Reviews (page 10 of 13)
not bad but a little bland for a jazz album
Buena música agradable de escuchar y seguir, con ritmos relajantes, lo que se definiría como "música de ascensor" por lo general. No creo que destaque en gran medida pero sí que suena bien
Only was able to listen to half of it due to family being in town over the weekend but I dig this stuff. Definitely going to come back to it
This album was a rollercoaster for me. At the beginning I thought it only had the chance to be mediocre. By at the beginning, I mean the first song, because it’s 10 minutes long. It really did just sound like someone free styling on a sax. With a total length of 76 minutes and only 10 songs, this album has everything going against it when it comes to my preferences for this list thus far. But Minawa came on and I actually really enjoyed the next half hour or so of the album. It felt therapeutic and relaxing to listen to. By the last couple of songs the album was dragging again, but I feel like I really did get into this one and enjoyed it. To be fair to the list, it’s probably more of a 2.5, but I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt and round up because of my enjoyment.
Perfect for background music or in my case, enjoying coffee on a cool summer morning. When compared to albums that have and will be on this list, it’s nothing special. But that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy listening to it. Worthy of a solid three, only because until I can start to pick out really good jazz from decent jazz I can’t go higher than that.
Like many jazz albums, the time, place, and mind space make a big difference. Sunday morning while getting the house ready when everyone else is still asleep 4/5. Sunday evening as background music while trying to watch the X Games 2/5.
Very good! Really top notch jazz, and Hugh was totally off my radar before.
No voce, relativamente gagliardo
Nicely done, but there were times that some songs teetered on the edge of sounding like hold music.
Day172 - listening to different types of jazz is interesting. this is much different than a miles davis but still good
There are hints of a distinctive jazz flair here, I like the use of the electric piano in "Part of a Whole", "Inner Crisis", and "Maesha". Reminds me of Herbie Hancock. Much of the rest slows down and shifts into the background. It's still pleasant sounding, don't get me wrong, but when you've been exposed to the likes of Miles Davis and Duke Ellington already, it's hard for a jazz record to really stand out and blow you away. In terms of ratings, jazz generally has a safe floor with me though.
Perfectly pleasant jazz. Meandering, in a good way. Listened to: at work. Favorite tracks: Minawa, Inner Crisis
Mucho ritmo
I was obviously well aware, when I decided to start my 1001 Album journey that I would get exposed to music(ians) I had never listened to before... Hugh, for my untrained ears, is another jazz musician. I would not be able to do what he was able to do, however, upon reading a little about him, I have to scratch my head on why this album was placed on the list? Favorite tune is almost a straight-forward blues tune, where the piano has center-stage, which means it hardly has anything to do with Hugh... I can see this being good music during some off-time when you are preparing a meal and need some background music...
-jazz!!! -good study music -because its jazz and the songs are long, its not quite as exciting to me as the others
Een dag die ik niet aan zag komen: Ik vind dit een beetje een saai jazz album. Er gebeurt een hoop, sure, maar alle nummers duren tegen de 10 minuten aan en het voelt iets meer als background jazz dan dat ik hier vol door gegrepen word. Het is bij tijden vrij traag, al vind ik het soms juist ook weer funky? Ik denk dat dit technisch weer echt insanely indrukwekkend is, maar daar ontbreekt mijn muzikale kennis toch echt aan. Het luistert prima weg, op de achtergrond, maar ik zou niet snel een nummer kunnen aanwijzen dat er voor mij uitsprong. Nee, dit was gewoon een prima jazz album, maar niets dat er uit springt voor mij. Gewoon. Prima. FAVO: Unhome
I don't like jazz. So this is grading on a curve for sure, but this isn't too bad for jazz. If I was wanting to listen to jazz for some reason, I could see this being a choice.
Wasn't bad for a jazz album.
It's a fine album. I'm not usually a jazz fan, but I can see putting this on and reading a great book.
This straddles the line between some cool international beats and approachable jazz with some frenetic jazzy detours and some further adventures into international flair. Fortunately the cool vibe dominates a majority of the album and was among the better jazz albums we've been exposed to here.
Solid jazz album. Not a tip 1001 album.
I really like this. Reminds me of Abdullah Ibrahim
It's a good time, never listen to jazz much though Will I listen to again:5%
Jazz
Average Jazz, something noce a new to liten to but didn't add anything to the genre. Well executed
Some decent background jazz. Nothing really drew me in.
