Home Is Where The Music Is by Hugh Masekela

Home Is Where The Music Is

Hugh Masekela

3.35
Rating
26714
Votes
1
5%
2
15%
3
34%
4
33%
5
13%
Distribution

Reviews (page 7 of 13)

Part of a Whole reminds me of Sim City. Nice.

Album cover doesn't give too much of a clue about what's inside. Some kind of not too crazy jazz maybe? Wait, does he have a trumpet? Ok yeah, definitely expecting something nice and jazzy. Yep track list and song lengths confirm my suspicions. At 1 hour 16 min I hope it's good. Here we go! Yep, nice bright horn driven jazz, medium chill with some soul. Basic horn, sax, piano, guitar, drums. Engaging melodies interleaved with solos in a traditional format that's easy to wrap my head around. By turns catchy, pretty, melancholy, and technically impressive; all of it interesting but accessible. Loving this vibe, just the right energy level for me right now. Great stuff. I'm sure I'll be back to visit often.

I always had Hugh Masekela down as an upbeat afro-jazz style artist, but this being one of his earlier albums its interesting to see his roots began in slow jazz. Almost reminicent of Dizzy Gillespie with the focus on the trumpet and interesting motifs. A very enjoyable album, mixing mood and speeds across the entire album.

Fun to listen to. Would for sure listen again.

Something of a classic. I have a sneaky suspicion it'll grow on me even more. An unexpected gem.

I really like the piano playing. I don't listen to jazz a lot but in my opinion this is a good album.

I really enjoyed this one… well compared to the jazz album from a few weeks ago. It’s trying to hush mega leak- this jazz thing is alright

Ils m'ont perdu sur du 4/4, bon travail.

I enjoyed the heck out of this one. Thirty seconds into Parts of a Whole, they had me. I loved the unison trumpets and how the style borrowed a lot from American jazz yet was different from what I would expect in the genre.

For someone like me who doesn't quite "get" jazz, this was great.

First track is a fire-breathing monster. Wild, yet controlled and soulful - just my favourite kind of jazz. On first listen, the rest of the album was a bit of a come down. Now I've revisited a few times, actually I'm loving almost the whole record. Great compositions, great passionate musicianship, and a few African sounds coming in (though these aren't uncommon in American soul jazz anyway). My only complaint is the final track, which I don't find a satisfying way of rounding off an album that is already 70 minutes long by that point. Overall, highly recommend this. 4.5*

pretty slick, hugh's got a very unique sound on his trumpet like. it's nice.

This album exists in the space between enjoyability and innovation. First of all, the album is very accessible and has a great groove. The bass lines stand out to me the most aside from the trumpet and flugelhorn. This music is infused with a healthy dose of soul making this album a sort of fusion more than straight jazz. This album still features Miles Davis like passages and modal jazz chord changes that appeal to jazz snobs. Overall a great album.

Good jazz album.

Knew nothing about him. Now I want know more. What a cool album.

Ktebt 4 Saf7at Men 3l Bouheli Mte3 Dostoevsky. Still Sick As A Mofucka. Probably Getting Depressed. I Slept For Like 19 Hours

Very nice jazz album. Not blown away enough to give it 5 stars, but the overall sound of the ensemble is very good and there are some great moments, for example when the funky electric piano kicks in.

Enjoyable, though not world-changing.

Like this album and his music now, back in ‘72 when I was a Black Sabbath devotee..NOT!!!…times and tastes change…real fine listening

If it's possible to divide all Jazz into three categories, "Hot", "Cool", and "What Time Does The Tune Start", as my mom does, then this falls squarely into "Cool"... 😎 A very pleasant listen, and I suspect repeated plays would reveal more and more each time. Fave track - "Minawa" maybe, or "Unhome"...

Bom instrumental

A cool mix of jazz and afrobeat. Pretty solid arrangements throughout, and Hugh has a great time on the trumpet. I liked this a lot.

Really liked this. Funky jazzy vibes with a dose of sunshine. Great tunes.

Jazzy blessings that are almost instrumental Chicago tracks at times. Fun!

I've always wanted to like jazz but never really known where to start. Turns out this was it. I like jazz now.

Talent everywhere on this album. What a wonderful sound. Hypnotic, life affirming jazz.

Afro jazz-funk, NICE!

4.0 - Subtly fuses Afrobeat and jazz, leaning much more heavily on the latter. A warm and inviting sound that showcases skilled electric piano, trumpet and drums. Standouts: "Part of a Whole", "Blues for Huey", "Maesha" and "Ingoo Pow-Pow."

A wonderful album. Very much in the style of Miles Davis Prestige years; Cooking, Working, etc.... I really enjoyed this album and plan to listen to it tomorrow again. 4 🌟

Very good liked it quite a bit. Nice melodies and good rhythms. Rating: 8/10

-The piano and horns be groovin' in "Part Of A Whole." The drumming really picks up in some spots, and the trumpet too -"Minawa" sounded like "Love Reign O'er Me" with the rain sounding piano, and then "Charlie Brown" for a second -Generally solid jazz-y stuff. I'll put it on my study playlist

Me sorprendió mucho por lo bueno que es. Lo volveré a escuchar.

Perfectly lovely jazz.

