Home Is Where The Music Is

If it was 45 min, I would have gave 4 stars. great jazz album but too long.

It's a great jazz album I had never heard of before. I'm glad I discovered it, it had really strong parts. Sadly, these beautiful moments are distributed sporadically on an album, once again, too long and samey.

One of the best Jazz albums I've heard on this list. Really Really enjoyed it. 3.5

Nice enough. But I'm not inthis space yet

Pretty solid.

pleasant jazz, my kids think it sounds like a Peanuts soundtrack

Like other jazz albums, nice to hear but not really fair to compare against popular music so just a standard 3 from me

Hard to rate. Not bad not great.

Soulowy jazz z 72, od postaci o ktorej wczesniej nie slyszalem, a jednak brzmiacej jak cos co dobrze znam, Hugh Masekela jest trebaczem z RPA, ktory jest okreslany ojcem poludniowoafrykanskiego jazzu, co nie dziwi patrzac na dziesiatki albumow ktore wydal w ciagu zycia, na Home Is Where The Music Is gra w piecoosobowym skladzie, gdzie obok trumpeta mozna uslyszec jeszcze klawisze pianinowe lub tez bardziej elektryczne, altowa saksa, gitara basowa i drumsami, wiec setup ciekawy, a jeszcze ciekawsze jest to jak on brzmi, bo niekotre traki brzmia wrecz davisowo z coolowego okresu, wiec afrobeat ktorym jest epitetem uzywanym do okreslania tego albumu czuje sie glownie na zamykajacym ingoo pow-pow, za sprawa wokali, jedynych na 76 minutach calego longpleja, wiec plej byl dosc spory, ale na tyle coolowy, ze sie nie dluzy, z tych 10 utworow najbardziej przemawia do mnie najdluzsza kompozycja albumu, Maesha, autorstwa Caiphusa Semenya, ktory jest odpowiedzialny za wiekszosc utworow na tym krazku, a rowniez jego produkcje, rowniez muzyk z korzeniami w poludniowej afryce, ktory zrobil kariere na zachodzie, bardziej jako kompozytor i producent jak w tym wypadku, anizeli artysta solowy, chociaz jak slucham teraz to okreslenie tego krazka jedynie jako coolowego jazzowania nie oddawaloby tego jak potrafia sie zmieniac te utwory, ktore oscyluja w graniach okolo 9 minut, wiec jest to czas w ktorym piosenka potrafi zrobic prawdziwy rollercoster brzmieniowy, zwlaszcza z tak zywym trebaczem, na plejke leci wspomniana Maesha, chyba wspomniana, bo tytul przywodzi na mysl bardziej zenskie niz meskie skojarzenia, no i soul jakos zawsze mial dla mnie skojarzenia z pieknymi kobietami, wiec ta plyta nie jest tutaj wyjatkiem

This album is the bees knees of jazz. When I want to here jazz, I’m coming here.

Sal's dad! I'm not usually a big fan of jazz but this guy has very obvious chops.

Enjoyed Part of a Whole and some of the more up tempo songs.

This falls into the category of "I don't know enough about jazz to know how good it is." I enjoyed it.

Pleasant enough jazz

If I get many more Jazz albums, my coworkers are going to start buying me mugs that say "I <3 Jazz" and then I'm going to have to use them at work and it's going to become a whole thing and I have 18 more years until I can retire and I don't think I can keep it up that long. This album sounds like the official soundtrack to having a nice lunch with Grandma at the restaurant inside of Lazarus.

I'm not a huge fan of jazz most of the time, but I found this to be surprisingly enjoyable to listen to. Trading in "big band" jazz sounds for a more low-key, instrumental sound made this a nice, easy listen. There was some very beautiful piano work in here, as well.

Funky jazz, some nice trumpet, bass and piano playing

2.9

Jazz, Jazz, Jazz.

Ya like jazz???? Its alright. Not really into 10 minutes solos of any type.

I mean...I enjoyed it somewhat. Definitely had a fun groove to it, and the perfect thing to listen to on a lazy Sunday while doing other things: Chores, going for a walk, etc. But I didn't find it super exciting or unexpected, to be honest. It reminds me a bit of the music that's used as a filler in sitcoms, at least for the first half of the album. That shifts a bit to a much stronger second half, and I don't doubt the artist's overall talent, but I only found this one to be enjoyable to a limit. Love jazz, though. Definitely would enjoy a re-listen, at least a bit.

C'est cool en musique de fond. Aussi beau titre d'album

sympathique mais bon ça s'éternise un ptit peu

I am going middle of the road on this (I'd say3.5 but stuck with whole numbers); love a couple of tracks for sure, and I imagine hearing a lot of this live would up the score but there are a few that stick around for too long for my tastes and then there are some that are amazing, succinct and just perfect listening. Still glad to have found tracks like Inner Crisis, Blues for Huey. Part of a Whole and Maesha are all on my recommend list.

Not a jazzer, but I can dig this man.

It was okay to listen too, not going to make regular rotation

I like this vibe

This is the guy who does "Grazing in the Grass." Fairly traditional, nothing noteworthy or extraordinary here, but he's a skilled jazz player, and I enjoyed the pieces despite the overall length.

Heard this jazz album for the first time - I did not like every song, but when it's good it's very good.