Ambient music based on the trumpet, would be good at a jazz bar or something
pretty swell jazz
I dug some of this. But nothing ever leaped out and got me by the throat. Perfectly good record that I probably will never revisit. 3.5/5
Decent, if somewhat uninspiring.
Average jazz album, nothing special.
Good background music. Not something I would actively listen to.
Enjoyable! Jazzy and soothing.
It's like background music you can't help but pay attention to. It makes good background while working from home. I found that the more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed it. Every track is so different, it's hard to pick a favorite.
Revisit if you wanna hear some keys
African influenced Jazz Trumpety 1972 I'm sure this guy was very influential to musicians who followed him
The sax solos are wild.
This was great. Just a chill normal, and approachable jazz album.
album piacevole, da riascoltare ma piu come musica di sottofondo che altro. figa la tromba e in generale la vibe. percepito collegamento con musica africana/tribale boh
I didn’t really hear the ‘Afrobeat’ in this until the final track - it sounded more ‘standard jazz’ to me, which I often find drifts into the background. I preferred it to a lot of standard jazz though; its happy and chilled vibes made a very pleasant soundtrack to my leisurely walk around the block in the sunshine.
Solid jazz album
Do not know this one, am curious Let’s see Vibes potentially cool Jazz isn’t really my cup of tea but I dig it as a background
Blind album and artist. Very strong start, funky, and fun! Ranges of volume and note emphasis, and strong. A lot of the same thing, but this was fun to try out and I'm glad I did. Not for me overall.
Decent, but the instrumentals aren’t interesting enough to warrant this album being as long as it is
Nice jazz
Cool at times but way too long. It got very boring
Næs, ætti að hæusta aftur. Mjög góð í bakgrunn.
Jazz tastic
I don't really get jazz but this was interesting enough background music
Sort of a timeless sound, tracks like The Big Apple are great late night driving tracks.
not bad but too plain
Nice jazzy album, but not too regular listen.
I appreciate his influence in South Africa as a jazz pioneer, but I didn't find the album particularly inspiring. The playing is solid and grooves, and there are high moments but I don't have the feeling that this is something I have to revisit
very cool jazz trumpet player. I would say standard/solid mix of bold trumpet/brass focus with some smooth balladry once in awhile.
Bon moment de Jazz sur mon trajet du boulot!
This was a delight. A little long, and almost a bit too tribal towards the end of the album, but still quite enjoyable.
Good.... Just low energy jazz
# Playlist Track - Part of a Whole # Notes - Jazz is not my favourite gender. I think it tends to drag on and on. - Having said that, this is a pretty good album!
Enjoyed it less as it went along, but still solid.
Solid jazz album, enjoyed this in the background
Objectively a great jazz album that I enjoyed listening too. Put it on, on the way home from work at night and felt like a brooding noir detective. Last song sucked ass though. Would I go out of my way to listen to the album again? No. Did enjoy listening too it? Yes.
Didn’t get to finish the album but from what I did get to listen to I could tell you this was a masterpiece. Although not my favorite style of music I could give this a 7/10
First time listening was bored and jsut wanted to move to something else. Second and third Time over the weekend realized I felt like I was in the big city while listening. Pretty cool stuff
much more pallatable than the previous jazz type album. Fine for background. Liked the lack of lyrics. Tough to scale, gonna go with 3 and bump the louis prima to a 2
I enjoyed it, although after three listens I couldn’t gleam anything particularly new or exceedingly interesting about it. It faded to the background very easily for me.
Never heard of this artist but I do have a feeling I have heard of his music just didn't know it was this man. First track is smooth
3.7
Pretty good, I'm glad this project is introducing me to more jazz. Also loved having this on in the background while reading.
Very good
Listened to this in the gym. I suspect that no-one else at Salford PureGym was listening to it at the same time, but maybe I'm being snobbish. It was a really interesting listen, with a good mix of quite traditional sounding 'world music', but alongside something much more recognisable as 'Western' jazz. It could have done with being a little bit less smooth for my taste, one or two of the tracks were definitely more modern feeling, and that's where my enjoyment lay.
Jazzy! I liked it but it didn't blow my mind. Ok to have in the background while working on the computer.
There are some really fantastic tunes on this, but it runs a little longer than it needs to. I think the perfect jazz album comes in under an hour, always, and usually under 45 minutes. But Masekela was a blind spot for me prior to this and now I feel energized to look into some of his other work, so that's exciting.