This was some really great jazz, really pleasant and ACCESSIBLE. I would say anyway. The music felt very lyrical, but didn't feel like it was missing anything

Perky jazz. Very NYC.

Really nice start. Overall beautiful, especially Ninawa. Towards the end more "fanfare" and other music. Doesn't really fit the album.

Nice album, although I'm not a big fan of the last 2 songs.

Beautiful music and voice

“Home is Where the Music Is” by Hugh Masekela (1972) Music lovers may be familiar with ‘African Jazz’ trumpeter Hugh Masekela from his pop hit “Grazing in the Grass” (1968) (which, incidentally, has the most virtuoso cowbell performance ever). Or more internationally engaged listeners may know his anti-apartheid protest song “Soweto Blues”, or his political anthem “Bring Him Back Home” (the “Him” being Nelson Mandela, that is). But on this album, the title “Home is Where the Music Is” reminds us that the South African Hugh Masekela was unable to pursue a career in his home country because of apartheid. In 1960, after the Sharpeville massacre, South African authorities selectively banned “gatherings of ten or more” people in the townships, effectively killing the career of an aspiring jazz musician (illustrating what happens when governments prohibit freedom of assembly in the guise of “public safety”). So Masekela left South Africa and became an international agent of jazz, soul, and social justice. On this record, Masekela successfully resists the temptation to hog the spotlight, thereby revealing the not inconsiderable talents of other members of his jazz ensemble. Pianist Larry Willis is exquisite (the first 2:23 of “Minawa” would make Franz Liszt proud). Drummer Makhaya Ntshoko has innovative rhythms and percussive colorings for every mood (with shining solos on “Blues for Huey”, the end of which contains [almost] the only lyric on the album: “Call an ambulance!” You’ll laugh out loud.) But when Masekela steps up with brass, it’s breathtaking. His pitch-approximating approach to melodies, especially in duet phrases with alto saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, requires some getting used to. But Masekela’s languid vibrato, piercing staccato, double-tonguing, lip bends, trills, mini-slurs and dips are entrancing. What he lacks in range he more than makes up for in mellifluous resonance and flair. “Unhomé” is some of the saddest music you’ll ever hear. Yet “Maseru” grooves, swings, and otherwise romps through jazz progressions that are dazzling. If you’re unfamiliar with jazz, please, please listen to this track for its sheer entertainment value. Hope it hooks ya. The most ‘African’ track is the closing children’s song “Ingoo-Pow-Pow”, delivered with such humorous drama, that I’d love to know what in the world they’re saying to the kids (before playing it for my grandchildren!). The only significant weakness here is that bassist Eddie Gomez seems to be intent on ‘lifting’ the group’s pitch throughout the album. In an ensemble that revels in the “flats”, Gomez seems to be pushing the “sharps”. I hope it’s not just my faulty aging ears. This is good music for all humanity, folks, especially for “gatherings of ten or more”. I don’t give a damn which governments don’t think so. 4/5

really enjoyable, but it didn’t quite hold my attention through the (pretty long) runtime. every instrumentalist on here had some stellar performances. 7/10

I liked it but it was pretty long. 8/10

Good Jazz album. 4

A lengthy album but manages to stay interesting and enjoyable throughout

digging it so far. -1 star for being a little too brassy. its funny how easy it is for an all instrumental piece to be my jam. last song is in an african language and is stressful.

An absolutely awesome soul-jazz album. Groovy, a little funky, and a lot of soul all throughout give the record a cool lean against more traditional jazz albums. The music goes a long way in making you feel it, and you can also groove to it effortlessly.

Good listening, not blow me away great, but good

Pretty good stuff, real nice to chill to, but way too long of an album, especially since there's not a ton of variety going on. Says the guy who likes metal where every song is the same.

straight ahead jazz. nice and warm mixing style. some interesting instrumentation. big fan of the twang and thunk of the drum tones here. an instant recommendation if you already like this genre.

I'm not nearly as knowledgable about jazz as I should be considering I played a decent amount of it in highschool. So I don't have the ability to really compare this to jazz of the era, or much else altogether. But I did really enjoy this album. I'd like to start listening to more jazz, and I would certainly consider Hugh Masekela as an artist to listen to more of as I get further into jazz.

Impressive

A very cool album.

A wonderful album. Very much in the style of Miles Davis Prestige years; Cooking, Working, etc.... I really enjoyed this album and plan to listen to it tomorrow again. 4 🌟

This will be a new staple in the house! Loved it

Jesus fucking christ, this man can play. Whoever's on the keys is a fucking god. // Favs: Minawa / The Big Apple / Maseru Score: Decent 4

A joy to listen to, fun from start to end. Loved the overt african vibes towards the end too.

From the first notes of the first track I knew I’d like it. I’ve listened to music by Hugh Masekela in when he passed away in 2018, don't recall if I listened to this particular album. Probably going to put this into my rotation.

Super cool jazz

Really nice, pleasant blues (jazz...Idk) music to listen.

Jaaazzzz

Dit was eventjes tot rust komen, maar heel af en toe wat langdradig

Like a Dutch prostitute shitting down the back of my neck, as I smoke a cigar and read short stories about medieval torture. The best days of my life.

Afro jazz, un album exquisito.

On par with Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" in terms of sound and scope.