Er langt jazz album udelukkende instrumentalt, men fokus på trompet. Bliver kor langt og for kedeligt og mangler noget sjæl. Også lidt for bopper til min smag

On one side, easy to enjoy and listen to. On another, I just think I don't "get" Jazz.

I can see why it's on the list. This is cohesive jazz that makes sense. Easy instrumental listen.

Generally, a lot of interesting jazzy stuff. Good for background music, but the songs were really really long and it kind of fell off at the end.

An interesting album with some less experimental jazz that was largely enjoyable.

A lot of Jazz

Pretty good. Jazz is still not my favourite genre, but the African influence was clear to hear and very enjoyable. I didn't pick up the names of any songs, so don't know which were my favourite, other than ingoo pow pow (children's song), which was great

круто, круто, круто, круто, не очень круто, круто

This was fine, I don't get Jazz really so if you asked me why this was better than any of the other Jazz I had, I wouldn't have an answer

I liked the variation between tracks. I also like a certain amount of "lazy" playing on the brass, where the squeaky sound adds character. I did think it was used a little excessively in this case, sometimes sounding more like goose calling than music.

A little too much jazz for one listen. No lyrics make for a long listen

Nice for background, didn't capture me actively but didn't drive me away

I like jazz but it's not my favorite

Nice 80s jazz sound

It was an okay listen but not likely to repeat it.

The most straightforward of the jazz albums thus far, striking in comparison to Bitches Brew. Great soundtrack for a city walk, and surprising tribal beats to close

It's nice, but there are more interesting Jazz offerings for me out there.

Not heard this before, nice background sounds though didn't stick in the memory

Some albums need more than a day to appreciate them. Hadn't heard of Hugh Masekela or this album before. Without a doubt he's highly talented. Good vibes. From my one-time listening, it felt like good background music, to work or walk to, or sitting in a coffee shop. "Where's my frappuccino damnit?!"

Jazz club

alright jazz album, i dont get jazz so just not for me

Me gustó para ir subiendo en un elevador interminable

6/10. Pleasant, but dull

Pretty solid jazz fusion, if a little standard for the era IMO. However, there are some lovely standout tracks on here (see: "Inner Crisis"). Tier: B-

Solidia

Peaceful. As always, jazz puts me in a fall and winter mood. Some impressive trumpeting on here. Favorite track: "Inner Crisis"

I actually really enjoyed this one. Big city jazz for sure!

Solid jazz. Precursor to smooth jazz?

Some of it was a bit too slow to me. Got the best and the worst of the genre in my opinion. 2,5 right in the middle

I'm a jazz fan and was excited because I've never heard of this artist or the album. Cool trivia that he played on some early Byrds and Simon and Garfunkel and also toured with Paul Simon on the Graceland tour. This album however is not really an exceptional jazz album. My favorite track was the last one "Ingoo Pow-Pow" and it was a pleasant listen but apart from some historical significance I can't really see why this would be on the list.

Some of these tracks are what I called "rainy day" jazz...which I really like. But even the tracks that aren't my cup of tea are brilliantly played and arranged.

afro-jazz. I didn't expect to like this one much, as I absolutely HATED Bitches Brew, the first Jazz album i had listened to. But I ended up kinda liking it. "Part of a Whole" was really good! "The Big Apple" had a cool theme as well.

The first two numbers are languid, straight-ahead. There's life in the solos, but at ten minutes each my ears start to look for more explicit compositional variety. The Big Apple is much more sparse, with less virtuosity but more counterpoint. The following minutes of music, up to Inner Crisis, are largely similar. There's more space, which I enjoy, but little that's head-turning (the bass emerging at points is the exception). In Crisis, we get some organ on the surface of the texture. Next, the drums get a moment. Still, the percussion is pretty traditional for jazz, and I'm left searching for the advertised Afrobeat. Maesha is the record's crowning achievement, its thematic statement proceeding like something through-composed for jazz orchestra, huge and magnificent. But the organ asserts its freedom once again. The bass tone is as good as it gets, especially as the instrument slides and tries to scream for joy. There's opening-track-quality horn playing, though for far less time. The theme returns in religious bombast. And in the finale we get percussive and vocal variety. The bulk of the music here is not quite to my taste, though the playing is always good. The high points are excellent, but diminished somewhat by the runtime.

jazzy. lots of trumpet

Jazz, good bg music

Very soothing.

Really nice album to listen to.

Didn't get the chance to fully make it through this one - defaults to a 3, I liked what I heard

Before listening to this album I looked it up and was excited that it was described as afrobeat jazz but definitely didn't hear much afrobeat in there. Nice improvisation on the trumpet and really like the richness of the doubled parts, but it doesn't feel that groundbreaking compared to other jazz albums. I'm going to predict that at least one other person's review will describe it as "background music".

Very nice jazz record. Has some great songs, such as "Blue for Huey", but, overall, I think it is a bit too long.

Some nice jazz

Pretty good jazz!

Helt sjukt långa låtar... orkade inte lyssna på fler än 2,5 stycken —> 3/5

My first time in Jo’Burg was just after Apartheid ended. I went out to watch live African jazz. I quite like Hugh. Great easy listening African jazz.

