Home Is Where The Music Is

This is what I imagine Bitches brew sounds like to people who understand what is going on in that record. Absolutely great jazz album I will listen to again and would love to have.

There's so much cool stuff going on here, I wish I had the musical literacy to describe it. Short of that, I will say it's wonderful. The songs cover a broad range of styles- complex rhythms with fabulously difficult playing on his part; sweet melodies that emphasize other instruments; soul-infused tunes that belie the 70s release date, but are timeless. Only the first and last songs show obvious African influence, and they are my favorites. The rest of the album was great, though. Interesting variety of styles, lovely to listen to. 5 stars.

I had never listened to Hugh before, but I know his name because of his son who has been an X Games commentator for a long time. The album is great! Nice variety.

First album/artist on this list I'd not heard of at all. I enjoyed this one

think jazz in general is still too high iq for my pea brain but i did enjoy these songs, even tho theres no way i could really critique/analyse this stuff in any meaningful way loll i thought the afrobeat percussion was a fun little twist but i mightve missed the full extent of the afrobeat influence on this album favourite songs: minawa, unhome, maseru least favourite song: ingoo pow-pow

The coolest thing about this album, is that although it's as Jazz as anything that came out in the 50s, when Masela plays it's uniquely African and uniquely him.

Un niñato de Sudáfrica a los 12 años ve una película donde la gente convive sin los flagelos de la segregación que agita las aguas desde 1948. Se deslumbra con Smokey el pianista que rompe la cuarta pared en los primeros minutos y con Art, el trompetista. El film es A Young Man with a Horn y su magia lo aleja de una realidad cada vez más dura para un niño negro en un país gobernado por un racismo sitémico. Los años pasarán y su voz, además de comenzar cantando, será la de un activista que descubrió que no necesitaba hablar para expresarse ni usar diez dedos para hacerse oír. Bastaba su trompeta y su diafragma, nada más. Aunque sus composiciones están influenciadas por la formación en solfeo y compositores clásicos, Hugh Masekela es un músico de jazz. Y por su ubicación espacio-tiempo uno de jazz-fusión, que hizo conocer los sonidos de su pueblo con el smooth de la música del cine que lo deslumbró, sin el nivel de forreo del afrobeat de Fela Kuti, ni la repercusión de Miles Davis o Donald Byrd (escuche The Blackbyrds por favor). Home Is where Music Is de 1972 nos habla del activismo que lo tuvo en el exilio 12 años, hasta ese momento. Minawa, The Big Apple, Inner Crisis: los puntos más altos. Un rato de free bien orquestado, cuidado y detallista, con algunos cuelgues pero sin romper nada, aunque la canción que abre la placa y el tema del final parecieran proponer otra cosa.

I don’t like jazz

Dimery should just steer clear of the genres he isn't familiar with. (Music historian my butt.) This is a moderately interesting jazz fusion album that features some rocky performances. (Seriously - I've heard better intonation from high school jazz bands.) If you asked 1,00 jazz artists to each compile a list of the 1,000 jazz albums everyone should hear before they die, there’s a decent chance that this album wouldn‘t appear on half of them. It's kind of odd that Dimery has a thing for jazz fusion and all but ignores traditional jazz, swing, and bop (traditional, cool, and hard varieties). That's akin to featuring Prog Rock, but ignoring 50s and Classic rock. But even accepting that fusion is his idea of great jazz, where are Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Donald Byrd, Cal Tjader, Herbie Mann, etc. etc.?

Jazz, okay but again not my thing

Jazz del disfrutable. Por momentos un poco gd pero guardado en mis favoritos.

Grata sorpresa, no lo conocía. No soy un gran conocedor, ni fanático del jazz, pero es un disco muy disfrutable, un cra Hugh.

Jazz - this one is ok but nothing special. Definitely goes on too long and the final track is nonsense.

Unfortunately I don't know how influential this album is, but regardless of that I loved it! Very fun listen and great to have on. Really enjoy this music. Very fun and different as it goes on. Wonderful to have. Probably 4.25 territory as I won't take any of it away, but wow was it fun.

Some good grooves. Some that are a little slow / dull, and whole thing feels a little too long to me.

Not familiar enough with this musician to know why this is apparently his standout album. He seems comparatively obscure these days, and although he had some tracks hit the charts back in the day, none of them are from this album.

Spirited but not that catchy

Very relaxing. Never heard of this man before but his talent is right up there with the greats like Miles Davis.

Nice tunes for workin'.

olipas harvinaisen paskaa musiikkia

I liked a lot of the Contemporary Jazz parts. The more Afrobeat-inspired pieces didn't site as well for me. Afrobeat derives much of its energy from repetition. That repetition can be a bit grating to these Western ears.

