Europe. How silly! But the rest is fine.

Some very pleasant jazz. Smooth as butter. I could see this being a wonderful record to sit down with in a warm room on a cold winter evening, chilling with a warm drink. I don't think it gets that cold in Cape Town, so maybe that wasn't the intended mood this was meant to evoke. Either way it didn't really suit my hot day of hard work when I listened to this, but it's nice! Can't fault this. Favourite: Mandela

Easy listening jazz!

Very pleasant smooth jazz, feels like I'm listening to an early jazz master

A significant figure in South African jazz and a symbol of apartheid resistance. There's not much information available on this specific album. "Manenberg Revisited" is version of a song written in 1974 (when Ibrahim went by the stage name Dollar Brand) about the destruction of Cape Town neighborhood and the forced removal of communities of color there. Supposedly when a copy was smuggled into the prison where Nelson Mandela was held and played on the loudspeaker, Mandela said "Liberation is near." Given this background, the album undoubtedly has many layers of meaning that aren't obvious to a casual listener outside of South Africa.

Lovely

I enjoy Jazz music and this was a very good example of why. Very talented musicians!

Pleasant jazz record that is just right - interesting, but also easy - maybe not one of the greats but definitely one to return to.

cute but where is my metal albums

Why is the best song on the album the one that's not on spotify

Nice, easy, smooth, jazz for the background

Could only listen to a live version of title track

Smooth

Good jazz. I enjoyed it.

I had no idea what to expect with this one. Was in the mood for some cool jazz on a Tuesday.

8/10. Good album, some really beautiful moments.

They found a way to make jazz sound 80s! 7/10

Soft and lovely

chill jazz for background

One of my favourite Abdullah Ibrahim albums, there's some beautiful music on this - and ska!

I've been a huge fan of the Abdullah Ibrahim Trio for years, so this is right up my alley. Love the sad, sassy trombone on the title track.

(April 16 2023) will chase it down later, “not available for streaming in Canada” (May 5 2023) I mean it was all on YouTube, I was just lazy Some kickass trombone here, was trombonist in high school and hearing a good trombone solo out of the blue is like drinking water and then realizing how thirsty you were It's a pretty gentle, tender record for the most part, you gotta be in the mood for it and I lucked out today HLs: "Song for Sathima", "Tuang Guru", title track, "The Wedding"

Nice and straightforward jazz. I am not sure there was much that was noteworthy, but it was pleasant enough to listen to. I guess I was expecting more piano from the info about Abdullah Ibrahim, though.

Nice instrumentation. Mostly quiet and very pretty.

wTF i LIKE JAZZ NOW?

Very nice! Great sound, great recording. A few songs got a little into the scales a bit much for my taste but still pretty awesome. Very approachable jazz record.

What a smooth groove. On the back of the Nightmares On Wax album this is smooth and gentle. Hard to pick a fave as this album just flows so nicely.

From the artist name, album title and artwork I was expecting world music, but ok, it's cool jazz! Nice! The Abdullah Ibrahim wikipedia page is worth browse - this is a whole wing of jazz I was oblivious to. Fave track - "Tuang Guru" sounds almost like Ethiojazz, I dig it.

A very dreamy, relaxed and enjoyable Sunday treat for your soul. 3.9

The piano is great on this, but the saxes are divine.

One of the most soothing works from jazz on the list. I was captivated entirely.

This is a great jazz album that is very influenced by the Big Band Tradition. Though this album isn’t covering any new territory, it is incredibly well executed and features some excellent mastery of instrumentation. The tone and timbre that the musicians are able to achieve is full of emotion and control.

Having never heard of this album or Abdullah, I was happy to see a Jazz album pop up on the list AND enjoy it. Water from an ancient well has elements of John Coltrane and it just hits. Its hard to believe that an album from 1986 can sound like it was recorded at the Blue Note in 1959. 4/5

Loved! I really enjoy jazz music and this album was no exception.

A unique slice of jazz. I could actually hear how this influenced DMB during one of the songs.

It was alright. I love the jazziness! I wish this album was more valued!

Started off thinking it's jazz but ended up really enjoying it. I think that may have been because of the sun penetrating through the morning mist, the families traversing the Clapham plains with their dogs, the smell of coffee wafting through the breeze. I have been enlightened to a new world, and Abdullah Ibrahim, you have been my light. Songs are alright too. 3.5

This wasn’t available on Apple Music in the USA, but I found it on YouTube (minus one song which wasn’t available). This was good, I liked this. Being forced to listen to jazz has made me appreciate it more. Overall, this was a really pleasant, serene album.

Good melodic accessible jazz

First, love the cover art. Second, I saw the artist, year, and name of the tracks and was expecting one thing; when I clicked play and got something completely different. I feel almost like I got Rick rolled. But OK! Who doesn't like a little surprise swing.

Give me a blowy right now daddy!

Good, very calming

Fine jazz I guess

I never listened to African jazz before so I didn't know what to expect, but I ended up liking this record a lot! It is both funky and soothing at times, and overall, very well produced

Nice jazz with an interesting style. Enjoyed the first and third track.

I feel cozy now

Nice album, I enjoyed it. However, I'm having trouble figuring out why it's on the list - if you read the Wikipedia you would think that its greatest accomplishment is being on the 1001 list itself. Ibrahim has clearly had a long and productive career, and is still going, which is exciting for all of us. If nothing else, it's a new one on my radar to dig into.

An album full of nice, mellow, and smooth Jazz. It has a different tone from American Jazz, making it sound more fresh and playful to my ears.

Really enjoyable jazz album - some fun tunes, some simply beautiful. Awesome bass player. Some glitches perhaps in the recording? At times the bari Sax was so far “behind the beat” (and behind the other horns) as to be distracting, especially on headphones. But I’ll be back.

What a great discovery. I’ll be coming back to this one regularly!

reminds me of miles davis

Diggin it.

Very mellow, very cool.

Cool, laid-back, smooth, sometimes it got intense, but a very enjoyable album start to finish. The type of music you can play in the background all day. Never heard of this before, so I'll be sure to listen to more from Ibrahim.

