Home Is Where The Music Is

Ruled. Real variety of jazz soundscapes. 7 liked songs

There were a couple songs I liked, then stopped liking, then started liking again. Just a bit too long.

Like this a lot

Had a lovely walk listening to this

Exakt en sekund in kände jag, "najs"! Första låten är grym! Andra låten, lite sämre. Tredje låten rätt ok (det är långa låtar hittills) Unhome sisådär. Maseru är rätt najs. Inner ciclea är bra! Blues for huey är riktigt ball. Nomali sisådär. Maesha är riktigt bra också. Ingoo pow pow är sådär Har lyssnat några gånger nu. Tror fan jag skulle kunna lyssna mer på detta, en del låtar. Denna typ av jazz kan jag lätt ställa mig bakom!

Det här var verkligen lättillgänglig jazz och en riktigt bra skiva från start till mål! Kommer definitivt lyssna mer.

I was worried when I saw that this was "Afro Jazz" but holy smokes it just works. This is awesome.

I hate jazz!! I hate brass especially trumpets! I hate instrumental music! This was not for me!!!!

Cool jazz

The kind of jazz CDs they used to sell at Starbucks

Enjoyed.

Okay but some random noodling.

Beautiful, soulful, relaxing. Great date night music.

listen, I'm not the biggest jazz girl unless I'm in the specific mood for jazz - however, it's undeniable that Masekela's sound is different than everything else. His music is very clearly rooted in his South African heritage, making it sound so much more nuanced than what I'm used to when listening to Jazz. Very nice!

First listen

This is what jazz should be. All of the time. Forever.

güzeldi ya hoş jazz severim zaten

A strong and thoughtful jazz record that might feel more at home in 𝟣𝟢𝟢𝟣 𝘑𝘢𝘻𝘻 𝘈𝘭𝘣𝘶𝘮𝘴 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘋𝘪𝘦. While it’s beautifully performed and rich in mood, it doesn’t quite carry the historical weight or influence of other entries on the main list. The 76-minute runtime makes it a slow burn, but there’s real beauty in its patience. 𝘐𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘰 𝘗𝘰𝘸-𝘗𝘰𝘸 (𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨) stands out as a charming, unexpected highlight.

a great album ft some stellar jazz <3

Solid album with some serious groove. I'll definitely go back to this one. Great listen all the way through. I'd heard of him before but hadn't really delved very deep. 4.5/5

Outside of David Sanborn/Kenny G, this was my first time dedicated listening to a jazz album front to back. It's pleasant enough, I could see playing this while working or as background music for a dinner party, but I don't think it’s something I would listen to regularly or during my commute. Much of the album sounds like soundtrack to a 1970's crime drama - I could see Gene Hackman trailing a bell-bottomed thug, pausing to crush a cigarette before going down into the NYC subway. Track 5 was a standout. I'm sure this album has reach and meaning to many but just not my thing. 2/5.

Really enjoy jazz album. I am in my early 40s and never really appreciated jazz, but in the last 3-4 years have started to get into it. I don’t much about the genre as a whole and love discovering new artists and hearing the different sounds and styles. Jazz is so unique and complex that I don’t think I could give a fair review outside the fact this album put me in a good mood and I thought the overall quality of the music and composition was great. 8.5/10 71/1001

Not my usual genre, but surprisingly enjoyable despite that.

This is excellent. Great playing. Unique approach. Like it. Have for years.

Mostly pretty inoffensive light 70s jazz. Much of the material was already sounding a bit dated by 1972. Not as funky and edgy as I would like; kind of early 1960s Miles Davis lite. Very lite. Inner Crisis is the best of the bulk of the album. The real highlight in Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children's Song), which is much more like African music with a jazz inflection. If only the rest of the album was more like that.

Jazz, good

I'll never hate jazz. I'll never love it, either.

It's competent but jazz is boring.

This is good. I wasn't in the mood for jazz, but it was a nice introduction to Hugh Masekela. It's a decent enough jazz album, but not a ton to return to here.

I am no jazz expert but i liked the music, very nice - 7.5/10

Really surprised by this album. Enjoyed it quite a bit.

Beautiful record. Can get a big repetitive, however

GOOD SHIT. Rett ner mi gata. God sikker jazz

This was a terrific surprise to me. I was only two tracks in and I was already to listen this again.

It was a different world when I started playing this album but so much time had passed by the time the last track reached its end that how could it not be? It's already June 2025 as I write my thoughts down. How crazy is that? Seems like it was just Christmas eve. If I play 'Home Is Where the Music Is' two more times it will be 2026. Pretty great jazz music not as good as it gets but what is these days?

Full of energy and rhythm and I very much enjoyed this listen.

i don’t remember

Never heard of him before. I liked it.

Not for me, don't have any context to say whether this is seminal or anything either.

an engaging, dynamic jazz album with an impressive dialogue between flugelhorn and piano.

Jazz falls into two categories for terrible or brilliant, this is definitely brilliant.

Dope!

5/29/25. Really engaging Jazz here! Just lovely music and love the different styles incorporated into this, especially the Afro elements. Will be revisiting again and again.

Nice background noise, and it led me to some other great music!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: how many goddamn jazz albums am I gonna have to sit through

Because it is jazz.

Was alright I guess.

I liked it overall but I felt at some parts it got stale

oki

finally some good fucking food

che excelente, 4,5

Superb.