Ambiental

Chill, a bit long winded but I like it.

Un álbum para que tú vida tenga un soundtrack

Amazing musicians on this album, very cool vibes. Jazz trumpet grates on me after a while tho. 6.5/10

Enjoyed this album. Made a journey on the tube and underground a lot more tranquil

First time I’ve enjoyed a jazz album I’d say. Was nice to have in the background.

5.5

Eccentric, early-70s fusion jazz/funk with a healthy dose of blues mixed in. Similar to Herbie Handcock with some very abstract solos, but still a good listen if you're in the mood for jazz that doesn't play by the rules. Also has relatively long songs, on average, since the album is 1hr 16min with only 10 songs. Overall a good listen.

good for ambiance/rainy day

I liked this, but when tracks from some of his other albums came up after this one I found that I liked them more. There was a little more funk to them.

I’m in between a three and a four here, but I’ll stick with a three for this one right now. Love some jazz though, good times

Average Jazz

Ближе к 4. ВЫпринцпе прикольно звучит относильно

Pretty decent jazz. 6/10

7.5

Mmmm jazz. Not my style but had some good songs, trailed a little near the end

Some nice modern jazz

Songs that made me look and ask "what's the name of this one?" The Big Apple Maseru - great piano section w/ double stops & uptempo baseline starting around 4:00 Inner Crisis - great groove Maesha Not a bad album overall, worthy of another listen - particularly the first half where I was a bit distracted. The last song can be skipped, though

Really enjoy working to this album, but I don't think I could sit down and listen to it directly. Apparently this dude ended apartheid with these jams. what have you done with your tuba. -Favorite cuts: Part of a Whole, The Big Apple, Nomali

Excellent musicianship. Truly great playing. Great for background music, or live music, but not something I could listen to continuously for the full album length.

Groovey Blues

Not bad. Lots of sax and piano, no vocals aside from final track

fun jazz time woooo

3 and 1/2

I love this soulful jazz but too many freestyle riffs wreck what is a mostly cohesive record

There were parts I really dug (mostly the trumpet) and parts I really didn't (mostly the alto sax). Some good grooves here. Best track: Maseru

Really beautiful in parts, a little long

5/22 Really good jazz. Standout Tracks: Part of a Whole, Minawa, Unhome, Inner Crisis

Ahhh it's jazz, what can I say? Not a huge fan but I can appreciate the effort that goes into it. And there were a few songs here I actually enjoyed! Too long though, didn't need to be over an hour. 3/5.

Pleasant enough. A little too freeform and hectic jazz for me.

Although this is listed as a jazz and afrobeats album, it’s 90% jazz and one single afrobeat song at the very end of the album. It’s decent jazz but it runs WAY too long with very sparse moments scattered throughout, including one of the worst 5 minute long drum breaks ever. “Part of a Whole” and “Inner Crisis” are good listens, the rest is forgettable. ⭐️⭐️.5

Hard for me to understand how this is distinct from other similar jazz around the same time since I have listened to so little of it. It's good? I don't know that I'll return to it. A few moments I liked, otherwise it felt like everything started kind of subtle, went to 11, then came back down. Rinse repeat.

Apparently 10 minute jazz songs are not my thing. This guy I've never heard of is clearly talented but this album is like someone just dumped the general idea of ADHD and music into a blender.

I really tried and failed to enjoy this album. I understand its importance, I recognize the skill and education put into creating the music, but I cannot in good faith say that I enjoyed any of it. It's very timid and dare I say "careful" jazz. No experimental sound, no attempt at creating something stunning or breathtaking, just jazz per Merriam-Webster's definition. I generally enjoy jazz since it creates beautiful visuals mentally as I hear it. This, however, only painted a still life of fruit. No abstraction, no hyper-realism either. Just a fruit like you would see a college student painting for their mid-term physical media course. I'm going to give it 4 cents to the dime. 4/10 is generous but it's mostly because there's music I've rated lower that is way worse than this.

Quelques envolées intéressantes, sinon juste de quoi ne pas laisser un bar lounge dans le silence.

Just ok

Jazz schmazz

good.

Had its moments but still jazz

Not my favorite though I recognize the skill and talent involved.2 stars

Didn’t do much for me.

This album brought my deepest insecurity front and center…..my general distaste for Jazz. I’ve tried to enjoy Jazz but it never struck a chord with me. It always ends up sounding like elevator music or the atmosphere for an antiseptic coffee shop. My lack of appreciation reminds me of my uncultured youth.

War mir zu durcheinander, zuviel Jazz ist zuviel für mich. Plus viel zu lang.

Okay if you are into piano and horns - all instrumental

I had a late night, and the last thing I needed the next morning was over an hour of jazz trying to put me right back to sleep. I needed something to wake me up, and this definitely wasn’t it. There’s obviously a lot of talent here, and the mix of jazz, African rhythms, and funk gave it more personality than some of the jazz albums I’ve suffered through on this list. But man, this thing just goes on forever. Every time I checked the track list, there seemed to be another long arrangement waiting for me. Maybe I would’ve had more patience for it later in the day. At 7 in the morning after a late night, it basically sounded like a very elaborate lullaby.

Ughhhh... jazz. But I'm not overly mad about it...