I liked it but wasn’t blown away

Interesting and creative blues

Sorry, it's just not for me.

Mezzo top jazz record per ora

Home Is Where the Music Is is sophisticated, deeply rooted, and musically generous. Its best passages are excellent examples of jazz as cultural conversation rather than stylistic decoration.

A good jazz album. The recording was great. All of the instruments were full of life and had great tone.

buen álbum

Good jazz. The kind of jazz I like best. In about two weeks I will have forgotten this ever existed.

Some good ol jazz. It's a bit of a long album, but still very good. Nothing really blew off my socks, but still excellent. Good to put on while having a good conversation accompanied by a glass of wine.

I’m sure it’s great if you like jazz

It is just too long but god when this is good it’s great

Apart from the last track which in my opinion isn’t necessary on an album of this length, this is an album of good sophisticated ‘Dinner Jazz’. Really enjoyed it.

Eurgh. Long jazz tracks

jazz

Am I too old to learn to play trumpet? No

wonderful, wonderful stuff

Sesame Street music.

Finished my chemistry homework to this. Not bad. Inner Crisis was great. I can’t say much else about it though

Jooj z tohto som si skoro nic nepustila cele nakolko je to nejaky instrumentalny trubkovy jazz 1/10 nepocula som vsetky pesnicky

Very cool blend of jazz and Afro-beat - really enjoyed the album

I really liked this album. It felt varied throughout, with some energetic tracks and some more chilled ones. There were a few moments that were a bit too electric piano focused for my personal taste, and a few brass moments that were a bit too busy for me, but there were also a lot of moments I loved and I think I would listen to it again. Fav song: The Big Apple Least fav: Maesha

It's jazz. It's listenable. Definitely need to be in the mood. Road tripping this wasn't the right fit. Will need to go back and relisten at a later date.

Nice playing with, good honest feeling in the music. Not enough of an expert to say wether it's 5 star worthy

Helt OK jazzalbum

Favorite track(s): Part of a Whole, Minawa, The Big Apple, Maseru, Maesha

Mmmmmh

PEAK JAZZ. This album is otherworldly.

Yet again we find that the only type of jazz is brass based. Is it coincidence that the only decent track was called Inner Crisis and was the only one where the piano took the lead? No sorry, can't be doing with this type of jazz.

I can’t think of a time when I’ll ever reach for a jazz album. But if I ever did, I’d possibly choose this. Coherent and mellow. I could appreciate it.

This is perfect background dinner party music for most people, unless you are a Jazz officianado - which I am certainly not. I'm pretty sure I have made it clear I am not a dinner party person, as our dining table would uncomfortably squeeze four people around it, you really would have to know the other guests very well and not be too worried about what potential germs they have. I very much digress, because I cant really think of anything positive it negative to say about this. Its chilled and relaxing, and performed well. Maybe I should listen to it in the bath with a candle. We do not have a bath and I'd be too worried about the wax going everywhere anyway. That idea is now quashed.... It was pleasant to listen to, who wants 'pleasant'? Dinner parties and bathers, thats who. Afterwards I I stuck MJ Cole on, funnily enough I haven't got a dance floor in my house, or pigs.... Enough! I did not dislike it, that is a bonus. A two star effort it is.

Jazz with an afrobeat undercurrent. I’m not a subject matter expert but thought this was good.

This was really pretty good

I was expecting another sleepy jazz album, but was especially surprised here. The drumming in particular, is a standout.

Thank goodness, more jazz. Home Is Where The Music Is has found a rightful place in my Jazzy Dinner Party playlist.

It's fine. There's better jazz out there.

On the funkier poppier side of jazz. Great music to chill to that gets adventurous at times.

👍

I'm familiar with Hugh Masakela through his brilliant live album "Hope", so this isn't necessarily completely new to me. The songwriting is varied, which makes music of this nature a joy to listen to. The performances are, at times, very understated, but when they want to hop to it they do. Exceptionally enjoyable album.

I listened. It was pleasant. Me and jazz don't get on it seems. I just don't get it. I don't mind when it's an element in another genre, but jazz flying solo feels like a performance not music? I know that sounds silly. 🪿 At least it had a bit of funk and afrobeat going on to add interest. Otherwise it was unremarkable. 2*

There's maybe only like 5 minutes worth of actual music in this thing.

classic

Never heard of this artist in my entire life. Probably because I don't know so much about jazz/afro-beat. But damn this album is fantastic! I will definitely listen to it again very soon. So: 4/5

Loved it.

Had to get past the first song and that awful electonic organ sound, but pretty delightful after that.

Absolutely gorgeous album. Sounds timeless and wonderful. 1 star less because of its length.