It's weird, the title track on the album was NOT on Spotify. Had to go onto YouTube to hear it. It's interesting, the music reminded me a bit of Vince Guaraldi. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed it so much. The other instruments really added something to it as well. I don't want to call it "classic" jazz, but it was a straight up jazz album. But definitely more of what you expect in a jazz album. I did enjoy this very much.

Pretty good, but why did Mandela sound like King of the Road? The title track was also really cool but sounded a little familiar - like Blueberry Hill? Song for Sathima had a very beautiful opening 35s and was okay after that (but had some fuzzy sounds, like a radio out of range, when the sax would come in?). Manenberg Revisited has a cool, energetic sound - wish I knew more about its inspiration or message. The Wedding is probably my favorite on the album; sweet and soulful. The Mountain is a nice follow-up to it. Overall, a very cool and smooth sounding jazz album with various musicians who complement each other well.

Outstanding album. Superb compositions played and performed extraordinarily well.

I really liked it especially Mandela. Would listen again and have some songs added to my liked songs now :) 4.3/5

great album from start to finish song for sathima is 10/10 very count basie-esque look forwards to listening to more not too much that really set it apart though 9.1/10

I've often grumbled against the glaring omissions in the jazz selections of this list, but with this particular album, I'm forced to admit that Dimery and co. simply dug gold. I'm not a jazz specialist, just an open-minded amateur, so I didn't know who Abdullah Ibrahim/Dollar Brand was at all. Therefore, I've listened to this record with absolutely zero expectations, and I must say I'm totally enthralled by it now. It started off in quite a subdued way, though. At first, "Mandela" sounded a little too big band-like, almost too quaint to my ears, in spite of the obviously important theme suggested by its name, especially coming from a South African musician. But then each track that followed grasped my attention in a different way, from the gentleness of "Song For Sathima" and the driven focus of "Marenberg Revisited" (a variation on an important musical milestone written by Ibrahim more than a decade earlier--and a significant instrumental statement against Apartheid), and this continuing up to the arabic flavors of "Tuang Guru" and the heartwrenching finale of the short ballad "The Wedding". Closer "Sameena" was also a huge surprise in the way its minimalistic, nearly atonal introduction on brass and winds steadily grew into a meditative piece that ensnared my ear up until the very last Just like for pianist Ibrahim, I didn't know the other performers on this record either, but they're all doing an excellent job conveying the myriad emotions and colors gathered in this tight, tight package. *Water From An Ancient Well*'s scope is so impressive, and its tracklisting is so dynamic--so varied yet so cohesive too--that it instantly got a 5-star mark from me. This sort of thing doesn't often happen, so you can be sure I'll return to that proverbial well from time to time... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 877 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 67 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 30 (including this one -- UPDATE: I've revisited this album since my original review, and oddly enough it's impact was somewhat less striking to me since. It's still a very good record, though) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 27

5/27/2022 - ALBUM #120 Today's Album: "Water from an Ancient Well" by Various Artists - This is a really smooth and impressive jazz album from a bunch of different artists. There really isn't anything to complain about here. The bassist is consistently laying down a solid groove, the accompanying band is excellent and well balanced, and the soloists are fairly decent. There are some occasional subpar solos, but others make up for it tenfold and beyond. There title track probably has one of the best trumpet solos I have ever heard and after playing trumpet for 10+ years, that should mean something. Overall this is a really impressive jazz album that's great put on in the background or sit down with a good pair of headphones and just enjoy from start to finish. The flow is great, the runtimes of the songs don't feel too long or bloated, and every song strikes a different and unique tone. Give this on a listen if you like some more laid back jazz that still knows how to lay down a funky groove. Highlights: Mandela, Manenberg Revisited, Water from an Ancient Well, The Mountain Score: 8/10 Excellent laid-back 80s jazz

What it feels like to step into a warm bath.

This one is really pretty. I love a good calming set of piano tracks. The title track was definitely the best, but it was all good. Everyone should invest time in piano music now and again. Absolutely worth a listen. Fave track: Water from An Ancient Well

Þessi er ljómandi, renndi henni tvisvar og gæti hlustað oft aftur. Ekkert lag sem stendur mest upp úr, alveg solid stöff.

Great band & music that Ive discovered because 1001 album generator. Thanks.

Nice chill out music, liked the title track especially.

Nice! Love jazz, this is classic.

Mitä jazziin tulee, on kasari must ollu aika synkkää fuusiohelvetin aikaa. Tämä taas ei sitä oo, vaan flirttailee aika häikäilemättömästi kuuskytluvun NY-soundin kanssa. Siitähän minä tietty diggaan! 4/5

Huh, avausraita oli turhan iloinen "rallattelu", mutta sen jälkeen mukavaa kaunista jazzia. Nimikkobiisi olikin sitten ihan mieletön enkä oikeastaan tiedä, oonko kuullut parempaa jazz-tallennetta. Vangitsi meikän täysin. Sääli, että juuri se puuttui spotifysta (ja applelta). Suurin osa levystä ehkä 3/5, mutta pakko nostaa neloseen jo nimikkobiisin takia. Ja oli siellä pari muutakin nelosen ansaitsevaa hetkeä.

Kaunista ja kuulasta jazzia. Erityisesti avausbiisi ja nimikkokappale (joka puuttu Spotifysta, prkl) oli hyviä. 4/5

Enjoyably jazzy

Well this was quite pleasant! Very soothing. I enjoyed it. Very lyrical music which I enjoyed.

Nice jazzy stuff

Had no clue what to expect - loved the jazzy vibe of this album

saffa jazz, super chill, loved it

Some nice smooth jazz. Again not my style but I couldn't complain about this one and it gets a positive mark.

Super Sound from the coolest of African Jazz Cats! Love it

Jazz. Nice.

Very sweet and mellow. Easy listening.