Look, jazz is never really going to be my thing, but this album is undeniably groovy and stylish. The drums of 'Blues for Huey' were my favourite.

An abslolute bop!

This is a double album, primarily an excursion into jazz with a bit of African beat included, which seems perfectly logical given that the artist is from South Africa. Most of these tracks would be good music for a movie soundtrack. Some of these jazz tracks run too long for me, but that’s jazz for you.

Flugelhorn is pretty fun, but the sax parts here are my favorite. This is kind of a long album, but it's background-able, so didn't feel too long. Then again, it's background-able, so how great an album (on my personal ranking) can it really be? Thus... 3. Highlight: 'Nomali'

Good smooth jazz album

lidt ligegyldig

Norm

Way too much jazz. Just too much trying to make an amazing solo while doing the same boring thing everybody else does. Drums are solid though.

This is dope, really cool music

Most of the songs were taken down but those that remained were kind of boring. Realized I’m not that big of a fan of jazz.

Melodic and subtle, this isn't genre breaking but it does carry a nice sense of mellow and relaxing.

really great instrumentation especially the piano, the songs are just very long, but quality is there

Wish there was a little bit of vocals to give the songs a little more uniqueness. Still enjoyed the album though.

Enjoyed Ingoo Pow-Pow, the rest was mediocre

I didn't get to re-visit this but 3 stars the opening was just so good.

jazz is still just not for me

Again, jazz is not my thing. This is in-offensive.

Aww yeah this is beautiful. Is this project slowly making me a jazz guy? This is smooth, funky, groovy, and a true pleasure to listen to.

Personally I would have gone with Hedzolleh Sounds, but you can't really miss with any Hugh album.

Jag har tappat förståelsen för när nåt träffar mig eller inte, men detta gjorde det. Såhär ska jazz va.

Mysig Jazz!

Tråååkigt

This is exactly the type of stuff I was hoping to discover when starting this project. I’m not sure I would have stumbled upon Hugh Masekela myself. Really enjoyable album. My only complaint would be that many of the songs get ragged towards the end as drum solos or crazy horns move away from the beautiful musicality of at the beginning of the track.

Jazzy trompet

Not a fan.

Beautiful album. So glad I was introduced to it.

4.8/this album is phenomenal. i want it on vinyl so bad

słuchane w tle do czytania potopu, trąbka nie będzie moim ulubionym instrumentem, całość raczej w podobnym stylu, szału nie ma

I won't deny Masekela's influence as an artist in the jazz space, but as a trumpet player myself, I haven't always enjoyed his soloing that much personally. Still, solid grooves throughout that held it up but def got slowed down in the latter half of the album

So good, had to run it back.

Some solid jazz. Enjoyed some songs more than others, but pretty solid.

Hugh provides us a solid jazz album with an array of sounds displaying a range of emotions. There’s a good mix of upbeat and somber tunes for all types of jazz enjoyers. There’s some superb piano playing throughout and the drum soloes on “Blues for Huey” really stand out. There’s a few tracks on here I’ll definitely come back to.

this is the first jazz record i’ve ever listened all the way through. it’s definitely great to have on in the background of work.

3/5 good focus music (jazz)

h: maseru c: maesha

I have a tendency to just give 3 stars to jazz albums bc theyre nice to listen to but I would never seek them out, and I have no idea what makes a jazz album good. Anyway this is no exception

Perfectly nice jazz. Jazz mostly sounds all the same to me. The difference between good and bad, as far as I'm concerned, is whether it's nice background music that I don't hate, or if it's grating and unpleasant.

Awwww yeah smooth as all hell. Maybe my favorite jazz album of the ones I’ve listened to thus far

I don't know what to do with this. Sometimes jazz hits, and sometimes it doesn't for me. Too often throughout this album, the sax and/or trumpet are too chaotic - too much noodling. Highlights - Maseru really kicks in nicely, Nomali, and then Maesha takes me somewhere and I'm happy to go. But overall, there's too much that I would want to actively push stop on.

🎧Smooth, cool jazz, I like it

Really emotionally invoking

I dislike jazz. I dislike brass instruments.

Jazz at its worst.

Inspired playing of uninspired music.

Nice jazz album. I must admit, that I did not know Hugh Masekela before although I listen quite a lot to jazz. But it is never to late to learn about good musicians.

The second jazz album that has come up for me is. I am learning that I like the drumming and bass in jazz, but I am not crazy about horns, especially brass. They seem to overpower the rest of the music. I don't think I would want to listen to this again.

A fantastic album from start to finish. This is one of those that deserve five stars and a comment.

Zzzz

I have never heard this before, it's really good with a nice variety of sounds. It's pretty chilled out and easy to listen to. I've added this to my favorites and plan to listen to it many more times. It's going to be perfect for get togethers or to listen to at work.

I'm not a Jazz man

Love this album!

Originally was gonna make this a 4.25 but honestly 4.5 rounding to 5 star.

Love jazz but this doesn't do it for me. It's a bunch of very skilled musicians using their ability and knowledge to make background music for The Sims. Maesha in particular felt like a bland, never ending slog.

Thought this was a great jazz album though it almost feels like it's for "advanced" jazz listeners in that it's pretty rough around the edges, at least compared to some of the other stuff that I've listened to. 7/10.

Solid and easy listening

correct

Aussi incontournable qu'un lampadaire dans un immense stationnement.

Correct pas malade. Vite oublié.