Nice and cozy jazz, but with a bit of avantgarde vibes.

Wish there were a little bit more standout moments but overall was a really engaging listen and can see it being groundbreaking at the time

Me gustó, sobre todo el solo de batería en Bluess for Huey, pero no tengo mucho que decir en esta ocasión. Supongo que por no saber de teoría musical, lol. En verdad a veces no entiendo este estilo de jazz, me parece sumamente técnico y a la vez como si se equivocaran a media canción y les valiera verga y siguen tocando, pero pues npi donde o cuando. Mood: fumando elegante y pretenciosamente un cigarro hecho por mi mismo en un barcito de Nueva York. Mood: ...

I like this style of post-bop-ish-borrowing-from-the-less-structured-60s-without-going-all-Ornette-Colman-on-us jazz. But, do I have to compare it to the 1001 jazz albums we must listen to before we die? I wouldn't have known it was Hugh Masekela until the last song. But I do like it. It's better than the pop covers he did in the 60s but I think the music he put out later in the decade was more influential (believe I said the same thing about JB). If the 10 point scale wasn't narrowly defeated yesterday I'd give this a solid 7.

Great! Good chill album to put on background

Jazz and good for jazz. But I don't like jazz

8/10 bueno para cierto mood

Como de jazz conozco prácticamente nada (si acaso sé algo de Davis, Ellington o Armstrong), solamente añadiré que disfruté escuchar este disco y mencionaré mis canciones favoritas. "Minawa" me dio un confort melancólico que necesitaba hoy, de ahí "Unhome", la vertiginosidad de "Inner Crisis" y esa batería del minuto final de "Blues for Huey". El final es festivo, como un gran cierre, me pareció un discazo y quiero creer que es jazz de calidad. Si acaso de repente estoy muy acostumbrado a asociarlo con música de evento formal y eso no me gusta tanto. No tengo mucho más que añadir. 8.5/10

Nice jazz album (sounds like jazz to me). I can see the influence the album had for the movie Whiplash by Damien Chazelle

Really solid jazz album. Not much more I can say Favorite tracks: “Part of a Whole” and “Maseru”

Ya like jazz?

More instrumental jazz. I enjoyed it, but I couldn't tell the difference between this, Miles Davis, or Thelonius Monk.

Really enjoyed this. Cool jazz, with occasional synth vibes.

Really upbeat nice jazz

This was a fantastic album. Completely new to me but will be listening again very soon

Very nice and moody, all the songs feel like one big song and I like that.

Alternates between: Funky, violent, groovy, mournful, cinematic, and bluesy. Like late-era Coltrane + Funk with 70’s instrumentation.

I liked this one a lot in some spots and not as much in other spots. I’m not a huge fan of the jazz improv thing where a soloist goes on and on and on and on… But I generally liked it.

All instrumental experimental jazz- very technical. Had a feel of a film noir detective movie. Really enjoyed the drum solo on “blues for Huey” and the weird twist of “ingo pow-pow” at the end

This was a fun one. I feel like I need a few more listens to soak it in though.

I don’t know if it was due to the inauguration and us having a new president, but this album made me feel great, like the sun was shining a little brighter.

Didn’t listen so listened to Camelphats album instead

Lekker jazzy, goede wakker worden muziek

Thought this was great, usual I'm too dumb for jazz caveats I can probably take as read from now on.

I can dig it

Really liked it - kinda funky.

Huh, Jazz! Welch‘ willkommene Abwechslung in dieser populärmusiklastigen Liste. Gefällt mir gut bis sehr gut. 4 Sterne, hart an der Grenze zu 5.

Never heard of this guy but it was great, had a lot of hard bop elements and catchy grooves which I like

what a fun change of pace. i don’t usually listen to jazz but this is pretty dang good, and will be added to my regular albums.

Meditate

What an album, fantastic jazz, Ali e and bright loved it.

Beautiful

Intrametal blue jazz album not for me but was a nice listen

From the Vault #36 (June 3, 2026) This album title has always stuck out to me in my long list of albums over an hour in length. The name is certainly a strange spin on one of the Karen classics. Anyways, now that I'm looking at this album cover and year of release, I'm not sure what to think. Obviously, being a 70s album with a Black man on the cover, I'm inclined to believe that this is soul, though a soul album over an hour in length is practically unheard of. That being said, I have no idea what else it could be, so I'm locking in soul. Here goes. Nope, jazz fusion. That figures. Anyways, this was pretty alright. It's much too fucking long on both an individual track and total runtime level like most of the other jazz albums on this list, though I didn't mind spacing out to this one for a few. The best part of this album is how put together it is. The pianos are elegant and pretty, largely due to the muffled, reverberating sound they have. The brass has a nice, warm feel to it. The light percussive sounds have a pleasing, pattering sound (though the music kind of sucks when the percussion is left to its own devices). The music is also generally purposeful and breezy in its trajectory. The album takes these four elements and manages to make them work pretty decently across its runtime. My only real criticism is just a function of its length. Overall, this was perfectly fine. Book time. Released when jazz was more or less dead in the water and after Masakela had been dropped by his label. A return to Masakela's roots. The rest of the book entry is unremarkable. Wikipedia has very little on this album. It's held in high regard by the handful of critics who reviewed it, but other than that there isn't much going for this album. Fortunately, I liked this and thought it was unique, both in relation to the place that it has in music history and the actual music itself. For those reasons, I cosign this inclusion.