Nice change of pace from the first two listens this week. Easy jazz, and would definitely listen again. 4 stars.

i am surprised at how much i like this. the mellow saxophone and cool jazz vibe make it easy to appreciate and enjoy. it doesn't quite maintain that epic feel for the whole duration, but really solid.

wowowowww. 7 artists!! “Song for Sathima” was genuinely so relaxing and romantic. nice groovy bass :D

As far as jazz goes, this is starting out very pleasantly. This is like the jazz that would be in an animated feature. This is like a Randy Newman album without the lyrics which is why it sounds like the Toy Story score. This is one of the better jazz albums on the list. It's super conventional though so that probably makes me a philistine. I wonder why the title track isn't available on Spotify. Once Vince Guaraldi died, this guy could have replaced him for Charlie Brown TV specials. The Mountain could be called Inspired by the Taxi Theme. Closes on a bit of a low note with Sameeda being the worst track. All in all though, not a bad jazz album.

Cool jazz

Soso

“1,001 Albums You Might Enjoy In a Jazz Lounge or Poolside with Cocktails, Certainly Enjoying the Music as a Background Pleasantry, But Never For One Moment Thinking to Yourself, Yes, This Is the One, A Transcendent Musical Milestone that Demands to Be Heard, Because that Would Be Ridiculous.”

Solid if unspectacular jazz. Expected more.

This is great background music. Nothing stands out, good or bad. Not that it is banal, it's just great background chill. I am not going to shout out, "the greatest" nor am I going to say it sucked. But indispensable? I could have lived my life to its fullest never having heard this. But I am not disappointed either for having given it a go. 3 "perfectly great background musical" stars.

Buen álbum de Jazz, lástima que no está completo en Spotify ni en plataformas en general. Canciones cortad, bien estructuradas. Se disfrutó mucho. 6/10

Not as good as I thought it would be; just fine.

I mostly tuned this out but it was decent in the background. 2.5/5

Lembro dessa água, bons tempos. Gostosinho, background suave pra trabalhar. Me lembrou Mafia.

Not what I was expecting at all. But really relaxing. Would listen again as background music.

분위기가 꽤 괜찮았다. 가사가 없는 노래를 계속해서 들은 것은 꽤 오랜만인데 듣기 좋았다. The atmosphere was pretty good. It's been quite a while since I listened to a song without lyrics over and over again, so it was nice to hear it.

I found this really smooth and lovely. Bit more interesting cafe music. Great in the background or foreground.

As far as jazz goes, this is starting out very pleasantly. This is like the jazz that would be in an animated feature. This is like a Randy Newman album without the lyrics which is why it sounds like the Toy Story score. This is one of the better jazz albums on the list. It's super conventional though so that probably makes me a philistine. I wonder why the title track isn't available on Spotify. Once Vince Guaraldi died, this guy could have replaced him for Charlie Brown TV specials. The Mountain could be called Inspired by the Taxi Theme. Closes on a bit of a low note with Sameeda being the worst track. All in all though, not a bad jazz album.

A good listen in the car yesterday, but nothing spectacular- I was expecting more tbh, as it’s in the top 1000? Nothing to really get my teeth into

This recording was interesting. At times engaging, at times quietly going along and then always surprising. I didn't love all of it but it definitely held my attention for spells of genius.

"The Mountain" was my standout favorite. Overall kinda milquetoast, but mild jazz is always nice easy listenin' so I won't complain.

Pretty bland start, borderline hotel reception or elevator jazz🥱🥱🥱, Tuang Guru is cool track, album more interesting from half way ⭐⭐⭐

i was looking forward to this until i listened to it and it was the most stereotypical jazz music i've heard. like i love jazz don't get me wrong but this didn't blow my mind. thought at least it woulda had some african inspo in it but eh whatever

Yeah, it's relaxing jazz, but it might be too relaxing, where it really doesn't do much. I'm sure I would be hearing this on ABC Jazz (Australian Jazz radio station) at 2:39 am, as it isn't groundbreaking, but because it's jazz. For an African artist, it would be better if he included some elements from his culture, kind of like how Fela Kuti did it.

Zul je altijd zien, heel album en dan mist het titel nummer. En zul je altijd altijd zien, dat nummer zoek je dan maar op youtube op, en dat is dan je favoriet van het hele album... Niet alles werkt, maar het grootste deel is gewoon echt hele chille, relaxte jazz. Niet het meest bijzondere, ik heb het idee dat ik moeilijkere en specialere composities heb gehoord en het haalt het absoluut niet bij klassiekers als Headhunters of Kind of Blue. Maar ik ben wel blij om weer even een album te hebben dat ik gewoon echt lekker vind. Dat gewoon echt lekker weg luistert. Mandela is ook goed, net niet goed genoeg als favoriet, maar de rest? het is niet heel erg blijven hangen, en ik kwam er ook pas na een paar nummers achter dat het album over was en ik gewoon naar meer Abdullah Ibrahim zat te luisteren. Is dat een goed teken? Ja en nee, want aan de ene kant betekende dat wel dat de muziek goed wegluistert. Aan de andere kant is het dus wel meer achtergrond muziek dan dat ik actief zit te luisteren. Overigens; zijn tiny desk(ja echt!!!) is ge-wel-dig. Daar zit een stuk meer emotie in dan in de recording, ik heb een beetje het idee dat een hoop van de warmte verloren is gegaan met de Spotify compressie ofzoiets. Dus wat geef je zo'n album dan? Ben bijna geneigd het 4 sterren te geven omdat het mn favoriete album was van de afgelopen 2 weken. Maar dat zegt meer iets over de afgelopen 2 weken... Ik blijf bij 3 sterren, maar wil daar wel bij opmerken dat het solowerk van Abdullah Ibrahim een dikke 4 sterren verdient. FAVO: Water from an ancient well

This is perfectly fine jazz. It’s not groundbreaking, and it’s certainly not pushing the boundaries the way some of the other jazz albums on this list do. Instead, it settles into a comfortable groove and stays there. For some reason, the whole album gives me strong Peanuts cartoon vibes. I kept thinking of Charlie Brown while listening to it. It has that same warm, laid-back, slightly wistful feel that makes for pleasant background listening.

Totally pleasant stuff! I wish I liked this more. I'm interested to hear more music from this guy especially because he intersected with like , Duke Ellington and then later people like Don Cherry and and Ornette Coleman and Pharoah Sanders.