Groovy stuff. I like this!

From first notes I knew this is going to my personal Spotify list. Highly enjoyable album.

Too jazzy for me this time. Some other time this would have been three stars, but not now. Didn't even have stamina to listen it through.

Not that much afrobeat on this list and it's not really all that obvious on this album either. I'm not much of an jazz fan, too much of it is toying with "standards", showing off technical ability and constant soloism. This album has it's moments, but it blends into nondescript background music very easily. I'm dissapointed.

Wild musicianship. I'm not too huge of a fan of recorded horn music.

This is really good. Might make this a regular seed for chill jazz jam dinner-making playlists.

I always want to like jazz, but rarely do. This was ok.

my mom mostly has two reactions to jazz: 1. "what is this Charlie Brown bullshit you've got me listening to?" (said in response to a Vince Guaraldi deep cut playing on the radio) 2. "this is torture. i'm gonna find us a seat, please bring my fries to me when they come out." (said in response to a local free jazz band playing really loudly when we were at the Lyric buying tickets for Sinners) however, i do believe that if i played this jazz for her, she would like it a lot. it's both fairly conventional in approach, doesn't really have any rough edges past a few daring solos here and there, and can easily fade into the background if you wanna have a conversation about something. however, when you engage with it, it's really rewarding, and it takes a lot from soul music without fully subjecting itself to the strict form of the pop song. what i'm saying is that i'm a lot more tolerant of duller or crazier jazz than my mom. i like me some Charlie Brown bullshit. i also like me some crazy screechy shit that makes you wanna crawl out of your skin. but if we had common ground on jazz, it'd probably be this. this is pretty damn good. and yeah, my mom lets me swear. she's cool like that, and i'm an adult.

a very chill and funky fusion jazz album, blending soul, afrobeat, and traditional south african foundations. the album has a lot of improv throughout its 40-something minute runtime. i don't know about you, but i really love me some "head empty" jazz albums. don't need to think about much when those grooves are letting you unwind and loosen up. many tracks keep you interested with unique drum fills, engaging sections and a uber-carefree vibe i'm obsessed with.

Perfectly pleasant

First time hearing Hugh Masekela. At first thought it was going to be the type of experimental jazz I dislike, but quickly realized it was more of a smooth jazz/funk fusion. Enjoyed it. Good background jazz with a jazzy rhythm. It wasn't amazing but would listen to more of the artist.

Couldn't listen to this during the day, however it was relaxing while cooking dinner. Overall, not what I'm looking for out of the this list.

Funkier and jazzier than I expected, this was a pleasant discovery.

Album de jazz, mais aussi de jazz fusion, très cool, toute façon a chaque fois que j'écoute du jazz ca me fais du bien mentalement mais par contre ne vous attendez pas a la claque du siècle, le début est très bon et après c'est cool mais sans plus

Good jazz album, I like the Afirican rhythms mixed with the American jazz style. This list is gives good exposure to jazz which I was lacking in the past. I like some more than others. There are several bright spots on this album but some of it can run overlong. It was worth the listen and my favorite tracks were, "Nomali", "Maesha", and "Inner Crisis".

Really cool and funky. I was very surprised to find out that it was an instrumental jazz album!

For me, a lot of Jazz is just music to listen to while I'm doing something else. And I don't mean that in a bad way. This was the first time I'd heard of Hugh Masekel. I really liked it because it was great 'background' music to what I was doing at the time. But also, it had lots of moments where I had to stop and listen to the cool funky sounds. Something I would revisit for sure. 6/10

jazz is fine but it's still jazz

Pretty sweet jazz record. The songs meander around and reach some very cool sounds. Hugh adds a good bit of variety as well which keeps it fresh. 8/10

Funky jazz. For the duration of each track, a singular musical idea is flogged until it is lying at the side of the track as buckets of cold water are thrown over it and veterinary staff scramble to erect screens around it. Inoffensive and perfectly pleasant, it just does nothing for me - I'm sure this improvisational noodling is a real treat to those who love the genre. At best, background music with some occasional funky action.

Really nice!

Truly excellent modern jazz. Not annoying or demanding. Intellectual without being up its own ass. Just really well-crafted compositions, played beautifully. Good for background music. 4.5/5

Listens: 2 Standout tracks: none It is refreshing to listen to an entirely instrumental while churning through the 1001 albums list. I think this is one of the only instrumental albums I've heard so far. There is a bit of scatting on one of the tracks towards the end, but otherwise, no singing. The music itself is fine. I don't think its something I am going to listen to long term, but its still enjoyable.

It was an awesome listen, performance and production top tier, one of the best jazz albums I have heard

What strikes me most about this album is that for a collection of African jazz styles, it really feels very Western to me. It's an odd one because I really expected to exposed to some interesting world music but got something that mostly sounds like it belongs in a New York jazz club. Hell, there's even s song called "The Big Apple". The African influence is often hidden and you could be forgiven for hearing this one as a standard 70s jazz album. It's only on select tracks that the traditional styles come front and center and clearly mingle with the modern, Western sounds. Most notably "Ingoo Pow-Pow" which closes the album with the perfect balance of the two. Part of me wishes there was more of that but I'm also impressed with how jazz seems to make a perfect vehicle to expose people to African music in a more accessible way (well accessible to some people anyway). I didn't immediately see the significance of this one but it has started to click for me now.

Very listenable.