I unfortunately can't do 70s jazz. The constant wailing on the brass makes my ears hurt. The way they linger on a note makes me want to commit violence, just begging for it to end. Didn't hate the last song though.

Definitely a genre i never would've picked on my own but I liked it for background music while working

Had a jazz album the other day, really enjoyed it. This one, not so much, just couldn’t engage with it

Minawa and nomali were my favorite. The other songs had too much going on for me to enjoy.

Was good background music or movie music but didn't do much else for me

I have a very narrow notch filter for jazz. While I appreciate good musicianship, this did nothing for me.

Kind of felt like it could've been any other jazz album by any other fella. Didn't grab me like other paragons of jazz did.

I never know how to rate jazz music. I dont know the intricacies. I imagine this is more impressive if you did know the cool stuff

A little too safe for my jazz tastes, it's fine but never excited me

I think i'm not that into Jazz

The playing here is top-notch across the board but the songs themselves are dry and academic, making the whole thing seem more like a technical exercise than anything else.

Nope. I didn’t enjoy this jazz.

Keine Textzeilen Nach erster Recherche ein beeindruckender Mensch, der viel in der Welt, aber vor allem auch auf dem afrikanischen Kontinent unterwegs war und dort seine Spuren hinterlassen hat. Wohl auch eine wichtige Stimme gegen die Apartheid. Musikalisch sagt mir das aber leider gar nicht zu. Das Trompetenspiel ist bestimmt besonders, der Rest ist mir einfach zu repetitiv in seiner angeblichen Freiheit, wie so oft beim rein instrumentalen Jazz weicht es für mich zu sehr von Momenten des angenehmen Hörens in die Hoffnung, dass doch zumindest dieser Part jetzt mal vorbei ist. Hier bin ich dann wohl Banause Teil 2.

It jazz, not my cuppa tea

This made great background music while I cooked dinner but I don’t think it would ever make a decision to ever sit down and listen to this, it’s just too jazzy if that is a thing?

Not objectionable but I got bored and switched off after 49-od minutes

I am very new to jazz music and was expecting to be bored and for this to be more of a background music. However I found a lot of it to be super distracting and attention grabbing. I'm not sure if this is a super good thing because while the melodies caught my attention and energized me some, they did not make me feel super strongly in any way. This album was entertaining but not emotional which is how a lot of the music I familiar with and prefer usually is. I often use music to regulate emotions so I do not see myself putting this on again

Nice music, jazz isn’t for me

great musicians, a bit too long, not enough afrobeat influence

Not my style at all. It feels like a practice session rather than a finished piece of art. The notes hit too hard. I have zero interest in listening to this again. ★★

Немного не моё, но музыка приятная, возможно ещё не дорос до неё ахахах

Part Of A Whole

Some tracks had some very pretty piano. Other than that, smooth jazz is pretty tough to listen to.

Nothing bad, nothing memorable

Yeah, no. I'm not classy enough to fancy me some jazz music I guess.

ei taas

Tää on taas tällasta mistä ei jymmärrä mitään.

Ihan mukavaa taustamusaa autoiluun, mutta ei tästä sillain oikein mitään mieleen jäänyt.

2.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/hugh-masekela/home-is-where-the-music-is/ I really don't care for jazz. Never have, probably never will. That said, this is not bad! Especially as long as the trumpet is not taking the foreground too much (with is of course ironic, seeing as Masekela is the trumpetist).

jazz is great but not for my playlist of lyrical songs. would definitely consider if I loved more funky ambiance songs.

tbf nie and chill for my revish

consigo ver a importância cultural, mas não é pra mim infelizmente

dios mío, tortura China, canciones de 10 minutos sin letra, solo instrumental. Pa tenerla de fondo en plan tienda va bien

No patience for fully instrumental album... Maybe another time

Nah, not my tempo

kind of unsatisfying

Can appreciate the skill, but not my jam. 2.5

4/10 He's playing the fuck outta that trumpet but overall this isn't my type of music.

El jazz no es lo mío

4/10

Good music, however not enjoying. Maybe I'm in the right atmosphere to feel the vibe.

Jazz heavy. Both the good and the bad.

Well idk didn’t quite get to me

This was my first time listening to Hugh Masekela. Some good melodies on here. But overall feels long and uninteresting. What I liked the most about this album is the piano. It has the most interesting solos and does a few incredibly wonderful intros to some of the songs, like “Minawa”, “Inner Crisis” or “Normal”. In the end, I think this is great background music, as I did get quite bored trying to give this an active listen.

Not terrible but not particularly memorable either.

Completely lost on me but would be fine in a restaurant. As an aside, how do people decide what to call instrumentals?

Ahahhhh, Build Mode on Sims. The best mode.

nicht meine liebste Richtung im Jazz

I appreciate the skill of the musicians and the anti-apartheid stance, but this is a bit bland and rambling for me. The final track, which actually sounded like it came from Africa, was the only tune to really engage me. A soft no.

Didn't care for it.

I enjoyed the vibes of some songs, but jazz just really isn’t for me.

This was okay. This is like something I would put on to just blend into the background at a chill party, and not anything I would go out of my way to listen to. I just didn't understand why it was included on this list, as it didn't seem to be special or especially notable based on my research or its overarching influence. I did think "Ingoo Pow-Wow" was a cool merging of sounds and styles.

