Home Is Where The Music Is

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.

Can never get enough of good Jazz.

Very solid cool jazz. Enjoyed the vibe

:)

Jazz, Afrobeat.

love this

Very cool

total arse

I don't really listen to jazz and I truly enjoyed this album. A few of the tracks had trumpet notes that reminded me of a sketch about a bad trumpet player.

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

Haven’t listened to much Hugh Masekela. It’s a good album. Makes me want to check out more of his stuff

Wow. Did not know this album. Great funky jazz from 1972. I feel like this album has a similar feel to what Herbie Hancock did with the Headhunters.

This is just more jazz to me. Pleasant enough, but unremarkable.

Not bad but kind of boring.

musically good, but hard to listen to without vocals, would be good study music though.

The jazz was not good for a long drive

Slightly concerned for the drummers health after the "Blues for Huey" track, that was a long solo

2/5 - an album is a collection of songs

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

Jazz

Smooth. Intoxicating. Like honey. You like jazz? Then bee my guest. It's "Kind Of Blue"-esque in its approach to album creation, with hook-heavy, solo-laden charts at the beginning and more unconventional, exotic improvisation session towards the end. All ten tracks, including the intermediary ones, are quite long, the shortest one being over 5 minutes in length. Part Of A Whole and The Big Apple are highlights.

Great listen. I love to listen to Jazz and dont enough

Decent pleasant but unlikely to listen to it again High 2/5

Jazz sudafricano!!! Esta lista sigue siendo capaz de sorprender después de más de 500 discos. Me ha gustado Minawa pero se me ha hecho pesado y plano. Más o menos me gusta este tipo de jazz pero este disco no es imprescindible.

Was not expecting an album like this to be on the list, but I'm very glad it is! This is quite a good jazz fusion album with some great piano work! Every song has a great vibe to it however they often lack a certain quality that would make them great songs in general. Either with solos that are too long and lacking in substances or with melodies that aren't really super memorable. However there are some key songs in this album that gave me a lasting impression. Overall very very good especially considering this is 70 mintues long.

Pretty solid

Jazzy!

Chill in the background

It’s alright. I don’t know enough about jazz to give this a fair rating.

Really good.

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

Incredible, how have I never heard of this man and his music before? The Big Apple is an *excellent* track.

It is a beautiful jazz album, where every song is a unique journey.

Im not into jazz/blues

Holy moly, not a single bad track on here, this one is being added to my collection

I could not finish this album. I wasn't for me. Repetitive trumpet music is not my style.

Gear: Dunu SA6 Artwork: 😐🔠⬜ Production: 👂🔎🔥 Music: 🎷🎶⏳ Rating: 🎺🎺/5

Jazz. Ni fu ni fa.

#2 #3 #4

Jazz to long

Ganske zen

Skilful, but very much not for me.

Undeniably good, hence the 4 stars, but it doesn't really do much for me.

What an amazing band behind Masekel.

Not my thing at all. Coffee shop music

Nice jazz album, a little too unknown for me. "Nomali" is a beautiful tune.

No sóc súper fan del jazz però aprecio molt el to consistent de l'àlbum i el fet que sigui molt "beginner friendly" ajuda molt a escoltar-lo. No se m'ha fet gens pesat i del (molt poc) jazz que he escoltat m'ha semblat del més melòdic i fàcil de seguir. M'ha semblat un "jazz per dummies" i això està molt bé

The generator has been punishing me w/ far too much jazz lately! It's still a no!

A long jam jazz album

On a weekend morning this album is fantastic. Any other time - meh.

jazz, class start. convenient timing vibes wise. good way to end the week, nice.

Really really liked this. I’ve never heard of him before being “assigned” this album but so glad I was! Added.

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.

A cool, jazz double album. The music ebbs and flows and takes you on a journey, but gives good vibes throughout. Definitely a record I'd come back to if I'm in need of a cool, relaxed evening atmosphere. Rating: 4.5/5 Playlist track: Part of a whole Date listened: 19/10/23

Very cool album but not to my musical tastes.

Smooth, chill, nice

Thumbs down.

I really loved this, but not too sure that i would go back to it off my own bat. African tinged jazz is delightful

Interesting album. Felt like cruising around the back roads of some carribean islands in an old jalopy

Really good background jazz

Good for background music.

Only on the second song which is 10 mins long but I love this album. Great for background. Perfect middle-ground vibe. Not too chill, not too energetic.

surprising would re-listen i wish i could do 1/2 stars 4.5

This was fantastic. Inventive and exciting but also accessible.