#372/1001. Nice jazz, but there are hundreds of other nice jazz albums out there, only few of which end up here. Reading his biography it makes me think this is a political choice, and I'm not sure why they included this particular album out of his extensive discography. All that said, nice to get good jazz here every now and then. Not sure if I'll ever get back to it or to his work though.

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Tuang Guru Sadly, on YTM, the titular track Water From An Ancient Well is unplayable, so I have not heard it. I found a version which may or may not be the same version on the album elsewhere, but its just not the same :( The album was fine. Seems like regular jazz with an South African bent. Not that I can really deduce that on my own... It's in the description! I have no complaints or objections to this album save for the fact that it effectively has a chunk missing, for some presumably copyright reason.

This was a tough find but enjoyable. 3/5

Great to hear jazz having a place here. Nice and smooth. A bit "old" sounding though.

Some perfectly nice jazz, but as someone that’s not a jazz guy, it could only do so much for me. I liked the anti-apartheid context of it, and it was a nice enough listen (a bit more tuneful than some of the jazz I’ve had from the list so far). I think the best way I could describe the sound is like the theme to a kind of ‘After Dark’ discussion show from the 70s or 80s- classy, but with a bit of lightness. Overall though, it was just background music to me.

This sounds like it’s from several decades before 1986, but not in a bad way! It’s a really solid, rather traditional jazz album, very strong on melodies and hooks. ‘Mandela’ and ‘Manenburg Revisited’ are two great up-tempo examples of this, but there are some beautiful ballads too, such as ‘Song for Sathima’, the title track, and ‘The Wedding’. Other tracks didn’t make as much impression on me, and I wasn’t particularly keen on the closer. Overall, I didn’t quite like it enough for 4 stars, but this is a strong 3. Great to have some more South African music too.

Had to dig a bit to find a stream of the title track, but it was worth it and was probably my second favorite to Manenberg Revisited. Overall a well-rounded jazz album that I enjoyed but didn't knock my socks off.

Good

Honestly was not expecting jazz when I put this one on. Its got a very late night talk show/eating at sundown on the river in a European city vibe (think Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night). That said, not hugely into this type of jazz. Definitely a vibe that I can get into in certain scenarios, but not something I'd listen to outside that.

Perfectly cromulent entry-level jazz with some nice solo work. But how this showed up on this project before Coltrane, Baker, Rich, etc. is a real head-scratcher.

It’s instrumental week now is it?

I enjoyed this. Very chill, easy listening.

All the respect in the world for the anti-apartheid activism. The music is pleasant and flirts with being bland. But there is something interesting going on here and it's worth a listen.

3.2

I guess it’s fine. I’m unqualified to separate good jazz from bad jazz. 2.5⭐️

Wasn't super groovy....but wasn't unlistenable. 2.5 - wouldn't mind spinning again so I'll round up.

Enjoyable album

I'm not a fan of jazz. This was OK as jazz goes.

Thoughts before listening: This is new to me. Based on the artist name and the album artwork I am guessing this is some sort of Middle Eastern/African inspired music possibly with a bit of an ambient vibe. But I really have no idea. Review: I was totally off. This is a full on jazz recording with no middle eastern or ambient vibes at all. Eggs on my face for making assumptions based on a person's name. It is very peaceful, relaxing jazz music with lush instrumentation that is well played throughout. Not necessarily something I would gravitate toward, but certainly an enjoyable listen. 3-stars

Made me feel like I was in a 90s Meg Ryan film waiting for Tom Hanks.

Yeah, this is really good stuff. It’s not something I would have sought out, basically because I wouldn’t know where to start. But I generally enjoy this type of music. The mix of jazz, big band, in New Orleans “street music “is something I tend to put on and leave on. This is great, quiet dinner, making music.

An okay album, I liked Mandela the most.

Better than 3.8 i'd say

Of all the jazz albums I didn't understand why this was chosen until I read more. Interesting, but not something I'd play over and over.

joa smooth The wedding ist schön

3,0 Highlights: Mandela, The Wedding

звучит как то, что включили бы в лобби дорогого отеля, чтобы он казался ещё дороже. можно завайбить, если ты американец старого образца, читающий за завтраком утренние новости под сигару, пока жена приносит тебе кофе. или живёшь в шоу трумана. но вообще уныленько, пахнет рекламой и чем-то не очень живым.

Мандела будто из нарезки в суперсемейке. Песня для Сатимы хорошая. Посещенный Снова Манненберг будто бы написан для передачи по реновации дачного дома. Туан Гуру, вроде как, тоже нормальный, но как-то недожали в плане хаотичности. Вода из древнего колодца тоже хорошая, я сначала послушал какую-то совсем постную пятиминутную версию, которая мне совсем не понравилась, а потом какую-то другую, которая была лучше, в вк музыке не разберешь, где оригинал, возможно я вообще вместо нормальных версий всё это время EDM ремиксы слушал. Свадьба хорошая, когда грустно из-за того, что пишут "если он будет кринжевать с нас, то нам не жаль". Гора довольно заунывная, но в принципе нормально, флейта (или что это) в паре мест почему-то напомнила флейту из Кунг Фу Файтинг Карла Дугласа (наверное я просто нигде в жизни больше не слышал флейту), а в другом месте Луч солнца золотого. Самида в начале вообще что-то непонятное творила, а потом разогрелась в принципе, но равно не знаюююю. 3/5

It was fine, but jam bands or long instrumentals aren't really for me. I did like how some of the songs felt like they should be in an old James Bond movie

Basic jazz album. Nothing special, works well as background music. Nothing I would put on and just listen to raw.

I enjoyed this one, it's a fun Jazz album. Not sure what else there is to say!

I'm not qualified to critique jazz at all, but it was a good listen. Very smooth and chill.

Straightforward and traditional jazz stuff from a South African pianist. It's fine.

the title song is nice, couldn't find the album

masaje de Cliptori :D

low 3. Nada especial

Good jazz album. Different sounds and creativity. Relaxing but not boring.