2/5. i mags einfach nit, aber grundsätzlich is es gut i guess

Awesome jazz album

Vite lassant même si je pense que c’est objectivement bien ?

Its an okey album each song here does its own thing and has its own personality dont think i can give it more than 3 stars, I am not use to this type of jazz or use of instruments need more time and listen to a few more albums to get it

Some songs are good for background music, would never add these to my monthly playlists. First half is definitely better. Last song was the final nail in the coffin…

It's a good jazz album, but not something I'd listen to again.

Never like Masekela's sound. Can't explain why.

May god strike me dead for disliking jazz music so strongly...

Felt like perfect cafe background music

There’s parts of this I really liked and parts that were too much for me. About double the length it needs to be so probably won’t come back to this vs. other jazz albums I’ve enjoyed

The combination of keyboard, drums and trumpet on this album made me think of the incidental music on the Peanuts cartoons from the 60s and 70s. And again I understand the joy that this music brings to people. But I find it a little bit too franetic and noodling. This is especially demonstrated in the track "Blues for Huey". With the only saving grace (for me) in this track being the person who says laughingly "Call an ambulance". Its not really for me. (2.125)

It sounded like he had his band lay down a beat and he just noodled over it after hitting record.

I ended up listening to Home Is Where the Music Is almost like background music. It’s easy to listen to, but it didn’t really stay with me.

My jazz tastes are hard to pin down. While I like Maekela, I grow tired of the songs and the album. Small doses for me, I suppose.

Technically impressive, fantastic groove and vibe, proper jazz fun I just don't know I'f I'll come back to this again - it's not you, it's me

löwenzahn intro

Esta muy bien el disco pero bueno, es algo muy de nicho en el que no estoy interiorizada y termine salteando algunas canciones porque ya no me generaba nada. No creo que sea malo, simplemente no para mi. Y estoy abierta a nuevas experiencias.

nothing much, really Today's bird: idk actually and im too lazy to search

2 3/4

It’s cool, he’s certainly an excellent musician but it’s just not what I would choose to listen to.

Not really my jam.

Not my genre, but the music was very pleasant in some places. Yet another coffee shop album. The album did drag after a while.

I've never really liked Jazz much. This album was as much of a disappointment as I expected.

This album made me realize that I think trumpets can be annoying. This was fine for what it was, but a lot of the songs were just longer than was necessary. I can just personally handle jazz in small doses.

I really want to be able to enjoy jazz. I just can’t.

Voting on enjoyment only I was really just yearning for some vocals for a lot of this unfortunately. Shout out to come nice drums end of Blues for Huey though which refocused my attention which had wandered

I kinda enjoyed the last song so it was a shame it took 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to it. Took me a few attempts to get through the album. Had to stop after track 3 for an hour’s respite because it felt like I was torturing my family at dinner

Not my vibe

Take out and cantaloup island are five, other good jazz albums are 4 and this one is a solid 2+ and I the trumpets are weirdly unenjoying.

Not my thing. I’m not a jazz fan. I can see great skill on display, so 2 stars.

Not bad just a bit lost on me. And a bit long.

Nice enough but found the tracks a bit on the long and repetitive side

jazzy

No, Barry B. Benson, I do not like jazz.