My home is not where this music is going to be in future.

While I don't feel equipped to review the merits of Hugh Masekela in relation to anyone else in this genre, I'm going down the McCormick Trail and responding based on my enjoyment level. I like it!

This was cool. A solid jazz album. Nice grooves, good musicianship. Totally solid. I'd never heard of Hugh Maskekela before, and i'll look up more of his stuff.

How can I not rate an album by a fellow Hugh anything but a 5. This was a really great jazz album that I enjoyed on my car ride home from Michigan. Very talented artists!

Niet slecht, niet per sé iets voor mij.

Not a big jazz fan, but this was pleasant.

Each song just builds and builds. Such skill.

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.

Not my type of music

I had never heard of this artist or album before. I definitely enjoyed this.

Really enjoyed this. Felt like the Peanuts at time

I can't say I've had a proper introduction to fusion, and the kind of sounds to emerge from the scene in the decade after this album is something I'm still not a great fan of. But this is fusion I can get behind (fusion lite?) It showcases a wide range of styles. Traditional bebop, elements of big band swing, with some great funk spice added on with electric piano (Part of a Whole, Inner Crisis), contrasted with a little detuned piano for a more New Orleans sound (Maseru), a little Guaraldi-style piano (Minawa), Sketches of Spain-era Miles Davis (Unhome), hard bop (The Big Apple, Nomali), touching into free jazz (Blues for Huey), more spacious, atmospheric sounds (Maesha-best track on the album for me), and ending with a more traditional Afrobeat (Ingoo Pow-Pow). Not a weak song in the mix. Wonderful album.

Background Jazz.

Talented musicians and enjoyed a lot of this one more than I thought I would

Wicked good. Enough said

Just jazz

Good funky jazz

Some songs were very long. I’m not usually a jazz fan but really enjoyed this one. Favorite song was Maseru

Muutama tosi hyvä biisi

not for me

Very solid jazz

I still don’t get jazz. The last track was kinda cool.

Great jazz album with fun percussion

Puhaltimet kivat ja taitavat kyllä, mutta en saa niiden tarinoista kiinni. Eli jää tylsänksi, joskin kiva pirteäksi.

Jokin tässä on sekä rytmisesti että melodisesti tavallista armollisempaa. Korkea 1.

Wasn’t able to listen fully but sounded v cool

Bad

Loved

good music, but didnt catch me.

I like a lot of jazz, but I do find it either hits the mark or is left floundering. Strangely for me this is neither. Nice background music, doesnt really go anywhere often. Sometimes borders on the ‘80s tv theme tune’ ground, other times it does border on the interesting. But not too much. The more piano based songs are a bit dull, but often picked up when the trumpet comes in. I think its a trumpet anyway. Whatever the instrument is that makes this sound better.

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.

Really pleasant smooth jazz. Started off strong but ended up having had enough just past half way.

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.

Yes, it's jazz alright! Quite enjoyed it, but mostly as background music really. It's difficult to give jazz records a fair score as I'm probably never choosing to listen to it again, and I couldn't pick any song out individually that I enjoyed But overall it's not bad. Probably demonstrating my ignorance here Saying all this, I felt it got worse as it went on and I was thoroughly bored of it by the end....2.5

This was yet another fine enough jazz album but I'm really starting to get fatigue from jazz just like I got fatigue from punk. It also doesn't help that I had a really shitty day today and ended it with this lame album.

Smooth jazz its good just got to be in a certain mood I think

- Hugh Masekela! A major figure in music history who I have very little experience with. - Let me get two things out of the way. One: this is a jazz album, and while I have a better-than-average amount of experience with the genre, I still consider myself a relative neophyte. Two: this is a double album, which means there's a lot to absorb here. Both of these things, separately, would make it more difficult than usual for me to come to any real verdict after one day. Together, they make that basically impossible. So whatever rating I end up giving this will be EXTREMELY preliminary, and not particularly well-informed. With that being said: - Minawa is gorgeous. Just an intensely beautiful piece of music. - The way the instruments start layering back up after the drum solo on Blues For Huey is so brilliant. - There's a delicacy to this album, it doesn't often reach up and grab you the way that, say, Miles Davis' fusion stuff often does. That's not a critique; it really is beautiful music. - Makhaya Ntshoko's work on the drums here is phenomenal

Solid. "Phenix" by Cannonball vibes 4.3

3.4

Smooth jazzzzzzz Vaikka en jazzista niin välitä niin silti ihan hyvää taustamusiikkia. Pidemmän päälle kyllästyttävää Maesha oli jees

Excellent jazz album

Really terrific jazz album. Great beats, fantastic melodies and riffs, and a ton going on. Could be great background music or something to really focus on.