2.7 1x didn't expect ot like it, but a solid instrumental jazzy album

10 songs, 1hr 16min :| don't hate it but its a lot lol fake edit: ok i like this, Inner Crisis is my jam lol

Seemed like a very average jazz album, but what do I know about the genre. Blue for Huey kinda stood out because of the drumming. 2.5/5

This is another where it’s nice but not for me.

I don't know how to react to this music. It says nothing to my soul but I can hear the excellence of the playing.

Eg likar ein del av dette, og så synst eg noko er litt kjedeleg. Likar det som ligg mest i ro harmonisk, det som baserer seg på repeterande riff/ostinat, og som såleis kan minna pittelitt om Miles Davis rundt 60/70-skillet. Unhome er nydeleg til dømes. Kunne òg tålt meir av dei littegrann eksperimentelle faktene i avslutningssporet. Elles hoppar eg lett over dei karibiske og nokre av dei meir straumlineforma innslaga.

Aaalt for langt album. Og for min del for varierende i kvalitet til at jeg vil sette meg ned med hele så mange ganger til. Flere spor der de klarer å løfte seg over å være ren muzak når folkene bak Hugh velger å gi litt slipp på tøylene, men spesielt starten av albumet er ganske treigt der pianostrofene rett og slett nærmer seg taffellandet. Bra musikere, men her ender de for ofte opp i en rundkjøring der inspirasjonskildene blir litt vel tydelige.

Irriterte dette meg: nei Følte jeg at jeg måtte hoppe / spole: nei Hørte jeg på flere enn to ganger: ja Var jeg fokusert og konsentrert når jeg hørte på: nei Husker jeg noe av det her 8-9 timer seinere: lite

Wel oké jazz maar niks voor mij

some stylish jazz fusion! I love when the trumpet goes toot toot toot but can’t handle it when the sax goes *angry goose that has been rippin cigs for 20 years*

Instrumental Afro-jazz. Not really in my wheelhouse but I didn’t mind it. Pretty smooth and relaxing although it was a bit too long. Don’t think I’ll come back to it but I didn’t quite lose patience with it.

Solid album.

It was solid jazz album from artist I hadn't heard before. I liked the prominent afro-influence. Some of the songs were bops!

Раніше не чув про цього музиканта. Part Of A Whole, перший трек, мені сподобався. Наступні два вже не дуже - стабільний джаз. Загалом сподобалось. Краще ніж альбоми Miles Davis які тут пропонувалися раніше.

Good album but I find long form jazz a but boring/tedious. Not really my thing

Okay, jazzy, but a bit too mellow at times and a bit too weird at times.

Classic

I don't listen to much jazz but this was pretty solid

I like Hugh Masekela. I love his hi-life stuff. It's flipping joyous. This album is good, but is more straight jazz than I like from Hugh.

It’s pretty good. If it were released in 62, it would be keeping up with Herbie Hancock and Freddie Hubbard, albeit with consistently less beautiful lines. But it’s a little too little, a little too late.

Interesante.

Good jazz album, great trumpeting

Not a bit jazz guy, but I can appreciate it for what it is.

Un jazz. Medio que cuando escucho estos albumes es siempre lo mismo, agradable al oído, nada que destacar. 6/10

I'm just not a jazz guy unless I'm in a certain environment

2026.08.10-12.

Favorite Track: The Big Apple

Kind of liked it. Maybe need another listen.

Tricky to rate as the songs alternated between enjoyable and not so enjoyable. There was some fun to be had here though

riktīgi nomierinoši

No private session used for Spotify. Good smooth jazz...until that last number. Like the jazz, not the Afrobeat.

es como pa dejarlo de fondo así que por eso un 3.

I recognize the music as excellent on some level, but it’s not a genre I like. Maybe one day I will get there.

Not my thing, but good for what it is.

N tem letra

This feels like transition montage music in a movie or video game. I think had it been about 1/2 of the length, I would have been very impressed. I found myself a bit more blasé on it by the end. Which is a shame, because there's really good work on all the instruments here. But it kinda turned into background music rather than the star of the show.

Good album, but a little too long for me. I've also never been the biggest fan of 70s jazz. He's somewhat similar to Chuck Mangione. Both are fine in small doses. Maseru was an exception. Great, lively song. Loved the piano and drum work. Another artist I hadn't heard of before.

Quality jazz. Get comfy. While it may overstay its welcome at times, it is really worth it. Faves: "Part of a Whole", "Inner Crisis"

It's ok.

The first three tracks might be three of my favorite jazz songs that I can think of. Genuinely great songs with amazing atmosphere and vibes. The instrumentation is incredible! My only complaint is that as the album went on I slowly started to lose interest. The last track was super fun and brought me back into it. But as a whole, that last track didn’t really round out the experience. So if this was based on stats, liking only 40% of the album is not great. But I have to say I don’t think that’s an accurate comparison, cause this album has so much going for it. Even if the later half of the album just sort of went by without really grabbing me or intriguing me in a significant way. All that being said this is one of the better jazz albums on the list so far because those first three tracks are phenomenal and do a lot of the heavy lifting, but in this case it’s a good thing.