Il y a des jours, dans ce projet titanesque des "1001 albums à écouter avant de clamser", où l'on s'installe confortablement, prêt à prendre une claque monumentale. Et puis, il y a les autres jours... Les jours comme aujourd'hui où l'on se heurte à un mur. Pas un mur de son abrasif, pas un mur d'incompréhension face à une œuvre d'avant-garde trop complexe ou indigeste. Non, le pire des murs : un mur de politesse absolue. Un truc tellement lisse, capitonné et propret qu'on glisse dessus sans jamais pouvoir s'y accrocher. C'est exactement l'expérience que je viens de vivre en m'envoyant Home Is Where The Music Is de Hugh Masekela, sorti en 1972. On ne va pas se mentir d'entrée de jeu, et il faut rendre à César ce qui lui appartient : ce n'est pas une purge innommable. Si je devais juger ce disque uniquement sur des critères purement cliniques, techniques ou académiques, il n'y aurait strictement rien à en redire. C'est propre, c'est même putain de propre. La production est impeccable, taillée sur mesure pour ne froisser personne. Chaque instrument est exactement à sa place, le mixage est d'une clarté absolue, les cuivres brillent sans jamais agresser le moindre tympan, et la section rythmique fait le job avec le sérieux inébranlable d'un horloger suisse. C'est du jazz, indéniablement, exécuté par des mecs qui savent lire une partition et tenir leur instrument. Mais voilà le gros, l'énorme problème en ce qui me concerne : c'est le genre de jazz qui m'emmerde profondément. J'ai juste pas accroché, pas une seule foutue seconde. Pendant toute l'écoute de ce double album, j'ai attendu. J'ai attendu l'étincelle qui allait foutre le feu aux poudres. J'ai guetté le dérapage, le moment où cette mécanique parfaitement huilée allait enfin dérailler, ne serait-ce qu'un peu, pour laisser transparaître un sentiment brut, une émotion non filtrée. Mais rien n'est venu, que dalle, le calme plat du début à la fin. Hugh Masekela est une légende, on est tous d'accord là-dessus. Le type est un monument incontestable de la musique sud-africaine. En 1972, quand cet album voit le jour, le gars est en exil. L'Apartheid fait rage dans son pays natal, il est installé à l'étranger, loin de ses racines, et il enregistre ce disque entouré de pointures absolues. Le titre lui-même, Home Is Where The Music Is, porte en lui une charge politique, une mélancolie évidente et un poids humain lourd de sens. Le concept sur le papier est fort, la démarche artistique est belle, poignante même. Mais bordel de merde, une fois que la musique démarre, où est passée l'urgence ? Où est la rage, la tristesse, la déchirure de l'exil que le titre promet ? Au lieu de la tension dramatique qu'on est en droit d'espérer d'un tel déracinement, on se retrouve englouti sous une espèce de jazz-funk-soul fusionné, tellement poli, inoffensif et arrondi aux angles qu'il en devient anesthésiant. C'est de la musique de salon haut de gamme, le genre de bande-son qu'on imaginerait très bien tourner en boucle dans le lobby d'un hôtel quatre étoiles pour hommes d'affaires fatigués en transit, ou dans une boutique de fringues hors de prix. C'est chaleureux, oui, on ne peut pas lui enlever ça. Mais c'est d'une chaleur de radiateur électrique soufflant, pas celle, brûlante et imprévisible, d'un feu de camp en pleine nuit. Je sais pertinemment que pour beaucoup de critiques de l'époque, cet album est un classique intouchable, ce qui explique sa présence dans cette foutue liste. Les pontes ont salué le groove, le savant mélange des influences africaines avec le jazz américain contemporain. Et oui, il y a du beau monde au générique : Dudu Pukwana est là au saxo, Larry Willis au piano électrique balance des accords qui fleurent bon les seventies à plein nez. Les solos de Masekela à la trompette sont, d'un point de vue purement technique, irréprochables. Il souffle avec une fluidité insolente qui force le respect. Mais le respect, les gars, ça ne suffit pas à faire un grand moment de musique. La technique sans la sueur, sans le risque, ça m'endort. Je cherche le frisson, je cherche le putain de danger. Et ici, le danger est resté sagement au vestiaire, avec son ticket bien plié dans la poche du manteau. On a constamment l'impression d'écouter une jam session entre musiciens virtuoses qui jouent en chaussons de velours, avec un verre de cognac hors d'âge à la main, sans jamais transpirer une seule goutte. Les morceaux s'étirent en longueur – certains dépassent allègrement les huit minutes – mais ils ne vont absolument nulle part. Ils tournent en rond sur un groove mid-tempo confortable, se contentant de tapisser élégamment le fond de la pièce. À aucun moment la musique ne te prend au collet, ne te bouscule pour te dire "Écoute-moi !". Et c'est exactement ça, cette absence totale de prise de risque émotionnelle, qui justifie mon misérable 2 sur 5. Attention, comprenez-moi bien : ce n'est pas la note d'un album raté, ce serait intellectuellement malhonnête de dire ça. C'est la note punitive d'un album qui m'a laissé totalement de marbre, froid comme une pierre. C'est la note de l'ennui courtois. Je préfère mille fois, un disque bancal, mal enregistré au fond d'une cave humide, mais qui crache ses poumons et qui essaie désespérément de dire quelque chose avec ses tripes, plutôt qu'une énième démonstration de savoir-faire chirurgicale, tiède et complaisante. Je respecte le parcours du bonhomme, l'histoire et le poids politique derrière l'homme. Je respecte la maîtrise absolue des musiciens présents sur ces pistes. Mais l'art, le vrai, ce qui fait que la musique nous transcende, ce n'est pas juste un concours de virtuosité ou un étalage de bon goût. C'est une connexion et là, le courant n'est jamais passé. Le câble était purement et simplement débranché. Au bout de la troisième piste, je me surprenais déjà à regarder l'heure et à penser à ma liste de courses. À la fin de l'album, j'avais instantanément oublié la première note. Aussitôt écouté, aussitôt rangé sur l'étagère, et je mets ma main à couper qu'il n'en sortira plus jamais de mon vivant. Bilan des courses : un album qui coche absolument toutes les cases du "bon goût" officiel des années 70, mais qui manque cruellement de sel, de crasse et de vie. Un coup dans l'eau magistral. On passe à la suite.

??? Jazzy Jazzy . c

1: Maesha 2: The Big Apple 3: Blues for Huey

Gorgeous but I'm not a jazz kind of girl...

Not really my thing

Its ok… :/ Not my favorite jazzy horny-horn album. I appreciate the trumpet talent.

I have realised that I am not the biggest Jazz fan, however this album has some sleeper hits that I cannot recommend it enough

Eh, he can play but how boring? Afrobeat? I just hear a slow piano. Expected something more engaging. This was just dull. Should have all been like the children's song at the end.

The 1001 Project continues to expand my musical horizons in multiple ways that make me think "Ok, that happened." Sloth-paced Jazz is another one to add to the list of 'not my thing'.

not my vibe

Not something I can sit down with the intent to listen to, but excellent background music for tasks around the house. Possibly a genre I need to find a more robust appreciation for.