Awesome jazz trumpetest
- Genau das, was ich nach einem hektischen Morgen gebraucht habe. Nur am hetzen gewesen und dann auch noch zur U-Bahn gerannt. Aber als ich es dann geschafft hatte, habe ich mir direkt dieses Album auf die Ohren gelegt und das hat mich echt runtergebracht! - Ich mag Jazz mit Trompete als Lead extrem gerne! Fühle mich immer sofort in einem New Yorker Jazz-Club bei Nacht - Insgesamt zu lang, als dass ich es für etwas anderes als Hingergrundmukke anschmeißen würde, aber genau dafür finde ich es perfekt! Rating: 3,25-3,5/5
- Jazzyjazzjazz - War irgendwie ein wilder Ritt. Grundsätzlich stimmungsvolles Album und ich war auch nicht genervt, konnte aber nicht wirklich trennscharf zwischen verschiedenen Stücken unterscheiden. Es fing an und war irgendwann vorbei. - Habe das Gefühl, die Rezensionen zu Jazz-Alben sind irgendwie immer gleich. Es geht um Gefühl, alle anderen Aspekte wie Texte, Melodien, Dynamik spielen überhaupt keine Rolle. Auch, weil es mir total schwer fällt, das dezidiert auszumachen. 2,5/5
Sweet
A real musical journey, a good vibe.
This earns a spot on my background music library but isn't something I'll seek out directly.
Great expectations. I generally like music like this. It was only average though.
I’ve almost exclusively listened to contemporary Jazz for the last year. While not modern, this fit right in…
It was really good. I really enjoyed it. My only complaint is that the songs were really long.
Nice chill background music. Would be good study music.
Very smooth
part of a whole findi seehr groovy sehr cool. minawa isch sehr cool jazz, de hugh spielt sehr cool auf seine flugelhorn. saxophon mengmol chli flat? the big apple isch hure cool, sie so cool jazz. maseru slappt bis etz am meiste, s isch sehr geili musig zum dur s chalte züri laufe. aber finds nöd hammer. lieb d tempowechsel, immer wieder halftime und so. ah und wie s klavier amel am hugh sini melodie imitiert isch riichtig geil. boah klaviersolo am duuuregeh. inner crisis isch huere geil i like. blues for huey isch mega drumsolo time fühli sochli semi
ohja bitte ich han 9 minütigi lieder soo vermisst fart of a hole lol ich hass mich also bin eh scho nödso guet gluunt und denn chunnt wieder so 9minütige jazzscheiss und ich han mich halbe gwehrt aber gege endi vo dene 9 min han ich mier ENDLICH chönne ihgestah, wie geils isch die bridge mitem klavier isch so fucking nervös und geil gsi ja mal luege wies wiitergaht, minawa würkt scgo um einiges längsämer ok das ischmer eifach z langwilig gsi sorry ja nach unhome langets mer langsam sorry bin gad echt nöd ide stimmig ja ok ich hans cheggt du chasch trümmele ja es het sich zumene kampf entwicklet NOMAL 10 MINUTE aso will ichs erste würkli super gfunde han gits es 3
Some nice tasteful Jazz, smooth and savory.
morro, gode rytmer og jams men ikke noen stand out
More jazz
It's jazzy. It's enjoyable. Not sure of the historical context here. Nothing seems to be groundbreaking...but yea. Pour a hi ball and enjoy.
A marvel of Jazzy adventure from beginning to an end. An album that feels mellow, yet catches you with blasting walls of sound when you are least expecting them. Pretty wonderful, pretty calm
3.3 stars rounded down.
solid jazz record. he did his thing onthis bih
Made for excellent background music while reading my book club book (Verity) on the green line
nice cool jazz, a little too raucous for working or reading background though.
Jazz
Trumpet masterclass
A bit Maynard Ferguson, a bit dated and a bit good
Didn't mind this, but not a big jazz person
the album almost blends into one ~☆
hey pretty good!