Hugh brings it on home with textbook blues jazz that keeps you invested in unique song structures, killer solos and changing vibes throughout.

Masekela's afrobeat-jazz-funk fusion double album creates such a welcoming sonic home that you'll never want to leave its irresistible grooves, making even a sprawling 76 minutes feel too short.

Good

I really liked this album. It took a couple of playthroughs to grow on me, but overall a really solid album with a nice arc and a lot of really memorable tunes, and great performances from the clientele. I'm not familiar with a ton of jazz records, but this would make my shortlist for ones I'd recommend. Has one of the best drum tracks I've heard in jazz.

Surprised by how much I like this. I’m not usually a huge jazz guy but I can get into this, at least as a background to working. The musicianship is incredible and the songs are improvisational without being too loose. I will probably save this for future listening. Flugelhorn for the win!

Für die einen ist es Tinnitus für andere innovativer Jazz-Fusion. Die experimentellen Klänge und komplexen Arrangements könnten für eingefleischte Jazz-Fans faszinierend sein, wirken jedoch streckenweise langatmig und verlieren an Emotionalität und sind abartig bluesig. Der schönste Moment war als der letzte Song überstanden war.

Had some good vibes

Jazz. I love jazz. This was nice, but less interesting than the Jazz I love.

Yli tunti tiskausjazzia Etelä-Afrikasta

A nice discovery, never heard of the guy and will listen to again

A true great from a beautiful land.

Great jams, super talented musicians, loved this, unexpected pleasure

This one kinda slapped.

3.5 Need to revisit

This is an alright jazz album to put on in the background. I'm not big on jazz but there was enjoyable things here, maybe overstayed it's welcome a bit

If you paid me a million dollars, I couldn't tell you what makes this stand out amongst jazz albums. It's not that I think it's bad, I just have no idea what the hell I'm hearing. It sounds nice. Surprised to see it was over an hour, didn't feel like it.

Interesting wonder if he influenced Ben Mulwana

Great jazz album, but a bit too subtle at times.

this album is so suave Love the first few notes of Maesha

Such a good time, loved this.

There's better jazz on this list. 3.4.

This was fine. Some pretty neat bass in here. Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

this jazz is so soothing and i love it. i would love to know how he came to name each song what he did.

Really good jazz album. Masekela's trumpet work is fantastic. This is an album I would consider purchasing if I can find it on vinyl. I'm torn between a 4 and a 5 on this one.

I really hate rating this as low as I do, it just isn't my type of music. I can really appreciate the artestry that's in this, the more unconventional trumpet and trombone parts and the dynamics of it all, but I just don't really enjoy it. I'm sorry.

Cool/Bebop jazz. Very 70's. Almost hear "Enter the Dragon" vibes B)

Первый трек хороший

Not as good as other Jazzy things I got here. 5/10

There was music in my home.

I don't know much about jazz, but I really enjoyed this album. I could easily be argued into a higher score, but my lack of expertise here, is keeping me grounded. If you're a jazz fan, you already know of the album and probably could school me on the finer points. As a novice, I did enjoy it, though!

a very fun listen!

Didn’t get far in but really enjoyed what I heard. Great piano player

This was WAY better than I anticipated. Really enjoyed it

The depth of this album is so subtle throughout its run time. Despite coming out during the Jazz-fusion era it harkens back to an older time in jazz but also manages to add in afro-influences. This album has definitely become one of my favorite jazz records.

Totally dig this vibe.

Liked the first 2-3 tracks and the last 2-3. The middle ones not so much. Loved the piano work, not as sold on Hugh’s Flugelhorn.

I think this is the strongest Jazz album I've been given so far. Full appreciation of the genre still escapes me, but I'm happy to give it a 3.

It's good

Nomali is my new jam.

Interesting instrumentals I probably don’t know enough about to properly appreciate. Definitely some funky moments but nothing jumped out overall. (2.5 stars)

Different

It’s nice enough. I don’t see how it’s influenced by or for anything, though. It’s probably another album for musicians by musicians.

Fun jazz album with a hint of funk, great brass - I would definitely buy this album.

Solid jazz

Groovy Jazz

Zuid-Afrikaanse jazz, daar wilde ik wel even voor gaan zitten. Ken de beste man vooral van z'n afrobeat werk, en minder van z'n meer traditionele jazz-werk. En ik had toch wel wat meer verwacht. Op een gegeven moment merkte je dat de plaat iets meer fusion werd, en werden ook Afrikaanse ritmes geïntegreerd, maar dat kwam voor mij iets te laat. Het was overwegend nogal dertien in een dozijn. 5,5/10

Best chill zo'n jazz-album denk ik ergens in de eerste paar nummers. Maar als ik het slot van er een zanger voegt bij de muzikanten realiseer ik me dat het daarmee wel een stuk interessanter wordt. Al met al niet gek, maar ook niet bijster interessant deze plaat. 6/10 Highlights Ingoo Pow-Pow

Fun jazz

Great stuff!!