A little noisy and “amelodic”—even for jazz, surprisingly—but still a couple stand-outs buried within.

2.5 stars I like some jazz music. I like some jazz music a lot. this album didn't do much for me. I didn't find it all that interesting. It was nice to have on in the background, I suppose. Favorite track: Minawa

Interesting and worth the background music. I don't know enough about the genre to judge, but held enough of my interest to get at least a 2.

Fine

Dnf- not a fan of jazz

it IS a Jazz Album you know

Just can’t with this. It’s probably good for what it is.

I can tell this is objectively good, I just am not a jazz lover. Certain screechy horn sounds make me feel violent.

There is only so much saxophone soloing I can take

Just a bit too jazy for me.

great drums, some cool moments but I don't feel it that much apart from that

Det var musik

I highly dislike jazz, this recommendation helped me only with making sure I do. For that reason I can't comment on quality.

Jazz is cool and all, but I got really bored about halfway through.

Part of a whole takes a while to get going, but once it loosened up a bit i quite enjoyed it. Minawa feels far too straight for my liking and is therefore quite dull The jazz drum is the star of the big apple. Maseru offers a real freak out performance which finally offers some life, even of it ventures into “recorded in front of a live studio audience territory”. Inexplicably it goes into a dull piano break before the bass appears and speeds things along. Inner crisis hits like a good old police drama theme. Ingoo pow pow adds some vocals of sorts, but does nothing to raise the enjoyment levels. Overall just a fairly dull album

Whilst I continue to dislike jazz, this at least was somewhat more bearable than most of the other jazz stuff that has been forced on me.

I am going to have listened to more jazz during this project than I have during the entirety of the rest of my life. I'm genuinely starting to wonder what proportion of this list is jazz, because it's beginning to feel like I'm never more than 4 days away from more jazz. And, at best, I'm indifferent to it. The piano section in the first track is horrible, which is a shame as I wasn't hating the rest. I was somewhat surprised by the noise that I assume was a saxophone, but sounded like a swanee whistle. When your song is nearly 10 minutes long, you do not need a fade out ending. After that I zoned out a bit, though I did quite like (at least bits of) Nomali. I still don't really find jazz that engaging though, so we're back to some more low scores: 2/5

A little too meandering for me overall but definitely a nice listen.

60/1001 First listen. Five seconds in and I’m giving this a 3/10 (tolerable). In fact I’m writing this review now. If anything changes in the next hour and fifteen minutes I’ll update my rating. I have an open mind but jazz? 3/10

Tooooo long, but a pleasant sound nonetheless 4/10 Favourite track: N/A

It just never ends

My initial impression of "Home Is Where The Music Is" was promising, especially the opening track 'Part of a Whole' that starts with some lovely piano work. However, this appeal quickly faded. By the three-minute mark, the track felt aimless and overextended. This trend continued with subsequent tracks, like 'Minawa', where the shift from piano to trumpet failed to capture my interest. At 76 minutes, the album's lack of brevity made the listening experience attritional rather than engaging; a feeling of indulgence that soon became tiresome, reinforcing my suspicion that Jazz is not my genre. Apologies to the Jazz aficionados but for me this was a disappointing two-star experience. 1 "Part of a Whole" (2/5) 2 "Minawa" (2/5) 3 "The Big Apple" (2/5) 4 "Unhomé" (1/5) 5 "Maseru" (2/5) 6 "Inner Crisis" (2/5) 7 "Blues for Huey" (1/5) 8 "Nomali" (2/5) 9 "Maesha" (2/5) 10 "Ingoo Pow-Pow" (Children's Song) (1/5) Total - 17 Average - 1.7 174/1001 95/174 albums reviewed were new to me.

I just… really don’t like Jazz apparently

Music for playing quietly in the background. In a coffee shop or cocktail bar. Maybe an elevator. Not a bad album if you like that sort of thing. Not something I'd actively have chosen for myself and I doubt I'll listen again, unless im in a very spoecific mood. I did not enjoy. Found myself actually hoping that it would end by the time the last track started. One more song!!!! too bad it was over 6 minutes long. but surprisingky the last track is the most interesting of all.

Säkert bra

There's a lot more jazz on this list than I expected. It's really cementing my dislike for the genre.

Couldn't find the write up on this one. Must have been in an early version of 1,001. Pretty neutral on it. I did find myself checking, "is this over yet?" many times hence the lower rating.

- Strongly appreciate his activism. - I’m not into jazz, but this album's pretty inoffensive and palatable as far as jazz goes because there is a fairly strong melodic core to the songs, but I don’t think I’ll ever reach for it. - I’m not into the tone of the trumpet/flugelhorn… it isn’t as smooth as I like - it can feel muddy (not precise enough) and rough/scratchy. I also find that it’s so much more forward than anything else, so it ruins the songs for me. - The piano tone is nice, though. - Why does every song have to be so long? - Nomali is pretty.

Apparently I don’t like jazz.

76 minutes of jazz. I'd have worn a nicer wristwatch if I'd known how long I was going to spend staring at it today.