Good jazz

I love jazz, so much so that I regularly attend jazz concerts. For me, Home is Where The Music Is was an okay listening experience, with nothing extraordinary or catchy. It is not bad by any means, but I probably won't be returning to it. It ain't no Return to Forever.

There's some nice stuff here but overall it's just alright

Du jazz sympa dynamique

Franchement, sympa ! J’aurais du l’écouter pour lire !

Pleasant listening.

It was ok, the last song was hard to listen to but the other jazz songs were good.

Another jazz album I enjoyed. Not much to say except for the inclusion of a song with what sounds like African tribal lyrics which I've not heard within jazz before

Jazz bem animado. Um pouco extenso pra quem não é acostumado, mas gostoso de ouvir.

I didn't mind this but nothing really stood out either

Meh, not the best Jazz album on this list in my opinion. But I know nothing about Jazz so it's probably objectively great

I don't really like jazz , but it wasnt bad

Pretty decent jazz fusion stuff, the first three songs are definitely the best but there's a couple of other good songs strung about but this is definitely a little too long

Twas the day of Confessions II releasing, so I had to listen to this album earlier in the day. It was a good listen, but too long for me on that day, coulda streamlined it (although I think that's going against the vibe of jazz)

в очередной раз убедился, что не мое, скорее 2.5

205. not bad

These are all nice-sounding tracks that really showcase the talent and musicianship of jazz. The main issue for me is the length. I do like jazz, but 76 minutes is a bit much, and there were definitely moments where I felt the album stretching on. Still, I really enjoyed the tracks that lean more into Afrobeat, because they give the music more identity and make it more interesting to listen to. Overall, it’s a solid album with plenty to appreciate, even if for me it works best as good background listening.

Undeniably a good jazz album but not one of my favorites

He's a very talented trumpet player. This is another one where I really think that the venue that you hear the music will impact your view of the music. I would probably love to hear this live in a club with low lights but it's not as fun in my car driving my kids around. I was impressed with his talent but it's not one I'll be adding to a playlist.

Enjoyed ! I like jazz but usually when it leans into the more chaotic rougher sound that anything too smooth, this was probably a bit in-between the two for me

Good vibes 😎

Sinceramente este album fue aburridisimo. Entiendo que el hecho de estar entre los 1001 mejores albums para escuchar antes de morir debe tener que ver con una cuestión historica y sociocultural, algo del autor? porque es bastante repetitivo, el jazz tampoco es lo mío. La última canción suena tribal, al menos tiene algo de interesante, pero bastante aburrido en mis oidos. 5/10

suena un poco a la title card de fleabag. no suelo escuchar jazz pero me gusta de vez en cuando! no estaba muy de humor hoy, me costó entrar en ritmo. supe apreciar varias de las canciones! 3.5/5.

I'm not the biggest fan of jazz, but I respect the genre a lot. I feel a lot of the experimentation and musical theory goes way over my head, and honestly, I would very rarely sit down to listen to even some of the more accessible greats, but I still have a high level of respect for these proper musicians. The majority of this album feels quite accessible. But it does border on experimental at times, culminating in a proper nutty piece of afro-jazz experimentation, the strangest children's song you'll ever hear. But overall, it's great. Will I sit down and put it on again? Probably not too often, and that's the only reason it's losing a star from, because of my own personal preferences around jazz. But, I can respect that there's some great music on this album.

The afrobeats bits are excellent but the rest is pretty standard jazz

Yup, it’s jazz.

Een jazz album, maar gelukkig niet één van het zenuwachtige soort. Dit is meer een wat chill, dromerig jazzalbum. Althans, dit typ ik na de eerste 2 tracks (na 20 minuten ongeveer), dus het kan nog omslaan. Ik hoop het niet. Het klinkt een beetje als zo'n te lang intro van een film uit de jaren '70 / '80. Een auto die 's nachts door een stad rijdt, ergens in het land van de vrijen. Je volgt de auto een paar minuten terwijl er eigenlijk nog geen kut gebeurt. Her en der een keer een kleurrijke bewoner van de stad in beeld. Een flamboyante pooier of een nette zwarte man in een keurig pak. Net als bij de eind-credits komt nu ook al het gehele personeelsbestand met naam en toenaam langzaam voorbij op beeld, alsof wij er als kijker ook maar één naam van gaan onthouden. Ah Scorsese, dat zeg me wel iets. En als dat te lange intro eindelijk voorbij is zal de auto waarschijnlijk ergens parkeren en zal de hoofdpersoon uitstappen en al rokende zijn opwachting maken. Die vibe, zoiets. Af en toe gebeurt er iets meer en komt er een uitbundig kroegpianotje voorbij, af en toe gebeurd er iets minder en lijkt de boel helemaal in slaap te dommelen. Het is geen heel onaardige muziek, voor jazz begrippen zeker niet. Ik ben relatief mild en alles bij elkaar wil ik er wel een 3 voor geven.

Never heard of Hugh Masekela before (as far as I know!?). This album rode the line in terms of the jazz I prefer -- I am more of a "mellow" and "melodic" jazz guy personally. But, while being mostly upbeat, this has a nice balance of melody and tempo and wasn't all wild and crazy dissonance. Overall, an enjoyable listen -- not one I will be returning to regularly but one I'm glad to have heard!