Incredible stuff here. Wonderful lazy groove for a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Wow what a whiplash to get this after NIN. Never change, generator. I think I'm falling for jazz. I don't know if I'm smart or sophisticated enough to exactly *appreciate* jazz to its fullest, but I certainly like the way most of it sounds. It's just fun to chill with. Some jazz blends into the background for me, and this one is no exception, but it definitely pulls me back suddenly with some of the faster and more complex arrangements. This never got boring to me - It's unafraid to suddenly switch up the rhythm and beat, and even threw in some African influenced sounds too. Maseru is especially great! I love its fast and almost chaotic atmosphere. Overall this is a funky, bluesy, jazzy and simply wonderful record. Favourite: Maseru

Jazz is never going to be it for me but this was solid

very groovy and very jazzy. All the songs were really good

pretty nice but didn't stick out that much

Struggle with jazz overall. Not sure I'd listen to this again

Abandoned in favour of some electro

Nice sounds. One to revisit

Not my style of music

"BossaJazzFunk" -My uncle

This was a fun Jaxx album. Definitely something to put on in the background while trying to focus

Hugh masekela Cool album. I liked Nomali. Love the trumpet/ sax harmonies on the Melodys. I like how they left in them joking after the drum solo on Huey’s blues Maesha is cool. The groove in the last song is awesome. Not a fan of the panning on the drum solo though it’s so unnecessary and random. The last few songs are the best. If I had it on vinyl it might listen to side 4 the most.

This didn’t really say anything interesting to me.

I mean…no

Funky. Smooth. Easy listening.

Nothing wrong with a little smooth jazz in your life. You want to make a baby. This is your album. You need to relax in a candle lit bath. Hugh's your man. This man pretty much invented Lofi beats to study to. It's a great album if you need something to just relax and soothe you.

Awesome!

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.

Rating: 7/10

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.

Holy shit. This is fantastic. So glad to know about this.

Just melodies

A wonderful album to put on.

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’

Damn, that is some nice jazz to soothe to.

A seriously good album by an excellent musician

Substantive and enjoyable and excellent overall. The lovely "Minawa", the ebullient "Maseru," the groovily contemplative"Maesha" and the easy swinging "Nomali" are the highlights of a very strong and cohesive set.

First track and the Crisis one were great. Sounds like NPR’s most likely choice to be the house band.

very nice

# 38 : Probably alright if you're into slow trumpet jazz. I am not. Maseru was a bit of alright.

Some funky shit on here, but 10 tracks over 70 mins is a big ask.

Shite

I liked one reviewer’s description of this as soul-jazz. It certainly has a lot of introspection and beautiful moments. Minawa was a highlight. All the players are very strong, but I especially found the piano playing to be fantastic. Loved the instances where the composition turned to a completely solo piano. The mix of cultural influences is also a strong suit, with the players coming from different countries and backgrounds, but they meld it well together. My knowledge of jazz is not as strong as I’d like, but this one was definitely special.

The toy story guy singing country tropes with the support of a big band. I am definitely not jamming to this.

Nomali me encantó.

kaffihús. frekar gott. 3,5.

1- great, energetic start to the record 2- purty 3- chiller, best solos yet 4- in one ear, out the other 5- maybe best track yet 6- piano intro & main tune are great in their own ways 7- basically the drummer’s show off piece 8- more bluesy than track 7 (Blues for Huey), cool, nighttime city vibes 9- groovy, at this part starting to feel the album’s length 10- a party (only vocals in the album I think?), but isn’t so much of a crazy grand finale as what sounds like the bandmates letting loose after a hard day at work HL: “Maseru” (5), “Minawa” (2) “Part of a Whole” (1), “Inner Crisis” (6) July 29, 2023

Pleasant enough, but it's a no.

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

Jazz. No. Enough already.

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.

If this music lived in my home I'd go out for a pack of cigarettes and never come back.

Wow, I had not heard of Hugh Masekela before and boy have I been missing out. This is instantly going on my rotation list

Funky jazz, insane Freeform session.