Nice jazz! Easy listen but long

i'm really not that into jazz. if i were to compare this to the Mingus album, Mingus is the clear winner. but i guess jazz isn't supposed to be comparable or something so i won't do that. it's fine I guess? it felt boring and loungey to me a lot of the time and an hour of that just felt unnecessary, but he's a talented musician and composer and the social importance of being a big anti apartheid guy is undeniable. the afrobeat aspects of it were cool and what stood out the most to me. Maesha was far and away the most memorable track, Blues for Huey had great drum action. everything else I could take or leave. 3/5 not for me but kinda neat

Time to throw a dinner party cause that’s pretty much the only place I see myself listening to this again

such a fun listen quite structured forms but still exciting and dynamic - heavily due to the solo sections soloists crush on this album with every track. they’re all unique characters that build cohesion by sharing motifs between each other. these guys love to play outside the changes which i’m a sucker for. definitely a healthy amount of stank face moments for me that rhythm section is also tight af. they play so well with the soloists and vice versa will 100% be revisiting this - was between a 4 and 5 but i listened to this during a beautiful sunny day walk which bumped it up

Hard for me to get into a trumpet/flugelhorn driven jazz album. Obviously, the musicianship is top tier and those chord changes are incredible. I found myself often wishing that this was a solo piano album as my boy Larry Willis was really holding down my interest in this album single handedly. Inner Crisis immediately stood out to me as sick and if you look up the writers, who wrote it? Larry Willis. Minawa also sticks out as killer with it's piano intro, maybe I just only like Jazz piano. The drums on Blues for Huey are incredible and the outro piece ties the album together while really demanding that you focus on it in the end. I do think this falls onto this list well, I just wish I was sitting with every Jazz instructor I've ever had so they can explain the nuances of it to me.

Minawa is a beautiful song. Inner Crisis is pretty fun. Overall wasn’t the best jazz I’ve heard, but I’m definitely not an expert. 3 from me.

I fell asleep on 3 separate occasions listening to this - still pretty good tho

76 minutes of music to wait on hold to while a city natural gas clerk takes a nap.

Never heard this one before but I really enjoyed the Afro-jazz vibe.

Very borders bookstore 1990, and bloody hands from the movie whiplash

Mellow jazz

Fun trumpet-y jazz. Jazz isn’t my favorite genre but I’m getting into it. This was a good one to put on and do some work.

Solid album.

Wonderful gem

it’s good, I baked some banana bread in my pajamas on a sunday while listening. Vibes? Immaculate. That said, Hendrix has never been 100% my style

It starts off well, but at a certain point it becomes tiring to listen to. Hugh Masekela's refined sound no longer seems as appealing as it initially was. And so you lose interest in an album that sounds incredible (but only sounds like it).

Not for me. Hard listen at times, absolute background music. Has some ok parts but too long and free form

I really like the heavy trumpet focus on this album. Its of course natural since the man who's name is on the album plays that instrument but I feel I needed to add it since jazz isn't a genre I usually listen to. While I enjoyed most of the songs a few of them seemed to drag a bit and some of the screeching sounds he makes with the trumpet are just bad. Although all that might just be me not "understanding" the album. Either way it was a fun album to listen through.

As far as jazz goes, not bad

It's a good album. But there are dozens of better jazz albums that have not made it on to the list - nothing by Ornette Coleman, or Sun Ra, or Eric Dolphy, and only the most obvious John Coltrane and Miles Davis. That's not Hugh Masakela's fault, but there are many more jazz albums that would broaden the listener's experience if they had been included instead of this.

I did not know this trumpetist. Nice relaxing jazz which I usually listen to while working. Good album.

I was a lazy bones. My bones were lazy. I missed the Friday review. This cycle of five days committed to a failing corporation and two days to do everything needed to maintain my life force for more siphoning from said corporation is taking a toll. After recharging in my pod to provide more shareholder value, I realized I didn’t give ol Hughie a listen and hung my head in shame. You see, home is where the music is, and hopefully this music enters my home office and whisks me away from the waking nightmare known as employment under late stage capitalism. You have 76 minutes. Good luck. Oh my god. Is it going to be jazz? YES. Very funky start. Upbeat as well. Very nice. The way this fades in and out of atonal jazz wildness and this fun little pseudo-chorus is very cool. Yeah I obviously don’t have the literacy (musical or otherwise) to describe why this is so great, but the improvised feel to everything mixed with the anchor to that driving groove makes this song an all-time classic. Absolute monster. Some quietude. The thought of a song being “piano heavy” usually fills me with dread. But with jazz, all instruments are welcome. As long as there a no bad vocals. Doesn’t seem like there will be. Jubilation accompanies every key stroke. Both of the piano and of my own digital dopamine portal. This song doesn’t go quite as hard as the first, but it is still a peaceful reprise. An oasis in the desert of overrated Britpop that my life has become stranded in. Oh hell yeah. Back to the groove. This is just so good. My word. The spine of the song is sturdy and even accessible while the instruments explore around it. Is this the proverbial “pocket” they speak of? AND? It’s about New York, which is the capital of moody saxophone music. I am become gentrification, raiser of rent. Someone has to have sampled this bass line. How cool is that? Kept going throughout the song. Man. Coolest song about forced homelessness I’ve ever heard. Well. I assume that’s what it’s about. Wait. If home is where the music is, if Hugh were to unhome somebody, would he just stop playing? We are veering ever so slightly towards salsa dancing. Let’s not stay there. Luckily the variety in instrumentation is enough to keep us in the jazz zone, but I was afraid there. I don’t love the “chorus” in this one. The percussion is still excellent though. Oh HELL yeah. The minor keys. The groove. Hugh launches another nuclear funk missile directly into the face of the Verve and whatever terrible artists I’ve heard in the last fortnight or so. Oh yeah, T-Swift was in there. How is “evermore” in the same realm as this? Whatever. Inner Crisis rules. Blues for Huey. I had stylized it “Hughie,” making me wrong. That kick drum sounds a little soupy, but the drum solo breakdown is so cool, I don’t even really care. I don’t know how many blues tracks have thunderous god damn drum solos, but I’m in favour of it continuing long into the genres twilight. When alien thunder house takes over Electropop on the oldies station, so too will blues emerge with kickin’ drum solos. Don’t love the horns in this one, but Huey’s blues is my gain overall. This is a happier one. What can I say at this point. This bad boy keeps chugging. Part deux of previous track review. This one is a cool groove. Mayyybe unnecessarily long considering we’re up over an hour already here. It’s not hitting me as hard as some of the others, but there are some riffs in here that still kill. Can I just get an entire standup bass album? That would be cool. VOCALS????? Hugh. No. Luckily they’re also sick. Who am I to question the taste of big Masekala. The horrors of the plains of South Africa might terrify the children, but I’m jacked up on this one. Well that was something. Fire up the helicopter baby, this Huey is gonna soar. I can’t fault any of this to any severe degree. The songs are long enough that even during the rare weak spots, I know an absolute behemoth groove or wicked solo is around the corner. Jazz is such an incredible opportunity to make of art what you feel. As a listener, I can fill in the blanks in the improvisation and glean my own interpretations from the flurries of notes and outpouring of passion exhibited throughout. The better the musician, the more potent the emotions in the instrumental. The musicians on this album were/are top tier and so much of this is exactly what I want from a record. Hugh came up Hughge™️ on this album, and me? Well I feel right at home. 4.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Part of a Whole, The Big Apple, Inner Crisis, Blues for Huey, Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children’s Song)