2.5
This is not a genre I go to much, but unlike some of the other genres I hate on, this one actually sounds good. I will just rarely pop on Home is where the music is. If I wanted jazz trumpet for sure, but I never really crave that. 3 out of respect
So talented, highlights for me were the amazing horns and piano, but felt mostly like background music. Seemed a little too long for me as my attention faded and nothing seemed to pull me back in. Unpretentious album cover, sets up perfectly what you will get.
i can appreciate the talent, but it wasn't really all that enjoyable for me to listen to.
while listening to this, i realized that i don't really know how to evaluate jazz music. it was pleasant enough to listen to but since i had it on in the background while working, I'm sure i missed some important moments. the kinds of moments where people would politely clap afterward and i would jump in late to clap too since i didn't want to seem rude. anyway i think this is good and like, technically proficient, but maybe not for me. uhhh three stars? sorry y'all /shrug favorites: part of a whole, minawa, maseru
Pretty good instrumental Jazz.
Standard good jazzy music
This kind of jazz just feels like wallpaper to me. It's pleasant but that's all I can say.
Nice jazz album. Easy to listen, yet not boring.
•Not owned: Streaming •Pretty straightforward Afrobeat album that is at times a solo-fest, others a display of a tight rhythm section. •3.5/5
It’s jazz
Guter Jazz, teilweise sehr wild, mit viel Trompete
Meh. Not my bag.
Straight good listening Jazz with afrobeats from the early 70's.
Not a big Jazz fan. Some great drumming very Bonham almost. Loved the sax as well. Almost a Motown kinda jazz.
It's beautifully played jazz, but I can't say I was moved by it. Glad I heard it though.
It was nice to listen to. Something different I have not heard. Not quite my taste but it was OK.
Best Song: Part Of A Whole. An upbeat start to the album that left me with unmet expectations for the rest. Worst Song: Unhome. Sometimes jazz can be just too jazzy, you know? And this was really jazzy. Overall: It's not altogether unpleasant, nor is it particularly interesting to me. Maybe it's great for all those jazzheads out there, but I find it difficult to discern what makes this album more worthy of praise than any modern jazz record. The opacity of the genre makes things difficult for me. That being said, I'd throw it on in the background if I needed to appear sophisticated, and I wouldn't be hating it the whole time.
It was fine. I don't really have the vocabulary to appreciate jazz.
Not a big jazz guy but this was pretty good.
More Jazz. Eh, thanks. Didn’t suck.
Some nice Jazz
jazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Nice background jazz
Jazz, Afrobeat.
Good background music while working.
Leider finde ich keinen Zugang zu Jazz. Sonst wäre das eine tolle Scheibe
I enjoyed this, though it did not grab my attention overall.
A nice album. I have previously found the music of Hugh Masekela to be a little bit 'hard going', if you know what I mean by that. However, this album was very easy to listen to.
A good record with some nice tracks however there are earlier and later records of his that I prefer overall to this one, specifically ‘The Boys Doin’ It’ on Casablanca records from a few years later
I had never listened to any song of his other than “Grazing…”glad to have the chance to explore more and learn about his life.
Not a jazz fan but this wasn't too bad. I would not seek out jazz on my own, so it was good to get out of my comfort zone.
Beautiful jazz with a wonderful marriage of electronic and horn instruments. Really great background music while working/studying. Gives good energy throughout but also has calmer/relaxing moments. Particular highlights: Maseru, Part of a Whole, Inner Crisis Overall very enjoyable, but not my favorite jazz. 3/5
A perfectly fine chill ambiance album. The jazz isn't really my thing, but I can respect the sheer skill involved in all of this technical playing.
Beautiful jazz, not my cup of tea
Great background music
No. 85/1001 Part Of A Whole 2/5 Minawa 2/5 Big Apple 3/5 Unhome 3/5 Maseru 3/5 Inner Crisis 2/5 Blues For Huey 3/5 Nomali 3/5 Maesha 3/5 Ingoo Pow-Pow 3/5 Average: 2,7 This a good jazz album. Just not something I would listen for fun.
Entertaining, but long and a bit boring.
Best Songs: Maseru Listen Again: Sure
Nice background music
Definitely better than tha weather report album I listened to before this. The beginning I thought was really nice, it kinda lost me after the really long drums solo
starbucks background music
Sure.
Pretty good
Smooth.