This was brilliant. Really, really great jazz to spend on an afternoon of work. Favorite track: Inner Crisis

I've never heard of Hugh Masekela before, but I really enjoyed this album. I don't know much about jazz music, so I don't have anything to say about this album from a technical aspect. But, it was really pleasant to listen to, and I can easily see myself listening to it again some day when I want something good to listen to while I'm work.

I wasn't familiar with Masekela. He fits right in with Fela Kuti. Sweet, sweet groves.

Part of a Whole Minawa The Big Apple Unhome

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.

Easy jazzy listening

Excellent album with great playing from all members involved. I am so happy to be exploring more jazz with this project.

I’m afraid this very quickly became background. I was listening to it while working and it was easy to ignore. Didn’t finish it.

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

This is exactly what I needed today. Super into this album.

Long form noodling. Not bad for background music!!

Fella can toot that horn.

Gets a little repetitive given it's length but it's good jazz and the performers are super talented.

Wow was this one album? Felt like it lasted about 7 hours

Great piece of jazz

I liked this quite a bit. It had a different sound to it than the bebop and modal jazz that I'm more familiar with, which I imagine is the South African influence. He can flugelhorn with the best!

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

Väldigt mysig jazz

I don't have a huge frame of reference for afrobeat, but I like the genre in general, and this is a great fusion of 70s jazz with afrobeat. It's a long album (I'm somehow only on song 4, and it feels like I've been listening to it all day). It's not boring, however. There's lots of different moods and variation in the styles, with some songs swinging more toward jazz and others more on the afrobeat side of the fence. A great album to have playing in the background 4/5

Hugh Masekela sits in my head in between Herb Albert and Herbie Hancock, and Home Is Where the Music Is is the leap in sophistication I'm still mourning we never got from Janis Joslin, having just caught up on Pearl. The jazz is accessible but pointed. There's a kinetic momentum that explodes in some songs and even sneaks into his gentler pieces to prevent them from ever feeling too sleepy. Masekala got his foot in the door via wide appeal pop covers like Grazing in the Grass and Aint No Mountain High Enough but he's fully turned the page here, exploring fusion in its nascency and boy is it fertile soil. We get a really wide spread of influences, and the sequencing is spot on - the first and last track of each side are total standouts. Inner Crisis's second gear takes me by surprise, the ending of Maesha is great and unexpected, and then to end the whole thing on the polyrhythmic goat rodeo that is Ingoo Pow Pow...

Good, but runs up against my jazz 3 star wall.

This one was new to me. I was entranced by this one. The fusion of afro-beat and 70s soul works, and I will have to spend more time with this release. Whether it stands the test of time remains to be seen, but it is unbelievably impressive.

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.

FUCK. YES. Yeeeeesssssssssssss I've not heard this before but I love Grr from a decade earlier. This is pure joy, cannot express how much more enjoyable a listen this was than yesterday. Every track just a pleasure, and so warm. Smiles. Right up there with my favourite new listens on this journey.

Good jazz album. I can't say this struck me one way or another but I enjoyed listening to it and would put this on in the background without hesitation.

Bright, cheery, hopeful and spiritual. As Jean-Michel Basquiat once said, “Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” Home Is Where The Music Is decorated my space and time in an otherworldly and positive sense.

Really good! Loved the trumpet on this which makes sense because the artist is the trumpeter.

Overall a very good jazz album with nice songs to listen to, though it does get a bit exhausting towards the middle.

It was ok

so nicee

I found this very enjoyable. It was quite long and dragged at points but the music was always very interesting.

I procrastinated this one because it's a double LP, but it's quite pleasant to listen to. Larry Willis' piano playing in particular is incredible here; are we sure he doesn't have three, maybe four hands? The more I listen to this, the more virtuosic and engaging it sounds. I didn't expect to give it 4 stars, but damn this is a good record.

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.

Yes, enjoyable fusion jazz apart from overlong drum soloing and final vocal song. Good fusion, I like the electric keyboards.

it's too chaotic, I don't linke it much

Nice pleasant jazz. It did sort of fade into the background for me after a little bit, but it was good background music.

I really liked this one, I will enjoy it for a long time to come.

Wicked, funky and smooth jazz/afrobeat album. Lovely bit of business. Best Tracks: Part of a Whole; Nomali; Maesha

It’s just piano music what you would think of in a 60s speak easy kind of place. It’s easy listening just not something I would return for, however it’s better than RAP.

I liked more of the backing music than the main trumpet parts; those were kind of annoying at times. Probably why I don't care for jazz that much. Not bad, just not really my thing I guess.