Solid five. All scattershot drums, spasmodic piano and strange melodies. Spacious stuff.

Really enjoyed this one. I am familiar with Masekela, but this album was all new to me. The rhythm and grooves are great, and his trumpet playing is fantastic. 4.5/5 Will listen again

for an album of mostly instrumentals, this was a pretty fun listen.

What’s the point of this? Just gross.

I don’t really have too much to say other than this is a great jazz album, with a slightly world infused sound. If you like jazz, you’ll love this.

I was pleasantly surprised actually, I thought uh-oh another old cha-cha-cha groovy thing...but it was pretty good. I'd circle back to this, and as much as I hate to say it because I like to think of music as foreground to my life, this is kind good put on while doing stuff music.

So far, great background music for me to be productive with. Most music without lyrics doesn't evoke too much emotion out of me.

This is a masterpiece- it combines so much of jazz with African music and seems very ahead of its time. It’s groovy and beautifully done. Standout songs: The Big Apple, Minawa, Blues for Huey, Maesha

Having never heard Hugh Masekela, I found Home Is Where The Music Is to be a pleasant surprise. It blends jazz and touches of Afrobeat into a mix that is sometimes compelling and sometimes more like background music, but it does so in a way that feels natural rather than disappointing. It is at its best when it stretches out with engaging interplay, but the times it recedes into something more gentle and "easy listening" are welcome if you're going to throw it on as atmosphere. Given its an hour and 15 mins that ebb and flow is almost a feature rather than a flaw. A solid listen, though its placement on this list is a bit of a mystery to me.

Very tasteful jazz

76 minutes of instrumental impro-jazz to start the week? Now that’s just fuckin’ great! I have to admit I really like a lot of the main themes in the songs. Therefore it is a shame that they improvise away from them most of the time. I have found out throughout this project that I hate impro with a passion.

Not a big fan of jazz

Good solid jazz album

Just didn't do anything. Half of it seemed like back-street Parisian Bistro background, and half seemed like aimless noodling.

3,75

I guess I might not like jazz?

I’m going to be honest. My heart sank when I saw the terms “jazz” and “double LP” together. Over an hour of jazz music? This album had everything going for me to hate it. My only reaction was “This better be some great fucking jazz. Not decent, not ok, not even just good, great fucking jazz”. Anything less would be terrible. So after seating through this album, I’m inclined to say, it was indeed some great fucking jazz. The big thing this album has that a majority of other jazz albums didn’t is variety. Every track feels different from each other, which helps it stand out from other jazz albums that merely sink into the background. It isn’t just 6-minute of random sax, bass and piano music track by track. Every song here has a personality. From the slow and serene Minawa, the drum solo in Blues for Huey, and the funky Inner Crisis, there’s enough character here to carry this album for its 70-plus minutes. Hugh’s influence by his African roots within the confines of jazz help escalate this album past its predecessors. I am genuinely surprised by this one. Hugh Masekela, you made me enjoy jazz, you lucky mother fucker. Favorite track: Minawa Other hits: The Big Apple, Part of a Whole, Inner Crisis, Maseru, Nomali, Unhomé, Blues for Huey