3.5/5. Solid jazz record. The way it’s produced and played makes it feel quite smooth and easy on the ears, without sacrificing the power of Hugh’s horn playing which is consistently pretty great. I also enjoyed a lot of the piano playing throughout. I will say though, it picks up significantly for me in the second half, some of the tracks early on in the album drag on just a bit too long. But once you get to the chaotic drumming of “Blues for Huey” or the catchier and faster paced “Maseru” things become real good.

Jazz album, enjoyed this one, smooth and not too all over

nice relaxing music.

Jee jatsia.

I normally talk negatively about the jazz albums on here but I actually thought this one was nice

This was pretty good. A lot of this kind of jazz can be too self indulgent, and this was in parts. But there was some really nice stuff in there too

sounded nice. good background music while cooking

Excellent bit of Jazz, very enjoyable

Vast majority of the songs are a pleasant listen and enjoyable background music. I don’t know if I’d come back to these songs as anything but a musical backdrop, but I felt the groove and life in each track. Some songs didn’t click for me (“Blues for Huey”, “Ingoo Pow-Pow”), but the ones that did (“Part of a Whole”, “Minawa”, “Maseru”, “Inner Crisis”) made the record worth it. A solid three. STAND-OUT SONG: “Part of a Whole” HONORABLE MENTIONS: “Minawa”, “Maseru”, “Inner Crisis”

Very good jazz album, I don't listen to much jazz so this was a different venture for me, but quite enjoyable. Fav Songs Inner Crisis The Big Apple Part Of A Whole Is it Top 1001 Worthy (is it essential)? Probably a yes, very good jazz record

I like it, but I am also not a huge jazz-person, so while I understand why people love it, it is a bit too slow for me.

Most of the time I felt like I was on an elevator. Songs were way, way, too long. Worst song: "Unhome", I can't say why but I really don't like this song. Best song; "Nomali" mostly because I liked the addition of the piano and the trumpet was tempered by the sax. I had to change my mind the absolute worst song was: "Pow-Pow (Children's Song) the addition of the voices and repetitive bongo drums did nothing for the song other than make it worse than it was without them.

Quite a lot going on!

I don’t know enough about jazz to properly rate this album. As far as jazz goes, this was pretty enjoyable. I got to read up on the life of Hugh Masekela, which was interesting.

I liked it, definitely something I have to be in the mood for. But great for studying.

Good jazz

Fine but not for me

I so not have the ear for jazz.

Ha, zanimiv začetek, in medias res. (Sm se pa že podučila, da me spet na petek čaka več k 70 minuten album - očitno moram nehat si tok stvari schedulat na petek, ker me algoritem konsistentno presenet z najdaljšimi albumi - sj mi zmer uspe, sam sm za brezveze živčna, da mi ne bo & who needs extra stress?) Anyway. Fino spet dobit neki totalno nepoznanega. In so far, enjoyable. "Maseru" je fajn. Bl hiter, poskočen. Ma na splošno, isti problem k ga mam ponavad pri albumih kot so ta: zelo očitno objektivno dobra glasba, kompetentna; just not for me.

This was an easy listen but I did find it a bit repetitive and not really expressive enough for me. (Cultured jazz listener now)

It's pretty good for what it is but not something I would listen to but good enough

Perfectly fine jazz. With a little flare. I enjoyed it. Don’t really plan to listen to again. But it’s good.

Groovy soundtrack jazz

I’m not sure I love jazz. This was fun though, sometimes it was too jazzy, but can appreciate the artistry.

One of the better, more structured jazz albums

24/05/2026 I have no real great feelings towards this. Take it or leave it. Spotify listeners: 359.6k

groovy, cool. felt nostalgic in a joyful way listening in bed on a rainy saturday morning. read the wiki article after and didn't really square the sound with the resistance music thing, but you know what this is a vibe and if you have a good aura and your enemy's is bad then you will win. fave track maseru

Definitely Jazz. Very intense jazz and not my vibe of Jazz. Love Jazz tho. Mmm jazz

It’s Jazz…..nice! Actually ok as background music, but not my thing really.3

One of the better jazz albums I've listened to but still mostly background noise.

Not a huge fan of Jazz but it was a nice experience and an enjoyable listen

Squerk! Skronk! Keraang! There is a time and place for harsh atonal jazz, but now is not the time and my ears are not the place. Not enough groove for my listening needs. But if you like the jazz guys being jazzy for their jazz fans, this album will levitate you.

Might smooth......mighty jazzy. Great listen.

Some damn fine jazz

Something I could listen to while writing or drawing I guess. I'm too lyricspilled I need to songwritingmaxx to enjoy anything.