A fine yet unspectacular fusion album.

Just jazz

first listen decent afro fusion jazz

Ok

Was not ready for this. Wow.

Great background music

I don't jazz enough to know if this is "good", it was rather uninteresting to me

Brilliant.

Not my preference - excellent musicians.

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

sonzao cremoso, jazz muito diferenciado

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.

I first heard of Hugh Masekela a little over a year ago, watching his spirited performance of "Grazing in the Grass" in Questlove's "Summer of Soul". It's a great segment, but it gives no indication of this kind of magic. Three years on, Masekela swung slightly more left-field with "Home Is Where The Music Is", incorporating sounds and styles from his native South Africa alongside American jazz and soul. The result is a driving, dynamic force of nature that rarely suffers under the weight of its 76 minute runtime. Masekela - and his whole ensemble - are on fire from beginning to end. Masekela is the master of his instrument: perhaps the most engaging trumpet player I've ever heard, and I've enjoyed three Miles Davis albums on this list so far. Listen to any number of his solos on "Home Is Where The Music Is" for a first-rate showcase. The rips! The trills! The rapid double-tonguing! Every note is perfectly placed, spaced and graced. I can't even single out any of my favourite examples, because it's all gold, but the talent is evident from three minutes into "Part of a Whole". This isn't just Masekela's show, though: his band are a water-tight group of instrumentalists, from the dazzling ripples of piano opening "Minawa" to the frenetic drum solos in "Blues for Huey" to the bass anchoring "Unhome" (a piece originally written by Masekela's ex-wife, Miriam Makeba). Does all of this top-tier performance translate into a fun, engaging listen? The honest answer is mostly, yes. Sometimes it's plaintive and introspective ("Minawa" is the best example of this). Sometimes there's an effortless, breezy swinging swagger to it ("The Big Apple", "Part of a Whole"). Occasionally there's a lively third-lap-on-Mario-Kart atmosphere ("Maseru") or absolutely breathtaking symphonic scope ("Maesha"). These five tracks were my favourites, but I found the whole album remarkably easy to listen to… though it did soundtrack a lovely walk through central London on a sunny evening, so I may be biased. Still, some of the best jazz I've heard on the list to date.

Not the biggest jazz fan. I want to get into it, and I like a particular sound, but I don’t know enough of it yet to figure out what it is. This was aight tho, stand outs were tracks 3-5. Also liked the drum solo on track 7. Also confirmed this is the father of Sal Masekela. Shout out Sal.

Classic. Great work music

3.5/5. Never would’ve guessed that I’d be listening to South African jazz.

- Not for me - Still looking for an instrumental jazz album that I can actually enjoy

Not my cup of tea but it’s a great album to walk to

Great jazz!

Has it’s time and place but not a fan regularly

Good jazz, liked it a lot

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

amaaaazing!!!!

I don’t usually like 70s jazz, but this was a good album

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.

I love some horns. I love some jazz. Didn’t know Hugh before.

Nice vibes. Heard while going for a walk and it lifted my mood. Loved the parts where the trumpet quivers. Interesting instrumental (except for the last song I think) album.

I'm not usually a jazz fan, but this is quite funky in places, mellow in others - very enjoyable.

Background music

Pretty good, much better than some of the other 'background music' that has been on this list.

It was ok. Not my thing really, but some nice rhythms.

This was new to me, and I loved it. So many different styles were skillfully blended. Proof that jazz is more than just an American artform.

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.

4.5

Smooooooth Jazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 3/5

Yes. More jazz please. That was Awesome. Will listen again.

Elvis never meant shit to me.

If I ever decide to go ahead with that remake of The Merv Griffin Show that I’ve dreamed about for years, waking horrified and sweat-soaked every time, I now know the music to play us into and out of commercial breaks. Hail Cthulhu.

Excellent jazz album. Perfect while driving and also listening at night. Didn’t even know about this musician before but glad this one is on the list!

Jazz is always welcome. I know nothing of Hugh, but he did right by me. Some really cool, compelling tracks on here. Nothing blew me away, but I felt good for the duration. Solid stuff. Favorite tracks: Minawa, The Big Apple, Blues for Huey, Maesha. Album art: Picture of Hugh with some very matter-of-fact framing. Very unassuming, I would never think to listen to this. 4/5

Gorgeous! I haven't heard it before, but I'll definitely add it to my jazz collection.