Viene medio que en el mismo mood que los ultimos días. Es un jazzito piola. Agradable a los oídos, pero que no siento que sea nada wow. Me compraria un vinilo asi como para tener, pero no xq sea nada wow sino xq es buena musica de fondo. 7/10

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. From the cover I would have guessed this was an ambient album but it's a jazz album. It's pretty interesting and has some nice moments. I wouldn't mind hearing it again but not sure I would seek it out specifically either.

It was alright. I had to listen to it on Spotify while I was on the road and it kept throwing in recommended songs instead of actual songs from this album so that was a pain to deal with. But "Wedding" was really good.

No soy en experto en el género del Jazz, sin embargo, a lo largo de este trabajo he logrado descubrir cohesión en tanto al nombre del LP y a su sonido. Todo, porque a pesar de que se grabó cerca del '86, es innegable que se siente como tomar "agua de una fuente antigua". Esto se puede deber a que toma sonidos de los álbumes más clásicos del Jazz dándole tintes nostálgicos. Me gustó bastante. Lo recomiendo. Siempre aprecio cuando esta lista me entrega un buen disco de Jazz.

Not what I was expecting to hear (not that I'm sure what I was expecting). It's perfectly fine jazz, not sure why it merits being on the list though.

God Jazz af en masse forskellige artister bla Miles Davis og sikkert også andre store som jeg ikke rigtig kender til. Det er jazz med sydafrikanske rødder og det første jeg tænkte var måske nogle af basslines osv som fik mig til at tænke det var meget opløftende og dermed noget bebop agtig noget, og det har også elementer af det helt sikkert. Det hedder også Cape jazz og det er abdullah frontløber for. Det har rødder i Amerikansk jazz, kirkemusik og marabi. Synes det er et super chilleren album, meget romantisk på en eller anden måde som jeg godt kan lide. Det kunne godt gå til en søndags playliste synes jeg. Det er jo sådan lidt low tempo noget af det, men noget af det er også lidt højere tempo.

Like it 3/5

Ok this is kinda hitting a groove for me. Nice background music which is sometimes all I want.

pleasant

Pleasant.

This was fun. Cool jazz. A little more playful and traditional, but also really good and interesting piano solos. I enjoyed this, didn't love it, but definitely liked it!

Nice and easy to listen, but I would find something else, if I'm in the mood for jazz.

Fine for once, not very outstanding

Lovely jazz album. Pretty standard, nothing too earth shattering here. Arrangements remind me of Ellington. Especially enjoyed the bass work on "Manenberg Revisited" and the overall groove of "Sameeda".

It's nice. 3/5.

3/5, mer jazz. Bättre än det senaste albumet men är fortsatt mest bakgrundsmusik för mig.

Relatively interesting background lounge jazz. Not sure why I needed to hear this before I died.

Ca s'écoute, mais ça reste très très tranquille pour que j'apprécie réellement, je ne pense pas réécouter mais si je l'entends quelque part je vais me dire 'Ah sympa' Si je faisais des réceptions avec des snobs c'est probablement la musique que je mettrais

Jazz, 1986 -> 3

This wasn’t available on my streaming service. I like some of his other stuff that I’ve heard.

Smooth piano jazz

This was more "composed" jazz than some other jazz entries on this list. It was nice, but overly horny (har har) for my taste. I tend to like my jazz featuring more piano and strings up front (I say as if I really ever listen to jazz). This is pretty inoffensive for jazz though, so it was a pleasant listen. Not my favorite genre but it's good for some background listening while working or relaxing. 3/5

Nice jazz album

Apple Music didn't have this, but I found it on Bandcamp. The thing that stands out to me here are the melodies. They are novel yet familiar and unpretentious. Jazz can be DIFFICULT, and can become really academic. Ibrahim counters this with solid compositions and tight orchestration that don't rely too heavily on improvisation to make their point. Even the 11 minute title track doesn't go off the rails, but stays within its own melodic framework while trading eights (or sixteens? I don't know) among all the horn players. There's no showboating. Everyone is playing to the tune. A really pleasant listen.

It has a kinda ska jazz feel. It is a pleasant background jazz album but not anything outstanding.

We went on holiday to Porto last year. It was quite late on our last night there, so we went looking for one last drink to say farewell to Portugal. And we stumbled across something quite unique: a tiny bar with just enough space for 4 or 5 people to squash into, but with a hand-written sign saying “live music upstairs”. We took a chance, and climbed the steep, narrow, winding stairs. The upper floor had a bit more space (not much more), a few tables and seats, and most notably, a live jazz band. There were a few locals sitting around dusty tables, music college students from what I could tell, and then us outsiders, having a last glass of Douro before we had to head back to real life again. The band members kept switching out between songs, with some of the students hopping up and grabbing instruments to play the next number. It was a really great, authentic experience. The type of thing that sticks with you, that you talk about often afterwards (or even write about in a random album review). But what really struck me was the musicianship. I’ve often said that I don’t fully “get” jazz. Experimental, traditional, soft jazz, or any type really. It just goes over my head. But I absolutely respect and appreciate it, especially the musicianship of it all. There’s some serious disciplined talent in jazz. And that’s what I got from this album too. It made for some enjoyable easy listening, but didn’t really make a big impact on me listening to it as a record. But if I were to sit down in a dusty bar and discover a group of students playing Abdullah Ibrahim’s pieces live, I’d imagine I’d be blown away by it all, and talk about it for years to come.

Completely not what I expected. It's a shame there was no lyrics.

Jazz Hands!!!

This was not particularly what I was expecting. I enjoyed huge portions of it but relegated some of it to the back of my mind as I was listening. It is a cool cultural blend that features some imaginative playing and is all very well constructed. It just doesn’t feel desperately groundbreaking or risky to me.

That was a great mix. This is the kind of bluesy jazz I’m into. Nice brass.

Mellow enough. Pleasant enough. Low-key enough. Enough enough. 46 minutes well spent with highly-skilled artists.

This was pleasant, and sounded like it came from a bygone era.

Didnt know what to expect, but this was solid. Maybe the best jazz album I've heard from the '80s, although that sounds like I'm damning it with faint praise. But yeah, this was cool.