Album #155 Hugh Masekela: Home Is Where The Music Is I thought that the length would hinder this album more than it does; when I saw an hour-plus 70s jazz album, I prepared myself for a snooze-fest, but to be honest, the music is far more enjoyable than I expected. I find that I don’t even know what I want out of jazz, and my enjoyment of it is seemingly random. Sometimes I find it to be a great enabler of atmosphere, and other times an overwhelming nuisance. Every track here either fades into the background nicely or catches your attention in a good way. The only track I didn’t like was the last one, which was more of a tribal song than the traditional cool jazz on the rest of the album. Though this album is definitely an undertaking, and if you’re not treating it as a soundscape for your evening, than it’s presence may annoy you. Best Songs: Minawa, Part Of A Whole, The Big Apple Worst Song: Ingoo Pow-Pow Score out of 10: 6.5

Part of Whole - Really Good Minawa - Pure Blissful Jazz The Big Apple - Saxy Unhome - Subtle Maseru - Beautifully energetic Inner Crisis - Really Good Blues for Huey - Huey and I don't have the same taste unfortunately Nomali - Decent Maesha - Decent Ingoo Pow-Pow - Not my cup of tea

Great jazz album. Masterful playing. Most jazz albums I listen to are slow and a bit too same-y the whole runtime but this was nice and varied. Not much of a jazz person myself but it made my journey to uni enjoyable. 3.5/5

A jazz album I enjoyed more than most on this list.

Endeavoring this list has forced me to listen to Jazz. I find that Jazz I like is piano and/or drum driven. On that, Minawa is nice, even with the brass that follows. I still had a hard time sticking with it. Maybe I need to do psychedelics to Jazz or something, expand my mind or something. I dunno, but this isn't bad even for a jazz idiot like me.

Decent Bebop music, but didn’t understand what made it distinctly South African. Or Afrobeat. Great jazz horns, but basically copied American jazz of the 50s & 60s. 3 stars

Ziemlich gutes jazz album, war für mich stellenweise etwas zu langsam, aber wär insgesamt eher eine 3,5.

Really fun, I enjoyed this one quite a bit

Honestly, I love the influences and sounds on this, the groove is great, but didn't stick with me unfortunately. This was the closest to elevator music of jazz that I've listened to so far.

Not a jazz listener and this album didn’t change that fact.

Really nice funk-y fusion. Maybe a little overlong to be something I come back to too often, but the range of styles and moods explored here does somewhat justify the length. It's worth a revisit, that's for sure.

Jazz, cool but not chill or class. More like popular

Classic Jazz

Great musician, but I can't quite get into it.

This was a great jazz album, perfect for listening at work. Nothing outstanding, but good, solid music throughout.

Very pleasant listening experience.

Hoi, ik ben jazz snob en vond dit wel oké, maar niet denderend ofzo. Leuk van de flugelhorn! Houd iets meer van bebop en free jazz enzo, dit is een beetje braafjes.

meanderde hier en daar wat te veel voor me en het was wat lang, maar heerlijk album

Good jazz music. Once again, not what I want to always listen to but I still enjoy it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Entspannter Funk-Jazz. Nett und gut gespielt - aber er reißt mich nicht vom Hocker.

Solid jazz album, but not very mellow.

Pleasant surprise. It was interesting and engaging.

Again, technically impressive, but instrumental only albums can personally be a slog

I’m sure music aficionados will love this. I found it easy to like but harder to love. And I must admit a slight sense of dejavu as I listened through

Relajante, no invade mi tranquilidad

I have never heard of this guy before. Seeing a double album on this list always makes me sad, but it's not his fault! Sounds like jazz, nice jazz, cool jazz, long jazz. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? No Owned: No: 68/276 (24%) Will I get: No

jazz, sin letra, melodico, trompeta, suena clasico pero no viejo,

An interesting mix of jazz and African rhythms. Had some stand out tracks and some that washed a bit over me. But overall a good, catchy listen

Good jazz, I wouldn’t say smooth. Seemed unpolished, in a sense. Still, a good album.

I’m no fan of jazz, but this was ok. I didn’t hate it, and that’s an achievement for a jazz record.

Basic jazz.

Without lyrics

ça change de ce qu'on a écouté jusqu'à maintenant

Not huge in to jazz, but I'm kinda digging this one.

This is fine. It's really pretty and cool at parts, but I'm just not really an instrumental person. I need lyrics and vocals. If it had really good lyrics and and someone like Olivia Dean over it I'd probably love it and it'd be a 4 or a 5.

Decent jazz…

A nice, easy listen after gangsta rap the day before! I see Hugh Masekela's work listed as Afro-Jazz, but to me, it just sounds like jazz—the horns, the piano, the bass, the light percussion. There's a drum solo in one of the later songs, but it's not aggressive. It was smooth accompaniment to my workday until the final track, Ingoo Pow-Pow, which did a left-to-right-channel back-and-forth amid its repetition that just annoyed me.

More background jazz. This time of the South African variety.

I don't think any particular tracks stood out as memorable here but whereas this might be a criticism I have leveled at other albums, here I don't mean it as one. Rather, this felt like a cohesive hour of jamming and I do like a solid jazz jam. The introduction of vocals in the final track however, is a jarring misstep.

Not really my choice, but far from bad

I famously dislike jazz, and I doubt anything in this list will change my mind but I'm trying to be open Playlist add: "Inner Crisis"

Like being in the middle of an intense thriller from the 70s

coffee shop vibes i love

i like it hehe

3.7 stars

Sure is jazz

Pretty good jazz

Yet another album I would've never discovered, this whole genre I probably would've never found

Pretty solid, jazz album, I definitely enjoyed most of the hits off of this! Not something I would necessarily go back to either, but I appreciate it for what it is.

