Home Is Where The Music Is

1001 Albums Generator 180 (12/12/2025) Home Is Where The Music is is the first jazz album I've had on this list that I hadn't ever heard of. The first two songs had me very excited, in spite of the massive size of this album. Part Of A Whole is a fusion jam that features really good solo work and also a really rhythmically interesting head melody. Minawa is very different and is a slow building, piano-led cool jazz piece. By the time you get to the end of it, it's just unbelievable. There are other good moments on Home Is Where The Music Is, but nothing hits the same as the first two tracks. The other more fusion-y stuff like Inner Crisis is pretty good, and I really like songs like Maseru and Ingoo Pow-Pow that have such a strong energy. But there's a lot of fluff here. Unhome and Blues For Huey are really 12 unnecessary minutes on a 76 minute double LP. And I'm no prude when it comes to song lengths, but I really don't think that every single song needed to be over 5 minutes. Like a couple of them could've been 4 minute jams right? With all that said, I would argue that I like more of this album than I dislike, but I walked away a bit frustrated by the perceived lack of pruning that the tracklist received. 3/5. Favs: Part Of A Whole Minawa Inner Crisis Least Fav: Unhome

Great jazz music all around. Hugh Masekela did not disappoint, it got a bit sleepy at times but jazz be like that sometimes. Still, it was a pleasure either way. 3.50/5

Ganz geil, aber kann man nicht immer hören

Beautiful chill jazz. Really well produced. Not really something I'd actively listen to, but great background music. Inner Crisis aside - that's a banger. Faves: Part Of A Whole, Inner Crisis, Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children's Song)

Smooth jazz

Really good 3.5

I’m giving into three cause it’s probably decent jazz, but I’m not listening to this whole album. Just not a jazz guy.

Some incredible and fast, intricate trumpet riffs. Like the slower pace later on in the album. Some of the songs get a bit long and quite repetitive though. 6/10

Just not a big fan of jazz. Or not fitting with my current mood.

Solid jazz

I mean I am not a huge jazz fan and I DEFINITELY did not like all of the songs on this album, but I think if you want something that is good for like a Christmas party or get together with friends and you want something in the background for good noise, this would provide it

Fine jazz

buenas canciones, pero exceso de longitud con partes bastante monotonas, aunque un buen jazz siempre entra bien En minawua hay un par de partes de la cancion donde me chirria mucho, like ese efecto que hace que la saxo grazne me han matado. ademas de los sonidos asi mas africanos a ratos, ha sido gracioso He disociado totalmente porque estaba estudiando, pero agradable mientras estudiaba, las primeras canciones guays, el resto ñeg, me ha ido decepcionando la verdad

Not bad.

Great sounding jazz. Not really my thing but I liked it.

Good quality music but not for me

Not my style, very mild instrumental. Good for background music.

This reminded me I want to listen to more jazz. And that I NEED to listen to more jazz.. I think my brain has become too weak and soft to fully appreciate an hour and 16 minutes of it, but I enjoyed it nonetheless

Posh Christmas party music (tis the season)

This album is a huge warm, and spiritual burst of jazz. The wind instruments harmonizing through the whole album immediately caught my attention, and the solo in that opener song is incredible what an intro. The main instrument you hear is a flugelhorn actually, played by Masekela, it has a very bold and expressive tone that it feels like it’s speaking directly to you. The general vibe of the album is very warm, soft jazz. I can actually feel waves of calm washing over me while listening. It’s known for being very influential for its time, it shifted direction and did something new and important by fusing South African rhythms with American spiritual music, soul, and funk, creating a unique jazz-fusion sound. However, overall it’s a bit too long for my liking as a full front to back instrumental jazz listen. If I’m in the right mood, it feels immersive, slow, groove-heavy, emotional, and alive, but because it’s so calm and spacious, it also sometimes drifts into “background music” territor, perfect for relaxing, having dinner, or reading. My favourite songs are Part of a Whole, Minawa, The Big Apple, Maseru, Blues for Huey, and Maesha.