I'm not a jazz aficionado but I can appreciate some of it. But mostly this album just bored me. Is jazz music more for musicians than listeners?

Maybe 2 jazz albums in a row is too much for me. Or maybe it's because yesterday's jazz album (Keith Jarrett's The Koln Concert) was so great it sent me down the artist's rabbit hole. Whatever it is, this just felt like very bog standard jazz album that didn't keep my attention.

Now I’m no jazzmanian devil but this doesn’t strike me as anything special. Pleasant for sure, but not a favorite

Feels very old school and has a nice charm to it

Fungerer fint som bakgrunnsstøy.

A lot of this was very chilled, pleasant and beautiful; a lot of this was very... Jazz.

Een prima jazz album

Sound track for a guy walking around a rundown town and reminiscing. Would have gone hard during COVID.

This was a refreshing change of pace for my morning.

Джазы, но не такие лютые, но слушать приятно

Good, but kinda don’t remember much.

Well I wasn't expecting that ... Jazz! It was a nice experience though, may have to check out more of his stuff - there are plenty of albums.

Unremarkable but pleasant jazz. Nothing special

재즈인가?3

Good, but no great jazzed. I enjoyed, but not sure why it is top 1000. Good as background music. 0 songs added to playlist.

It's fine. 3/5

It’s not the best jazz album ever, but it’s not bad either. Some songs sounded amazing, others sounded a little to powerful and poppy, for my liking.

I generally despise jazz, but this was bearable.

Water from an Ancient Well is good, but doesn't really feel that special to me. With a name like that, I hoped it would maybe have some interesting cultural influences or maybe have some fusion elements, but it feels very commercial. Although, the second half of the album does get a bit interesting with the flutes and overall playing. That being said, the album feels like it was being held back from doing anything non-standard. I did enjoy "Tuang Guru" and "Water from an Ancient Well", and despite its setbacks, it's not a bad album. Favorite Song: "Water from an Ancient Well"

Not my kind of jazz unfortunately. It’s a little goopy or smooth-jazz adjacent, or maybe I just don’t like the sax players. The piano and rhythm section is real nice though.

I've said it in a few other reviews of jazz albums, but this list has really allowed me to appreciate the genre. I still don't think I have an ear for it, though, as they pretty much all sounds the same to me. This album was good, as far as I know.

I was surprised by this one, I wasn’t expecting it to be a listenable jazz album

3/5

another new album for me. i've listened to ibrahim a little bit before, but this will be some new sounds. "tuang guru" sounds like ibrahim at his most coltrane, which makes it fine but not amazing. "water from an ancient well" is a masterpiece. were the album as strong as this piece, it would be an easy 5 stars. the second half is the stronger listen. however, i really don't know how this album makes this list. so many other ibrahim albums to make this and african jazz albums overall could be on here. just puzzling

Jazz album. It was released in 1986 but it has a timeless sound - I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was released 20 years earlier. Interesting that Abdullah is a pianist but the piano seems to take a back seat in the album - the horns and even drums are more prominent.

Jazz comes in two major forms: Challenging freestyle and Orthodonist waiting room. This is more the later. It's quite nice, but just background music.

Ça fait penser à du jazz.

I enjoyed it although it is not my preferred style of music. Quite relaxing. 2,5

I am woefully unqualified to evaluate the jazz I’ve heard, both in context of this project and without. I can say that I’ve enjoyed most of the jazz albums that are on this list. This album is buttery smooth and easy to listen to. Nice way to start the day.

I honestly wasn't expecting such a straightforward jazz album, nor was I expecting it to be so smooth and pleasant to listen to. I didn't particularly have a lot of thoughts throughout this, other than that it was just a nice, easy listen.

Not fully available. Found 7 of the 8 tracks on YouTube.

this was sick af

I feel like I'd need a better understanding of South African history and politics to really get what this album is trying to do. Not bad for jazz though.

Not bad.

I liked this record quite a bit, but my listening experience probably says as much about me as it does about the album. I found myself letting it wash over me rather than actively engaging with it, and while that’s partly a function of being busy, it also feels intentional on the album’s part. This music isn’t demanding attention. It’s inviting presence. There’s a calm, grounded quality here that’s deeply appealing. The melodies feel rooted and patient, and the playing carries a sense of history without leaning on virtuoso flash. It’s jazz, but not in a way that calls attention to itself as jazz. More like something older, steadier, and less interested in proving anything. That said, I walked away without a strong sense of where this lands for me in the broader jazz landscape. I enjoyed it, respected it, and felt good having spent time with it, but I don’t yet have the clarity that comes from a truly deep listen. This feels like a record that might reward that kind of focus, and I suspect a second, more intentional pass would reveal more. For now, it sits in that space of “very good, possibly great,” with the asterisk that I owe it another listen to know for sure.

Water From An Ancient Well. Had to find on YouTube as Spotify don't list it.

Something a bit different today, with a jazz album from South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim that mixes jazz rhythms with the some of the distinctive moods of the townships around Johannesburg. It probably sounds more like New York style jazz than I’d hoped, but it’s engaging nonetheless. I wish I knew a bit more about this album and the musicians than the fairly sparse notes on the wiki page.

A good jazz album. It kind of blended into the background for me though, so not sure I found it absolutely exceptional. Perhaps needs another listen though. 3/5

Overall rating by me: 7/10 Songs added to the playlist: ,,Song for Sathima”, ,,Manenberg Revisited”, ,,The Weeding” Notes: Most of the songs have some fun in them, yet are still calm and slow-paced. Therefore, they would make some really good background music for a study session.

Curious to learn more about out this extraordinary pianist. First track didn’t do it for me and wasn’t a good indication of the rest of the album.

Not in the know regarding Jazz. But i like the more up-tempo numbers on here. Can go about your day with this playing and have a bit of a finger click or Swing-ya-Pants from time to time. Dont feel like I can give it a 2.

As far as Jazz records go, this is certainly one of them. Pleasant background music.

I like jazz even though I know basically nothing about it. This is fine. Evidently, he is THE Cape jazz guy. He played with Duke Ellington and has very serious credentials. So, I can't say if this is good jazz, but I liked it enough, and the guy's CV is unquestionable.