Upbeat and enjoyable Afro-jazz with plenty of horns. A little light on the "Afro" but still very good.

Never been much of a jazz gal but hey it was actually kinda nice having on in the background!

Almost serenaded me to sleep.

I'm gonna fall asleep this jazz is too smooth!

Better than expected, even the heavy brass parts didn't break me.

It was fine. I lay down with headphones on to listen and was lulled to sleep. It’s a nice album to while doing something else like cleaning the house or sitting by the fire with a glass of bourbon. It certainly not something that should belong on a list like this.

All that jazz! Enjoyed it!

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? Completely unfamiliar How do I feel about this artist? I do not know who this is Favorite song(s)? Maseru Overall Thoughts: I don’t normally seek out jazz, but I don’t mind it. I tend to prefer music with words over instrumentals (that goes for all genres). I listened to this while putting together my new office chair and it was nice, but not something I’m likely to revisit.

Really interesting jazz! In all honesty, I only listened to the first few songs, so I'm not certain my rating is a fair one, but I did hear enough to know that I liked it.

Lovely soundtrack to cleaning up first scorebook (Phillies/Rockies) of the ABS era in Denver airport on 4/5/26

reasonable

Pretty jammy. I liked it. Sort of gave me older Chicago vibes at times. 3.5⭐️

My only experience with Hugh Masekela was through Paul Simon’s Graceland, and based on that mini-glimpse, this could not have been further from what I expected. Where I was expecting some African fusion, I was a bit deflated by what seemed very much like an American jazz record. Not bad by any means, and perhaps it will grow on me over time, but today, not all there.

Had some high points, had some other points that had Christmas music energy.

Pretty good but a bit too long

I've had quite a few instrumental albums now often in this sort of genre. This was another good one I found myself enjoying more than I expected. It does have a long runtime but it holds its own for the most part. Top picks: Minawa, Maseru, Nomali.

Good album but I’ve heard better jazz from others that aren’t on their list. Maybe it was the Afrobeat parts that’s wasn’t for me - not sure why it didn’t resonate for me more since I usually love jazz.

Interesting jazz, nothing too earth shattering to my ears but worth a listen. I find jazz hard to rate, I liked it but I'm not sure I'd ever go back for another listen.

Great Songs: Good Songs: Part of a Whole, Minawa, The Big Apple, Maseru, Inner Crisis, Blues for Huey, Nomali Mid Songs: Unhome, Maesha, Ingoo POW-Pow (Children’s Song) Bad Songs:

It was neutral. It didn’t offend me to listen to it, but it’s not something I’ll remember for long.

He plays beautifully, but I only have space in my heart for one flugelhorn master. This album feels more like jazz for jazz people, not jazz for the audience.

Jamais écouté avant. Premier album de jazz de la liste. Pas désagréable à écouter en arrière-plan, et parfois on se laisse prendre par le groove. Mais l'album semble très long quand on y connaît rien... Top : Inner Crisis Flop : Unhome

Pretty chill album, would be good to have on as background music at a party

El primer álbum de jazz que escucho, y siento que para ser mi primer acercamiento estuvo bastante bien, tiene canciones súper movidas y enérgicas (mis favoritas) y otras super groovy y lentas que te ponen los pelos de punta, me pasó con Minawa, y siento que eso demuestra el poder que tiene el jazz y los instrumentales, que a pesar de no tener letra, sólo el sonido te cautiva y te hace tener sensaciones tremendas, porque en los instrumentales no hace falta tener una voz cantando, los que cantan son los instrumentos.

y está bueno, medio raro y no es mi flow pero cool, muy musical

Legit jazz but I didn't feel like all of it

Niet slecht, maar duurt te lang

Casado con Miriam Makeba, conocido por colaborar con Fela Kuti y Paul Simon. No soy experto en Jazz, pero este disco me gusta. Part of a whole no me parece gran cosa, pero Minawa y Unhome sí.

This album surprised me. Now, I am not much of a jazz guy. I don't listen to much jazz because it never appealed to me. I have listened to a couple of jazz albums like Bitches Brew by Miles Davis and A Love Supreme by John Coltrane. Bitches Brew is an outstanding album and A Love Supreme was decent IMHO. However, I found this album to be very good. It's not meant to quicken the pulse or wow you. It's meant to be relaxing and serve as some great jazz. Hugh Masekela shows exactly why he is so talented on the flugelhorn and the other band members do a great job as well. Will I go back to this album a lot? No. Am I happy I listened to it? Yes! Highlights: Part Of A Whole The Big Apple Unhome Inner Crisis

I just don’t really know how to consume jazz as anything other than background music. It’s a genre that has never really connected with me. I like some of the grooves of main ideas here, and it all sounds well-played. But nothing got me excited enough to give it a high rating.

Best of luck to anyone whos gonna take an hour out of their day to listen to this

Favorite songs: Minawa, The Big Apple, Nomali Feels like 70's game show music or incidental music from an 70's NYC police movie.

Very cool vibe will come back to this

Jazz is not really my thing but the album was still enjoyable :)

That did not feel like a children's song to me

well. it's jazz. the last song was the most interesting