Makes me want to go back to LA Noire and put on an old timey detective voice
pleasant jazz, my kids think it sounds like a Peanuts soundtrack
Well, it's jazz. My pp doesn't react to it but can tell it's not bad.
liked the first song and thought I was going to enjoy this but it took me a few days to listen through, was a bit bland despite being good
Part of a Whole- 3.6/5 Minawa- 2.8/5 The Big Apple- 3.2/5 Unhome- 3.5/5 Maseru- 3.5/5 Inner Crisis- 3.8/5 Blues for Huey- 2.5/5 Nomali- 2.4/5 Maesha- 3.7/5 Ingoo Pow-Pow- 3.9/5 Total- 3.3
This didn't blow me away, but this kind of jazz is always a nice time
Very easy to listen to, good background music in a wine bar style vibe. Nothing really stood out but the whole package was a good feeling overall.
This was good but wasn’t my jam.
Pretty solid jazz album. Not too crazy-weird. Just good musicians sharing their craft.
Another fun jazz album. This one didn't quite reach the highs of some of the previous older jazz albums I've got, but I definitely enjoyed it more than I expected I would again with an obscure older artist I've never heard of.
-oh shit this is more jazz! -i am not bothered by that tbh. i can rock with it -9 minute jazz songs are not my favorite but i am kinda enjoying this -oh boy……..is every song going to be 9 minutes…… -all the instruments together is maseru go HARD -overall it all kinda sounds the same to me -SORRY i like jazz and i appreciate its beauty but i would never listen to it on my own -overall its getting a three from me
Jazz, Afrobeat.
Very solid cool jazz. Enjoyed the vibe
Jazz, Afrobeat.
Very cool
Some perfectly fine jazz. I would’ve liked it considerably more, had it been shorter. The album is 1 hour and 15 minutes long, with each song ranging from 6-10 minutes. I don’t mind a long song here and there, but it gets really tiring when each song is that long. The music itself was good, there was just way too much of it. Can’t even choose a top 3, just because most were somehow too long for me to care. 5/10 Top 1: 1. Minawa
Slightly concerned for the drummers health after the "Blues for Huey" track, that was a long solo
Great album, a fusion of a few different jazz genres make up this album and an original take on all of them. Mid to low 3.
supa jazzed up surprised this guy doesnt have more listeners something i feel i should listen to in nyc i mean one of the songs is called the big apple makes me feel good
Chill in the background
It’s alright. I don’t know enough about jazz to give this a fair rating.
Ganske zen
Wasn't what I expected but still a good listen. I think I'll give it a second listen to check what I heard but don't think it's one for the ages
Jazz. Ni fu ni fa.
Ganske zen
Nice jazz album, a little too unknown for me. "Nomali" is a beautiful tune.
On a weekend morning this album is fantastic. Any other time - meh.
Jazzy, funky, good grooves on just the opener, which is 9 mins. 3/5 for overall album
The internet tells me this is very good, and I'm sure it is. It's just not for me. I've tried to develop an ear for jazz over the years, but aside from a handful of records it doesn't connect.
Very cool album but not to my musical tastes.
Really good background jazz
Good for background music.
Niet slecht, niet per sé iets voor mij.
Not a big jazz fan, but this was pleasant.
Very good; I’m not contextually aware of its historical importance or where the sound fits into his body of work, but a pretty jamming album.
I had never heard of this artist or album before. I definitely enjoyed this.
Talented musicians and enjoyed a lot of this one more than I thought I would
Wasn’t able to listen fully but sounded v cool
good music, but didnt catch me.
Technically impressive and quite varied jazz, think I'd love this live in a bar/restaurant. Trouble is you can dip and out in those scenarios whereas here it was 75 minutes nonstop, so it took me a few goes to get through the full runtime. Would give it more if it was half an hour long I think but as an album, too much.
Like previous Jazz albums this was fine as background but I'm not really into pure Jazz. Glad I heard it but wouldn't listen again.
Smooth jazz its good just got to be in a certain mood I think
3.4
Smooth jazzzzzzz Vaikka en jazzista niin välitä niin silti ihan hyvää taustamusiikkia. Pidemmän päälle kyllästyttävää Maesha oli jees
Nice sounds. One to revisit
Not my style of music
This didn’t really say anything interesting to me.
This was a pretty enjoyable jazz album. Only one song on this album I didn’t like. The jazz was pretty solid from the beginning. Each song was a little different and varied in instrumentals. The trumpet and sax songs were definitely songs I’d listen to again. May revisit this for when I’m in the mood for jazz. 6.4/10
There can be no denying how tightly this album is put together. Each instrument flowing into the other like a conversation without words. I’m just not a huge Jazz guy. That said it made for quite an enjoyable listen.