First time I’ve heard of artist or album but usually happy with most jazz. Find it a little slow paced and standard. Not getting me going like most jazz albums have in the list. Yeh, kinda surprised by the lack of impact on this. Obviously talented and skilled but kinda just washing over me (3.5)

Calming, enjoyed but wouldn’t be on my playlists. Silda rates 4

I dont mind listening to this in the background, wouldnt listen on a daily basis, although the music is quite fun

-this is really pretty, especially the title track (though it doesn’t flow with the rest of the album imo) -not necessarily the most incredible or innovative jazz i’ve ever heard but it’s cool. seems like this Abdullah Ibrahim guy has a very prolific output -Favorites: Manenberg Revisited, Water From An Ancient Well

This is the music that plays in the background of a fancy office Christmas party in a movie.

non l’ho sentito tutto perché secondo me c’è bisogno di una specifica atmosfera per ascoltarlo. comunque mi ha fatto pensare un po’ a duke ellington, e in generale se sei nel mood giusto è un piacevole ascolto. buon anno a tuttiii

Bell’album jazz di sottofondo, ultimo del 2025

A will always rock with a nice jazz album

Ok behagelig lytning men ikke noget, der stak ud.

Could only find one track so not a full album. Nice classic jazz though.

Well made and the compositions are fine. The slower numbers worked better than the up tempo ones. Wouldn't listen to it all the time but I'll probably revisit again in the future.

Jazz - iO aber langweilig

It was enjoyable to listen to but I don't think it's my cup of tea to listen to on a regular basis. It is good though to listen to whilst reading cos no lyrics and it is quite relaxing. I think it's very good jazz music but it's not for me fully

Good background music

Coldplay left me well, cold

As someone who's not particularly into jazz, this album almost lost me on the very first track, which I could have easily believed was from some royalty-free stock music collection that you'd hear in a jazz club scene in some low budget movie from the 80s. Just a generic, swinging jazz tune that doesn't inspire much of a reaction one way or the other. However, it's immediately followed up by what I thought was the best track on the record, Song For Sathima, a soothing and contemplative arrangement with some excellent piano melodies. Maybe it's just a personal preference, but I did find the more sombre, piano-focused tracks like that a lot more enjoyable than the swinging ensemble pieces. Thankfully that level of variety on show here was able to salvage the poor first impression I received, and on the whole I ended up enjoying listening to the record, even though I think it's ultimately not really my thing. I doubt I'll ever listen to it again. Sorry jazz fans; got nothing against you or your music, but we're just from two different worlds. Favourite tracks: Song For Sathima, Manenberg Revisited, The Mountain

Moments of greatness. But again, why is a compilation in this list!?

No private session used for Spotify. Another one where I had no idea what I was getting in to. Apparently it's jazz, and it's the type of jazz I like..has a clear melody and focus, not meandering and frantic.

Some nice background jazz. Didn't really grab onto me, but was pleasant enough.

# Album Name: Water From An Ancient Well # Artist: Abdullah Ibrahim # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Standard Jazz album - doesnt really do anything for me tbh. # Top Tunes: None # Would I listen to it again? No

Great jazzy album

Very nice to listen to while studying

Dig it.

Cool jazz

Jazz? Orchestral jazz? Elevator music. Not bad. Just background noise though.

Just a normal jazz album? Not particularly special or distinctive in any way that lets me see why it's on this list, but it sounds fine and the tracks are good enough to bring it to a 3, at least. A slightly confused but accepting 3.

Experimental jazz

Not my favorite jazz album, was a little soft for my tastes. Still not bad though. And Abdullah definitely has an interesting story!