Really really good, smooth and groovy

I can't say I heard of Hugh Masekela before. From what I can gather, he was a renowned South African trumpeter, flugelhornist and jazz composer active in the anti-apartheid movement. As such, his music, even in an instrumental sense, could be viewed as a desire for political change in his homeland. In the case of this album, Home Is Where the Music Is, the marriage of bebop style jazz and South African folk rhythms can be viewed as an homage to his upbringing and a celebration of black African culture and talent amidst racial segregation. The album starts nicely with Hugh's staccato trumpeting on the opener "Part of a Whole", to the lush tickling of the ivory keys on "Minawa", to the bustling New York busy vibe of "The Big Apple" to establish the musicianship on display. After that is when the challenge kicks in, from the more experimental spare horn arrangement on "Unhome", to the complex rhythm pattern and sway on "Maseru", to the harsh stomp of "Inner Crisis" and intense percussive roll of "Blues for Huey". There's a bit of a rest after the onslaught with the wonderful jazz ballad "Nomali" and the poignant soul of "Maesha", before ending on the most overt homage to Hugh's roots on "Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children's Song)" with the Afrobeat percussion and passionate chanting. By the end, the journey taken is clear, from the comforts of jazz music into more challenging and daring ideas as Hugh showed his love and support towards his country. Honestly, my only gripe with this album is that it is a rather long listen, clocking in at over 76 minutes. I can imagine someone putting this record in the background, and they can certainly enjoy it in passing. It probably takes a level of attention and engagement to follow the path that Hugh set forth back to his homeland. I consider Home Is Where the Music Is to be a rewarding listen, one that spoke about Hugh Masekela's cultural heritage in a way that mere words would not have done it justice.

Generating a jazz album doesn't excite me. Generating a double jazz album REALLY doesn't excite me. However, I really quite enjoyed this (in fact I listened to it twice!). I appreciate the variety, with every musician getting tracks where they get to shine.

Oh jazz, how do I rate you? There is a voice telling me that I "should" like this, but I just can't get into the music. It's not horrible, but I would never pick this album to just listen to for pleasure. Plus, this one is too long.

This is my third straight album that's over an hour long. It's very talented instrumental play, but overall, not my cup of tea, and yes, a bit too long. Favorite Track: "Inner Crisis".

The problem with a lot of jazz is, if the musicians actually care if it sounds good, it's usually too smooth. This sounds good and isn't too smooth. Great record. Favorite song: part of a whole.

Real good!

Fin baggrunds jazz. Dog stadig jazz.

Mere jazzet og mindre afro-beatet end jeg havde håbet. Til tider nogle okay jazz toner, men ofte alt for langt.

I enjoyed this album--some very nice arrangements here and particularly liked when there was some funk to it. I might revisit, might be a 3.5 for me but dropping to 3.

Gotta respect performance like that!

It was good! I don’t know much about jazz but I enjoyed listening.

Beautiful, soulful, uplifting every single second.

Maybe it's just the fact that I'm lying in bed on a sunny Oxford spring morning and enjoying some nostalgia literature while I listen to this, but yeah, I'm Extremely digging this

As jazz goes, this isn't too bad, but it's still not something I would choose to listen to, or listen to twice at any rate.

Well this is just some damn good upbeat jazz - definitely hit the spot for me :) I've known about Hugh Masekela from his later stuff, where there's a lot less jazz and a lot more singing, and never really knew there were albums like this in his catalogue -will definitely have to go on a bit of a dive!

This one was great! A jazz feel that was more produced, which I appreciate. Some really interesting instrumentals. Would listen again. Favorites: Minawa, Maseru, Marsha Least Favorites: Blues for Huey, Ingoo Pow-Pow

60/100. Home Is Where the Music Is by Hugh Masekela is an alright jazz record, perfect for relaxing and unwinding. The slow-paced, calming music creates a soothing atmosphere, but it doesn’t stand out as anything extraordinary. There are certainly better jazz records out there, but overall, it’s a decent and mellow listen.

I like it since 1972!

This was good, but still not my gateway into jazz

Enjoyed this jazz this morning. Idk found it relaxing

Jazz is a really good genre

Jazz, really solid

This comes under the heading for me as “modern” jazz. It’s mostly the sounds though. I really notice a shift in the way instruments sound as the years change. Sometimes it’s just the recording technique or lack there of because everyone is still learning. I think Minawa is my favorite track so far.

I always like a jazz album. I wish I wa more locked in when listening to this because I can tell it was really decent and felt timeless. I’ll have to go back and listen again when I’m not as distracted but it sounded good from what I heard each track. Jazz music goes so damn hard.

..

I just pulled an Elf: "I know him! I know him!" LOL. I met him once at my old job. He and his whole group was nice and he included me in the pre show song circle :)

Exactly the beta blocker some of us needed today.

Jazz is not my thing

Perfect soundtrack on a slow Sunday afternoon with a coffee and a book.

Got about halfway through, everything I heard was pretty interesting, I’ll have to come back to this one. Rating: 3.5

Excellent jazz album. Fantastic melodies and grooves. I hadn't heard of this album or artist before and I'm happy to add it to my repertoire.

I had never heard this before, and it was beautiful!

Aside from the album title this was fantastic! Maseru is the standout track for me.

Not bad just not my thibg

I had a good time, until it quite literally put me to sleep. And whether that’s on my sleep deprivation or the album, idk. The whole thing felt very very long

I don’t really know how to review jazz really but I liked this, it was pretty good.

Nice and smooth. I was surprised that I like it so much. I’m not a great jazz fan usually

beautiful, cathartic and life affirming music. i could play this any time of the day and still be happy

Sublime. Had never heard before but has some proper put you in a trance stuff. Kinda like humans being attune to certain smells I feel like most humans would enjoy some of the sounds off this album.