I just can’t with most jazz. And I betray my ignorance by admitting I thought this was going to sound a lot more African. I started off pleasantly surprised that it was more interesting than the usual stuff I can imagine playing in the background at a restaurant but I got bored fairly quickly. Clearly talented but simply not for me
I don't like Jazz, it's elevator music to me. But somehow this has something nonetheless. OK, I listened to it during work, so maybe the elevator thing is not so far fetched, but it was nice.
Just melodies
at Devocion rn and its a cafe vibe. Its good study music tbh, but boring by itself i need lyrics and i prefer piano to wind instruments
Couple of good jazz songs, though while making dinner, the kids said it was ‘boring’
Nomali me encantó.
kaffihús. frekar gott. 3,5.
This was nice! It mostly served as background music for me but it filled that role very well.
These tracks are pretty interesting as individual songs, but not dynamic enough for me to want the full album experience again.
Een beetje standaard-jazz-toeterplaat, precies wat je je voorstelt bij een concertje in de gemiddelde jazzkelder in pakweg Parijs of een andere wereldstad. In z'n soort prima, maar ik vind dit niet boven het jazz-maaiveld uitsteken.
Een rustig jazzplaatje volgens het boekje. Prima op de achtergrond.
Lekkere vrolijke jazzy muziek wisselt af met filmmuziek voor een b-film uit de 70s of de 80s, waarbij de hoofdpersoon doelloos in een cabriolet door de nachtelijke stad dwaalt met allerlei prostituees en drugsdealers op de stoepen, die hun dagelijkse activiteiten doen. Meewarig en melancholisch. Ik kan het vandaag allemaal vrij goed hebben merk ik, als achtergrondmuziek voor tijdens het werk. Het leuke is wel dat het wat afwisselender is qua muziek. Tuurlijk, het is instrumentaal met een toeter, maar het wisselt de stijlen wel redelijk af, van zomercarnaval tot filmmuziek en van bluesy rock tot een smartlap. Vermakelijk
Jazzy
I'm not a big jazz person, but I thought this was pretty ok. Pleasant enough background listening, not too noodly. But I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it again.
A lot of talent on display here and should appeal to anyone who is into 70s jazz. But, most of the tracks go on a bit long without adding or building to anything. Would be nice to have on in the background when you have your friends over for dinner.
DU bon jazz, je n'ai pas été particulièrement captivé, mais c'était peut-être la fatigue. Quoiqu'il en soit, ça mérite définitivement une réécoute. Les compositions avaient une certaine personalité et originalité. 7/10
Long form noodling. Not bad for background music!!
Gets a little repetitive given it's length but it's good jazz and the performers are super talented.
This started great and the only thing is that it overstayed its welcome. 1h 15m is too much flugel for one person. 2.5/5
Good, but runs up against my jazz 3 star wall.
I like horns in general, so I enjoyed this album. That said, I don't really know anything about Jazz so it's hard for me to judge whether this is great or just average.
Not particularly exciting but that is probably the point? Good musicianship but nothing that would make me listen to this again.
Very pleasant listening, apart from the drum solo three-quarters of the way through. But doesn't quite stick to the sides.
A big chunk of jazz 3.4
Fave tracks: Nomali, Maseru 3.5/5
Pretty hip jazz. 3.5/5
Started off interesting, I was digging the first couple of tracks, then I rapidly got bored from 4 onwards. I think in the right mood I'd be up for exploring this more, but not right now.
Nice pleasant jazz. It did sort of fade into the background for me after a little bit, but it was good background music.
A fine yet unspectacular fusion album.
first listen decent afro fusion jazz
Ok
Great background music
Well produced jazz that I’m not sure I’ll ever be in the mood to listen to. I did like it, and can appreciate it, but I’m not sure I’d listen again
Nice background music, not a fan of the saxophone, sounds shrill and silly
There is stuff here that is certainly good, I especially love when they let the piano shine, but it is still an overly long, somewhat repetitive jazz album. Still, better than most.
3.5/5. Never would’ve guessed that I’d be listening to South African jazz.
Not my cup of tea but it’s a great album to walk to
Has it’s time and place but not a fan regularly
Jazz trompetero sin mucha complicación. También percusión y escasas voces. Pasable, sin más.
Pretty great jazz. A little more melodic than I'm used to for this kind of thing, which I liked.