Nice jazz record. Didn’t enjoy every song but there were some good ones in there.

Awesome Jazz album. It's over an hour long but what jazz album isn't. Thoroughly enjoyed it but didn't care too much for the final song. Score: 80 Art: 40

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.

A few enjoyable moments, but nothing special.

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.

Definitely, one of my favorite Jazz albums ever. Smooth trumpet sounds throughout. I've heard this album at least 100 times in the past couple of years. Favorite tracks: Part of a Whole, Blues For Huey 4/5

Jazz is fresh

I don't mind jazz but usually prefer vocals and the trumpet in jazz a bit too screechy for my ear drums

This is an absolutely superb album. Not familiar with Hugh Masekela, and not an authority on jazz by any means, but this strikes me as being up there with the likes of Miles Davis. A number of tracks veer into jazz-rock territory but the more interesting end of the spectrum! I could listen to this again and again!

Kwaliteit jazz album. Erg blij met deze introductie. Is wel iets wat ik zou aanraden aan iemand die niet van jazz houdt, is ook nog aardig toegankelijk

Again, I don't know a lot about jazz, but this one I liked a lot. The drums and piano especially. Favorite track: Maseru

nice

After three jazz albums in a row I'm feeling a little jazzed out

Some good stuff in there, some parts were just a little bit less to my taste to give it 5 stars.

Soothing. Highlights: Part Of A Whole

Dobry jazzowy album do pracy z nutą afrykańską.

Pleasant enough jazz. I can’t find a deep connection to it, but I would enjoy it during dinner.

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

Preferred to have vocals. Nothing wrong with album just not my cup of tea.

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.

Very cool

I'm sorry, but this was a gigantic waste of my time. I've been slowly warming up to jazz music throughout this musical journey, but this subgenre of boring elevator music that is essentially just one guy playing random piano notes for 76(!!!) minutes, is something I will probably never understand. I can't give this anything but a 1/5. I apologize for my ignorance, but this was basically the musical equivalent of watching paint dry.

Good I mean what do you say? This record really encapsulates 1970s New York in a cinematic way. You can see where Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band get their inspiration. Directly or indirectly cuz this shit sounds like 70s New York.

Never heard of Hugh Masekela until today, and I'm grateful for this experience! Part Of A Whole was a great intro. Lots of dynamic sound was giving me PAO vibes. The second song, Minawa, is a gem that fuels my soul. This is the stuff that warms my heart, encourages me to enjoy life, and allows me to slow down and really feel all there is to feel. In the first half of Minawa, the balance between silence and the peaceful melody of Minawa brought tears to my eyes more than once. I'll definitely listen to this song again next time I go for a walk on a beautiful breezy day. There were a few times throughout the album where it got a bit too "jazzy chaos" for me, but those moments were short-lived and usually endcapped by the theme of the song.

'Where the Music Is' If anyone asked for an introduction into Jazz/Afrobeat music I would exclaim this album. It's digestible in a way that I feel most Jazz can leave me behind. It had a fantastic rhythm, wonderful showcase moments for the talented musicians. I will revisit this one for moments of work, relaxation, cooking, and elevator music.

Wow, so good. I didn't know this guy by name but I'll definitely look for more. This was perfect atmosphere for physical work. It made me feel loose and care-free. Afrofusion jazz has great rhythm and play.

Jazz

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...

If I ever own a fancy Italian restaurant this album is gonna be blasting through those speakers 24/7

Good background music

Right in the middle, good music but not for me !

Funky, uptempo jazz. Good times ahead.

Enjoyable. Minawa is the early standout. Big Apple is dope. Solid jazz record.

When its tight its tight. But its not always. Too much of a good thing

Fun jazz.

A 70s lounge but with someone occasionally stepping on a cat.

Jazz is for decepticons. 1/5

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.

A beautiful, piano and horn driven Jazz album. Soft music for a snowy day or a Sunday drive. Thom Jurek of Allmusic stated: "Home Is Where the Music Is, is a stone spiritual soul-jazz classic, that melds the sound of numerous emerging jazz schools in its pursuit of musical excellence; it succeeds on all counts and is one of the greatest recordings in Hugh Masekela's long career. In a year full of amazing titles, this is still a standout." I couldn’t agree more. The song Minawa was beautiful.

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Some nice sounds at the start, just not my taste Favourite song: didn’t have one

Beautiful

I’ve been trying to avoid giving jazz albums 1s because I don’t like giving genres I just don’t get low scores, but I really did not like this.