Decent jazz from the 80s

Salut à tous, aujourd’hui, on pose le diamant sur quelque chose qui va nous changer radicalement de mes habitudes auditives. Vous savez que le projet des "1001 Albums" est un tyran sans pitié qui nous force parfois à sortir de notre zone de confort crasseuse pour aller vers des contrées plus... disons, "policées". Aujourd'hui, on s'attaque à Abdullah Ibrahim et son album de 1986, "Water From An Ancient Well". Remettons les pendules à l’heure. En 1986, j'avais 16 ans et à cette époque, mes oreilles étaient occupées à se faire défoncer par autre chose que du jazz sud-africain spirituel et mélodique... Mais bon, avec l'âge, on est censé s'assagir, non ? Ou du moins, s'ouvrir l'esprit avant que l'arthrite ne s'attaque aux tympans. Abdullah Ibrahim, pour ceux qui dormaient au fond de la classe ou qui pensaient que c'était un joueur de foot, est une légende, un monument, une statue vivante du jazz sud-africain. C’est le Duke Ellington du Cap. Il a fui l’Apartheid, il a joué avec les plus grands, il a une aura de sainteté musicale qui flotte autour de lui comme une fumée de cigarette dans un club de jazz des années 50. Et "Water From An Ancient Well", c’est censé être l’un de ses sommets. Alors, on appuie sur Play et qu'est-ce qu'on a ? Dès les premières notes, on comprend où on met les pieds. On est dans un jazz extrêmement mélodique, très écrit, presque orchestral malgré la taille réduite de l'ensemble (l'Ekaya, son septet). C’est beau, ah ça, on ne peut pas lui enlever, c’est propre, c’est carré, c’est exécuté avec une précision d’horloger suisse en vacances au Cap. Les arrangements de cuivres sont soyeux, le piano d'Ibrahim est liquide (rapport au titre de l'album, vous suivez ?), et il y a cette espèce de pulsation rythmique africaine, le Cape Jazz, qui donne envie de hocher la tête poliment en sirotant un thé Rooibos. Et voilà tout le problème, on est en 1986. La même année où Slayer sort "Reign in Blood". Et là, on se retrouve avec une musique qui, pour être tout à fait honnête, ne bouscule pas grand-chose. C’est du jazz très classique voir trop peut être classique. Le genre de musique qui ne demande rien, qui ne vous agresse pas, qui vous caresse dans le sens du poil. C’est de la "musique d’ameublement" de luxe, comme dirait Satie, mais avec une âme. L'album s'ouvre et s'écoule (encore cette métaphore aquatique, désolé) avec une fluidité déconcertante. On sent l'influence du gospel, des hymnes religieux, et bien sûr de Monk et Ellington. Mais là où Monk apportait de la brisure, de l'angle, de la folie, Ibrahim apporte de la rondeur. C’est rond comme une queue de pelle, et parfois, c’est aussi excitant que de regarder la peinture sécher sur un mur fraîchement repeint en beige. Il y a des longueurs, putain certains morceaux s'étirent, s'étirent, répètent leurs thèmes jusqu'à plus soif, comme si le groupe était payé à la minute. On se surprend à regarder sa montre, ou à vérifier si le disque n'a pas sauté. C'est un peu le piège du jazz spirituel, ça devient vite de la musique d'ambiance pour salle d'attente de dentiste branché. Pourtant, il y a des moments de grâce, par exemple quand le saxophoniste Carlos Ward prend la parole (musicalement parlant), il se passe un truc. Il y a une urgence, une plainte qui rappelle que ces mecs-là ne jouaient pas juste pour le plaisir, mais qu'ils portaient le poids d'un pays déchiré par le racisme institutionnalisé. Le titre "Mandela", par exemple, est touchant, on sent la gravité, l'hommage, la retenue. "Water From An Ancient Well" est un album qui a le défaut de ses qualités : il est trop poli et on a l'impression que tout est sous contrôle, que rien ne va déborder. C’est "l’eau d’un puits ancien", certes, mais c’est une eau plate, tempérée, servie dans un verre en cristal. Moi, vous me connaissez, je préfère quand l'eau est trouble, bouillante, ou qu'elle sort d'un geyser imprévisible. On ne peut pas dire que cet album a inventé la roue. Il a plutôt pris la roue existante (le jazz post-bop, le folk africain), l'a bien polie, l'a vernie, et l'a fait rouler doucement sur une route bien asphaltée. C’est du travail d’artisan, respectueux des traditions. C'est le genre de disque que tu offres à ton beau-père pour Noël pour lui montrer que tu as du goût, mais sans prendre le risque de le choquer avec du John Zorn période Naked City. Il y a une chaleur indéniable qui se dégage de l'ensemble, c'est réconfortant. Si vous cherchez un disque pour accompagner une lecture au coin du feu ou pour méditer sur la beauté des paysages sud-africains, c'est le tiercé gagnant. Mais si vous cherchez l'innovation, le frisson, la rupture, passez votre chemin. Abdullah Ibrahim est un maître, c'est indiscutable, mais sur cet album, il est en mode "croisière" et il navigue sur ses acquis. C’est frustrant, parce qu’on sent le potentiel, on sent que ces musiciens pourraient tout déchirer s’ils le voulaient. Mais ils ont choisi la voie de la sagesse, de la contemplation. Et la contemplation, quand on a été élevé au biberon du post-punk et de la noise, ça ressemble parfois furieusement à de l'ennui. Ou peut-être que c'est moi le problème et que je suis juste trop abîmé par des années de distorsion pour apprécier pleinement cet album. Ou peut-être que, tout simplement, c'est juste un album "sympa". Et "sympa", dans mon vocabulaire de critique aigri et vieillissant, c'est souvent le synonyme de "moyen". Alors, quelle note on lui met à ce pèlerinage au puits ? Je vais suivre mon instinct et surtout mon ressenti actuel et ce sera un 3 sur 5. C'est un peu la note du compromis, la note "mi-figue mi-raisin". C’est pas mauvais, loin de là et c'est même techniquement irréprochable. Mais ça ne change pas la vie et ça ne révolutionne pas le genre. Ça s'écoute, ça s'apprécie poliment, et puis on le range dans l'étagère, entre un disque de Keith Jarrett et une compilation de musiques du monde, et on l'oublie un peu. On le ressortira peut-être dans dix ans, quand on aura besoin de calme.

This is lovely, and the Duke Ellington influence is pronounced, so much so that I never would've guessed this was the work of African jazz musicians. Maybe I should've listened with headphones to better hear the nuances, because this faded into background music after a while. UPDATE: I listened on headphones, but same result.

Some totes fine jazz! I will never disrepect the jazz flute. Why this album is on this list and not on the playlist of the lobby of an upscale independent living facility is for someone smarter than me to answer.

Pas eu trop le temps d'écouter

A fine jazz album that extols its influences greatly while not bringing a whole lot new to the table. While he was born in South Africa, because he went into exile to America and stayed there until the 1990s, you don't hear many South African influences on here really at all. Just the standard American form of jazz with heavy influences from American jazz greats like Thelonius Monk and Duke Ellington. You can clearly hear the influence of Elington's "Caravan" on Ibrahim's "Tuang Guru". "Manenburg Revisited" has a bit of a Vince Guardi Trio vibe about it. It was an album that was perfectly suited to easing me into my Sunday morning with a bit of instrumental beauty that was blissfully bereft of lyrical ruination.

Jazz music sounds familiar pretty good

Nice chilled jazz , well put together and love the structure and pace of the music , proper music for a nice chilled Sunday morning reading the papers and drinking coffee

Pretty pleasant cool jazz album

This was pleasant. Comparing this to the other jazz albums as of late, this one didn't stand out as much. But that doesn't mean its bad, I think all of these different jazz albums bring a different flavor within the whole album. But there is some overlap within some of the songs. The flashy songs stand apart from one another and are what make each album different. I was expecting something more fusioney with the vibe from the album name and cover, but it ended up being quite tame, which was a bit disappointing. Not my favorite, not bad though. 6.5/10?

Pretty good jazz ablum.

Gear: Abyss DIANA MR Artwork: 🌅🖌️🖼️ Production: 🔉🔎👌 Music: 🧈✨🛏️ Rating: 🐳🐳🐳/5

Nice calming peaceful album. 5.9/10

some good classic jazz, a bit more laid-back than mingus but not 'easy-listening' by any means. I would actually rate this closer to a 3.5