Today's album was a little different, and was a step out of my music genre comfort zone. I usually tolerate, but don't particularly like jazz. I view jazz as something to put on in the background while you work, cook, or do other menial tasks around the house. To sit and listen to, jazz is usually not even on the list of what I gravitate towards. This, however, isn't traditional jazz. This is a fusion of jazz, soul, and the African sounds of afrobeat. I would say that Hugh is Africa's answer to America's Miles Davis; a jazz trumpet player. There is so much talent on this record, and Hugh rubbed elbows with so many talented African artists. Secko Toure, the president of Guinea from the late 60's to the early 80's also dabbled in jazz composition, and actually wrote the song Minawa on this record. This was before he became president, liberated Guinea, and became a horrible dictator. Also, Hugh was married to Miriam Makeba (I've reviewed one of her albums on here already), the powerhouse singer from South Africa for a short time, and was good friends with Harry Belafonte and Fela Kuti. Overall, an interesting listen today. I didn't hate it, but it isn't something I would rush to turn on or listen to again. Unlike Fela and Miriam's music, this just didn't pull me in. Maybe it was the absence of lyrics (even lyrics I don't understand are better than instrumentals, and especially jazz instrumentals), maybe the run time was too long, causing me to loose focus, or maybe I just really fucking hate trumpets. If it was playing, I wouldn't switch it off, but I also wouldn't actively seek it out either. Favourite songs: Inner Crisis, Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children's Song), Maseru, Part of a Whole, Nomali Least favourite songs: Unhome 3/5
3+
a nice jazz album most of the songs don't stand out but Maseru is a cool 3.5
4th May 2023 Listened on the Friday while still trying to catch up with everything this week. Was in NBH and at UKTV today, out for Japanese with Mum and Dad in the evening. Love the piano work, it's very warm and playful and brings the jazz together.
Pretty good, much better than some of the other 'background music' that has been on this list.
It was a nice enough listen but unfortunately due to my complete lack of knowledge of the genre all I can really say is it was a nice enough jazz album. As a genre I don't really know when I'd ever stick something like this on. But that's just personally me
Tricky one. I like the general groove but the tone of a trumpet can put me on edge.
Smooooooth Jazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 3/5
Nice jazz record. Didn’t enjoy every song but there were some good ones in there.
This mofo looks cool as hell on the cover. It's a long ass high quality jazz album. Feels like a great soundtrack to have on in the background but every now and then will come to the forefront and capture your attention.
Jazz with funky bass grooves
Pretty varied record, really enjoyed the electric piano sound on a few of the tracks. I think 10 minute long instrumental jazz is always going to struggle to not sound like background music to me.
Alright
Me gustó y no es como que encuentre algo malo en él, pero no tengo muy claro algún punto de comparación para poder calificarlo
I think you need to be informed and understand jazz music to fully appreciate this album. It sounds a lot like other jazz albums to me, so it doesn't necessarily stand out. So for me, it's not an album I would listen to again because it does not feel like a "must" album.
First half of the album is great. Second half not that much of a great; just good. Although the last track is masterpiece. Very "chillazz" album...
Good background music
Right in the middle, good music but not for me !
When its tight its tight. But its not always. Too much of a good thing
Fun jazz.
Highlights: "Inner Crisis," "Ingoo Pow-Pow" It seems like the main contribution of this album historically is for a genuine South African voice to respond to or participate in Pan-African, Afrofuturist, and Diasporic thinking in American music. Which is great! Just not strictly musical. More cynically, the reason it appears on our list seems to be its production polish to rough free jazz precedents and a boon to music industry cult of personality. It's hard to dig up Masekala's influences or work with any jazz greats on Wikis for his albums, but pull up the man's Wiki bio and -- oh look! The Byrds had him play with them when Mandela was in the news! Paul Simon collaborated with him after his success with Graceland! Hm! There are many different styles of jazz here; I regret abusing the term "survey" when I need it here, and I might just be parading my ignorance in this review. But thinking of Masekala's seeming influences, the exploration of harsh timbres, the group improv, the Afro-Cuban forays, the variety of instrumental textures while sticking to small ensemble... Pharoah Sanders had put out several albums already; Charles Mingus and Sun Ra had both released over twenty albums; Dizzy Gillespie had popularized Afro-Cuban jazz stateside twenty years ago. It's a decent album. "Ingoo Pow-Pow" feels like a strong cliffhanger of a closer, and "Inner Crisis" has aged well. The production is also way better than most Sun Ra; Masekala's pop jazz background has helped make his influences more digestible. This is more of a meta-criticism again. Why is Mingus the only one with an album here? And it's 1963's "Black Saint." Not "Oh Yeah." "Let My Children Hear Music" was right alongside Masekala in January 1972. Frustrating.