Hugh Masekela is a giant of the African jazz scene. This record exemplifies this, with tons of character and dynamics. No two songs sound the same and the 70 minute run through is a breeze. Best Tracks: - Maesha Worst Tracks: N/A Rating: 7/10

good jazz instrumental album! nichts bahnbrechendes der saxaphonist war aber gut

Superb

Little too jazzy for me.

Jazzi

1. part of a whole: exciting uplifting horn intro, decent production, nice keyboards, complex drums, long sax solo, fast horn middle section, nice keyboards solo, really long instrumental, horn sax duet faded outro 2. minawa: nice chill piano intro, cool fast piano solo, beautiful harmonized horn sax duet, triple tonguing horn solo, loud, spittin sax solo, great outro, cool song 3. the big apple: exciting harmonized horn sax duet, lively bass riff, energetic horn solo, screeching sax solo, nice piano solo 4. unhome: curious bass riff, crying sax solo, slow vibe, isolated horn outro 5. maseru: isolated horn intro into fast rhythms, mario kart sounding, harmonized horn sax duet, fast horn solo, nice piano interlude, fast drum and bass beat

Very accessible for a jazz album.

This was my album on a cold dreary winter Monday. And it is so up my alley that my day just improved. This album had exactly the right energy and feel. The instruments were tight and the melodies were great. Even on some of the more out there tracks like Blues for Huey, I found myself coming around to liking them by the end. I don’t know how I hadn’t heard Hugh Masekela’s work before this, but I will certainly return to find other albums of his.

dnf not for me

Smooth

It's a solid jazz album. It plays with the Afrobeat, and pulls it off.

This is alright. I don't love jazz but I find the upbeat and funky tracks quite fun. The musicianship is clearly very skilled but I did get bored by the end. Fine enough background music but too exciting as a whole album

The intro was probably my favorite part of the album - the rest was alright, but I thought there was too much growling/screeching, to the point that it took away from some of the solos. My issue with Jazz (or instrumental bands, actually) is that sometimes the players focus on making music that is technically difficult instead of fun to listen to. There wasn't too much of that in this album, so it wasn't bad, but still something that came up a few times.

Oh I loved this. Wow wow wow. What a magical jazz album. I'm going to listen to more of his catalogue for sure.

This was actually pretty cool....

Nope. I tried jazz ages ago. I even pretended to like it for a while. This is classic jazz that I cannot connect with. Someone likes this, not me, not ever.

Really enjoyed it. Made me realize I should listen to more jazz, excellent album to listen to while working.

Smooth

Gentle jazz, pleasant but I fear not very memorable for me

I typically am not into jazz music. I can fuck with this though. The initial groove is strong in each song, and he/they tend to do some individual solos and come back to that initial groove which is nice. Occasionally it goes off the deep end into super jazzy form-free stuff but not too much which is probably what makes me like it more than most jazz stuff.

The first song was one of the best jazz tracks I've ever heard. I thought I was done with jazz. Many good tracks soon follow suit. "Home is Where the Music Is" is a brilliant name for an album. I didn't know what a flugelhorn was until I heard this record. 4 stars for "Home is Where the Music Is".

a mix of feelings, which takes you through a journey in a way. playing is on point. Trumpets get a bit repetitive as they are generally quite simple (which works in some areas). Favourite songs: Part of a whole, minawa, unhome, maseru. Overall around 8/10

Interesting spin. The songs flow into each other in a way that made me lose track of how long I'd been listening. But they keep inventing melodies and little flair things that happen, which keep it interesting.

Jazz isn't my favorite, but this was a good Sunday morning listen

Yes

South African trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn player Hugh Masekela. I can't help but wonder if his 1972 album "Home Is Where The Music Is" appears on the list because it was recorded in London following his exile from South Africa, and this list has a heavy British bias. But, jazz critics also consider it a highlight of a very prolific career. Masekela had international commercial success in the late 1960s with original compositions but became better known for pop jazz covers. "Home Is Where The Music Is" dispenses with comfort of the familiar, Jazz vocalists were struggling to stay relevant when pop radio switched to rock and roll and Julie London was covering The Doors, while Carmen McRae dramatically interpreted Simon and Garfunkel's The Sounds of Silence. Hugh Masekela records an album of songs by South African composers and singers. It sounds mellow and warm. But, this isn't the Mbaqanga of South African pop music under apartheid that would inspire the cultural theft of Paul Simon's Graceland, this is not "world music" as signifier of cultural difference. In a way this Afro-jazz album transcends imposed labels, reviewers consider it to be a cross-cultural conversation between Western conventions and an unheard by Western ears, African musical heritage. "Minawa" is beautifully mellow and sprawling, "The Big Apple" bears a passing resemblance to "Summertime" before the familiar is spontaneously composed away.

Can't believe I haven't heard this, really enjoyed it and will explore his entire songbook more!

I thought the first track was a little interesting, but the further the album progressed the less interested I became.

I can flugel my horn with the best of them. But this album was just to long winded. Better than some of the jazz efforts already received here, but end of the day it’s just jazz to me.

Really dull. And possibly the worst album name ever

It’s jazz

Better than some other jazz albums we’ve had but still not my bag. Way too long and really started to drag in the back half. 2/5

Maybe someday I won't be such a musical plebeian that I can actually enjoy jazz more. Today is not that day.

Good melodies, lot of fun. Not my favorite of 70s jazz, but I enjoyed the afrobeat elements, and I'll likely explore more of his catalogue.

I bet if I enjoyed jazz I would love this.