Every time I start a jazz album, I don’t like it. Then I smoke a j and it’s the best thing I’ve ever heard. Great album

Great sounds.

My kind of jazz

Pleasant, cant give it more than 2.5 though

i was expecting more, it went places

Fancy brunch jazz set

What started as background listening became a firm, enjoyable time at the point of “Maseru”. The slow intro that kicks up into a syncopated, fast-paced whirlwind of instrumentation had me locked in. My attentive listening was rewarded the rest of the way. “Minawa” towards the beginning of the record was also quite nice. Loungey and easy to listen to. So smooth. “Ingoo Pow Pow” was a cherry on top at the end. 4/5

god

Hugh Masekela is a titan of South African music and one of the best trumpeters to ever do it. While I'm not the biggest jazz fan, Masekela manages to make it rather accessible even for someone like me.

Classy. I love the muted trumpet. It sounds great. I may be coming around on some jazz in small doses.

Oh geez. I mean usually I tend to be more forgiving of jazz albums, but it was hard for me not to think this sounded like elevator music. Then I read in one of the user reviews this was an anti apartheid album and I felt bad. I mean it’s smooth, it’s listenable… but did it have to be over an hour long? Maybe if it was shorter I wouldn’t have been desperate for it to finish so that I could go and listen to something else.

Good jazz. 3.5.

Maybe a bit too long but for the most part this was a very chill listen.

Classic jazz!

Very relaxing

Mostly kinda chill background jazz? Nothing here that grabbed me a ton, but did enjoy "The Big Apple" and "Nomali"

Why is "tepid" such a term of abuse? This is tepid jazz – neither hot nor cool, which sometimes means moderate, maintenance-dose aesthetic stimulation for your life, sometimes slow but lush, sometimes big and capacious. Comfortable music – "Your Comfortable Home Is Where the Comfortable Music Is."

Honestly all jazz sounds the same to me and I'm tired of people saying I'm wrong.

It is not an issue but I'm not really hearing much Afrobeat in this regardless of what Wikipedia claims. Very likeable none the less. Charts a different mellower route through 70s jazz than the more obviously dedicated almost academic fusion stuff or Miles Davis' wild live albums from the time.

Jazz ist wirklich nicht so meins. Fällt sehr schnell in den Hintergrund und ist vergesslich

Turns to camera "nice"

Love a good jazz record. This one in particular is real smooth like most jazz but showed a whole other level of feels to it once I immersed deeper. Love the traditional jazz sound merged with cultural sounds as well. A really nice touch. I you like jazz you'll most definitely like this record

This is not my thing. And a double album is really not for me.

Sweet. This hit the spot. Grateful. 4 Boolean: True

This is definitely on the more accessible side of jazz. It's just super easy-going, with real nice grooves, nice trumpet and nice overall playing. Some tracks are suuuuper smooth. I definitely found it fading into the background a bit, just due to the nature of it, but I still really enjoyed it for what it was. It's really nice to work to. 3.5 rounded up.

I can appreciate that it's good band music. Jazz, albeit with the funk fusion, does not sit with my personal taste. The ubiquity of the louder trumpet feels exhausting as well. There's nothing that seems distinguishable to another big band jazz band. For the era, it does feel very polished.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something about this album that isn't hitting for me, despite many wonderful moments and lots of excellent playing. Perhaps it's the 'spiritual' side of jazz that isn't my thing. Or ‘fusion’. There's sometimes a static repetition to the grooves and underlying rhythms that feels like they are just leaving space for the soloists to take turns, rather than everyone playing together toward one goal. The upbeat tunes are more successful, but at its worst, it's cloying, prioritizing vibe over substance.

This record was pretty good! I enjoyed the energy in the first half of the record. It drops off near the end of the record. Favourite Track(s): Part Of A Whole, Minowa, The Big Apple, Maseru Least Favourite Track(s): Ingoo Pow-Pow

Never heard of him? Check. World/non Western music? Check. Interesting and well recorded? Check. Cool jazz? Check. Yeah, pretty good I'll listen again

To jest wielka zasługa tego zestawienia - że pogodził mnie z jazzem. I to nie tylko pogodził, ale sprawił, że sięgam po niego z przyjemności. Do tej płyty chętnie wrócę jeśli najdzie mnie ochota na bardziej klasyczne podejście do tego gatunku, bo naprawdę dużo dobrych rzeczy się tu dzieje. A wspomnę jeszcze, że jest mocne deszczowo-burzowe popołudnie i naprawdę, dzieje się.

Perfect studying / working music

This was really good Afrobeat Jazz. Not my favourite jazz album of all time but still very good. The trumpeter was particularly excellent.

Never heard of this guy! Really good stuff! The king of South African Jazz 🤙🏻

Soothing. But not worth a repeat for me