This was a pleasant album to listen to whilst reading 3*
Electric co.pany music
Good Afrobeat, a bit long form
Cool enough. Maybe not the right day for me to be listening to this.
It was good all the way through but not interesting all the way through. A decent record.
Good, but not my thing
3/5. A fairly good jazz album. Some songs slap including the first one. Some are okay. Decent overall.
Jazz gets way too intense for me sometimes
Love the energy in track one. Great start to an album! He's got a nice sound and tone for this style of playing. Not to say that he isn't dynamic because he definitely is, but there is a prevailing tone that he has that really cuts through the mix. It's got an edge to it- almost like a guitar that has just a little bit of distortion on it. Can be heard well on "The Big Apple", which I think is cool. There are many variables in music creation and I'm hoping that this harsher edgier tone is depicting a wintry New York City day. Solid 3/5 for me.
Cool background music. Felt like I'd probably enjoy it more if I focused on it but still was enjoyable only sort of half paying attention. Reminded me of The 5th Dimension in some ways, not sure if they ever collaborated but it would have been a great match if they did. 3.5 stars
Piano jazz
This is the type of music I like to listen to, but my kids ask 'is this jazz!', followed by 'can we listen to anything else'.
Right amount of jazz for today's purposes.
love Hugh
Not bad
Jazz, but in a lively tuneful accessible way. Great listen. Will not be on repeat but glad I heard it.
Pretty good, just too long.
Enjoyed this. Is it rude to call it background music? I mean it in the best possible way, had it on in the evening whilst pottering about - emptying the dishwasher has never been so groovy.
Ok
Not my usual jam, but the album had a few really good tracks and nothing particularly bad. Felt like I should be in a smokey room sipping whiskey in a suit.
Good instrumental album
Not bad but long
I'll be honest, I didn't get through the whole thing. It is Jazz. Good jazz, I think, but still. Good to cook dinner to?
Pretty good stuff tbh, but something I'd have to be in the mood for. Probably not going to revisit, but you never know 🤷
Dygtig, no double about it, men ikke lige mig...
Jazz. Ni fu ni fa.
Jazz, Afrobeat
I enjoyed parts of this but other bits got a bit boring
T3B 1. Part Of A Whole 2. The Big Apple 3. Blues For Huey
Ok jazz.
Not a bad listen, but not entirely grabbing either – I question why such a run-of-the-mill jazz LP made it on the list at the expense of others. Definitely could've used some cuts to the runtime too, as it did tend to drag on and could've been much more concise.
Fun album to listen to while on a long walk
Cool new discovery! Had a hard time listening at one time, but enjoyed the whole thing. Would go back to a few songs.
Now this one was different, rather jazzy, kinda like lift music. But I liked it. Towards the end of the album i was kinda getting bored of the Jazz. 3.8 / 5
A very good jazz album.
Very good jazz
Not my type of music but still pretty good.
Wasn't really familiar with Masekela, so new to me. It's a bit tame though Part of a Whole, Maseru and Big Apple are decent.
Sure. I liked it. It’s some trumpet jazz.
3.5 Eat your heart out, Bill Evans - It's another jazz record, and I really think this is probably this has been the most fun and interesting one yet. There was enough variety on this record where I was able to keep mostly engaged for the 76 minute runtime. That being said, while I liked the jazz albums we've had so far, I haven't loved them, and I think I'm learning the genre is probably never gonna be an all-time favorite of mine - I really don't anticipate any of these albums getting a 4 or higher from me. I don't know how likely it is I consciously put on a jazz record, but if I do pick one, I could see it being this one. Favorite songs: Can't really remember, but I think I liked Big Apple and Maesha
Nice Jazz
Some songs were baby making music. For the most part, I enjoyed the jazz. Songs were a little long but overall didn’t hate the music.
Generator been on a jazz kick lately. I liked inner crisis and blues for Huey
Good jazz fusion but it's too damn long. I completely lost interest along the way but it's still quality music.
Great jazz album. Nothing exceptional, but you can tell it's good stuff. It's a little bit too long though.