This challenge has really reinforced something I already suspected before starting it nearly two years ago: I genuinely struggle with jazz. And this album was no different. It’s long, repetitive, and doesn’t offer much variety to pull me in. The Afrobeat infusion does add some energy and makes parts of it more engaging, but overall it’s not something I’d return to. Favourite track: Honestly, I couldn’t pick one – it all blends together for me. Least favourite track: “Ingoo Pow Pow” felt like a complete and utter mess. Album artwork: A classy cover, at least.

This project is making me realize that I don't really like trumpet music that much

No idea why this and not any other random jazz album. It was fine and groovy in parts. It had weird trumpet pageantry in others that seemed a better fit for high school drama class.

Not such a great idea to listen to this album back to back with Miles Davis, left it sounded pretty bland, even after In a Silent Way which is a pretty laid back Miles album, Miles is never bland. Every now and then I started getting excited about some of the builds after the solo sections, but never the solos themselves. Not my day to meet Hugh Masekela.

Yazz

Add another jazz album added to the list lol it was alright just not my cup of teas lol

Just really long, enjoyed some elements but like 70 minutes is just two much for this type of music. 2 stars

Wow I hate jazz.

Boring, couldn’t get into it

‘One thing I’ve learnt from 1001 is that I can’t really handle Jazz in most forms.’ This is the most liked review for this and I think it reflects my opinions exactly.

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Heidenheim. Stinklangweilig.

Just kind of bland Best Song: The Big Apple Rating: 4.5/10 Stars: 2

Not super into it :(

Good album. Competant jazz with African flourishes. The African bits are the most impassioned and interesting. The jazz is pretty ordinary though. Last track the best. Probably was groundbreaking for jazz listeners at the time but so kuedos for that but modern jazz listeners will have heard this territory explored more adventurously with better results

Not in the jazz mood today. 2/5

- Jazz & Afrobeat album - It's a nice jazz album, and clearly lots of talent is present, I'm just not sure no-vocals jazz is really for me - Was difficult for me to get into, but would be good study/background music

I don't know what this is or why it's on here. It says he was at the forefront of blending jazz and world music but I only hear smooth jazz. It's not offensive just a bit boring, belongs in an elevator.

It's jazz - horns and there's a piano. No thank you.

Run of the mill jazz. The Big Apple was the highlight for me. 2.4 outta 5

Prefer his other stuff

eh.

Jazz. The horny kind.

Meh

Started yesterday and listened to about half. Didn’t annoy me as much as other 1’s, and wasn’t unlistenable. Certainly better than Miles’ first offering. Just about a 2.

With instrumental jazz, my approach is now to listen to a song and decide whether it's a 1 (annoying) or 2 (boring). Congratulations to Hugh on his well-earned 2 stars

Didnt mind some of it

Jazz is very much not my cup of tea, background music at its finest

Litt for masete etter min smak

not a fan

Good, nothing that blew me away like the 1952 miles Davis birth of the cool but what my untrained ear would say as standard jazz.

Nice background music, enjoyed more than I expected, however, not something I could see myself putting on again. 2.5/10

More of a reflection on me then the album

I listen to my daily albums first thing with a cup of coffee. In that setting this album is fine as background noise to get your day started but can’t imagine ever choosing to listen to this again. Or any jazz album for that matter. Far too many of them on this list.

Jazz, not much more to say

I used to really like that kind of jazz, I guess I outgrew it, it is just irritating noise now

I can't lie, despite the talent this bored the crap out of me. My band kid heart did enjoy the musicianship, but this album was far too long. By the end I was just really over it. Jazz in small doses is fine by me, but this was really just overdoing it. Not for me.

It's very long. I'm sure it's very good but if truth be known I would never listen to a jazz album.

Too jazzy?

Decent but not my style

Very good but think I've heard recent stuff like this so didn't hit as hard as the Fela Kuti album did. I'm glad to deposit his name & sound to my memory bank.

Wavered between a 2 and 3 star for this as like all very long albums the songs were hit and miss. The last song pushed it down, but there were a few pleasant listens.

Pleasant background music. Not my cup of tea usually though

Har ikke knekt jazz-koden ennå. Enten full sprut av ikke planlagte trompetlyder eller kun pusting på bassen. Hva skjera.

Opening track got me hooked thinking this album would be great, and some subsequent tracks kept it going for me, but then I slowly got bored and was really bored by the time Maesha was on.

Decent album. I like his version of Grazing in the Grass

Love the doubling horns and other brass playfulness. Love that they tend to somewhat start and finish a song, not getting (too) lost in solos, although towards the end of the album it starts falling more and more into the 'annoying jazz tricks' pit for me. For example in 'Blues for Huey' an icky long drum solo. The songs tend to have an emotional story arc, which I appreciate. Virtuosity is not the point. I still don't find instrumental jazz interesting enough to sit through an entire album. But in the right time and place, this could be ok.

A bit on the experimental side of jazz

Jazzy and contemporary art of music. Piano is bringing like a whole Orchestra into it. Good for relaxing vibes with reading.

High quality Afro-jazz. I'm not a big fan of jazz but this is almost good enough for me to carve out an exception for a few of the songs.

Not unpleasant. Very long. Not particularly engaging.

I'm too pleb for this

It’s not great driving to work at 8am music, but it is good jazzy music to put on while making dinner. It’s also pretty long.

Bar Schach Atmosphäre schnell eintönig

Ugh, jazz.