That was a great listen,

V. Smooth

Good jazz

5.6/10

Lots of great stuff here and some great variety. Some of it's a bit sleepy for my taste, but otherwise I really dig it.

peak background music

Jazz. Decent

jazz

к таким джазовым темам у меня всегда одна претензия: почему так долго?

Jazz

Very good jazz album I’m sure but I can’t listen to much jazz for that long!

Really impressive playing, sitting somewhere between easy-listening and jazzy, but far too long to sustain my attention.

Started out good, but was way too long. Really got bored with it.

I don't have a ton to say about this album, but I really enjoyed listening to this album while working throughout the day. The influences of African and Afro-Cuban music added a great rhythmic energy to the album overall. Song picks are Minawa, The Big Apple, and Maseru.

So I’m gathering there is a lot of jazz on this list. No problem, but I guess I’m going to have to learn more about jazz so I can say more than “it was jazz, it was fine”. Cause right now they all sound the same to me! Good thing there’s still more than 900 albums.

Jazz is jazz

Definitely something! It's fine. Not my style, and I don't know enough about the genre to appreciate the influence this has had on music downstream.

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 4 - because of my own personal preferences around jazz. But, I can respect that there's some great music on this album.

Very nice jazz album Very long songs, but I get it because it's jazz. Drums are great on the song Blues For Huey. A great album to listen to while doing homework or studying.

It's sort of funny how often I mention that "I'm music first." "Lyrics aren't not important to me", I always say, "but I come to music for the **music**, y'know?" And that's well and fine and all; who **doesn't** come to music for the music? But it's just the thought that if that were really true that I am "music first" I'd maybe have something more to say about instrumental music like this — and I really don't. It's largely been my problem with talking about jazz, in any form. I **need** some kind of hook to go off and jazz often doesn't provide me with any. Sure, sure, there's discussing it on a compositional level, but I mean I need a hook that **I** can talk about. An album like 'Hot Rats' can provide me one with where it fits in Frank Zappa's discography ... 'In A Silent Way' had one provided for it, where I could defend it against the claim that it's elevator music ... but this? I'm not sure what the hook is supposed to be here. And I **did** look; I read up on Hugh Masekela and he sounds like a pretty upstanding guy. Largely in the same way Miriam Makeba did (and it makes total sense to me that they were married). I mean, this man has been called the father of African jazz; I should be able to pull out **something** to say about his music. And yet... But, yeah, yeah, we all know that talking about music is like dancing about architecture. I'll stop complaining and try to actually write something down. 'Home Is Where The Music Is' is ... good background music. When your ears train on it to listen to it, it's good stuff — good **structured** stuff, at that. But with these songs being as long as they are, and as generally pleasant as they are, I didn't feel the need to try and stay locked onto them for too long. Instead, I used it as an excuse to finish the book I was reading ('The Running Man', ahead of the new movie). In those terms, it's really pretty good. I sort of doubt this music was composed with the idea of it being audio wallpaper (I can't imagine any music being made that way besides ambient), but, 'ey, that's what I got out of it. And I never mean "background music" as an insult anyway. And ... that's it! Really now. And, like, sure, maybe I was distracted by my book and that's why I couldn't come up with too much to say. I can accept that. But I get the impression I'd've come out the other side with just as much to say about this music anyway. Maybe I'd have a comment to make about its length (76 minutes, goodness!), but ... yeah. I'unno. It's good stuff; just not anything that inspires me to wanna write too much. At least I was able to hit my average word count, so that's something...

Bez ostatniego utworu gwiazdka więcej

Building lego around Christmas time to this would go SOOOO hard

Part of A Whole was good, but it was too long to regularly listen to. It was pretty solid from there up to the drum solo in Blues for Huey. I did quite like Nomali, although like with Part of a Whole it was too long.

It would be unjust to rate a jazz album poorly when it's my least favourite music genre. A legend in the South African music industry gets a 3 star although there was very little of it I enjoyed.

Jazz isn’t my bag, but I can appreciate it in the background like this. I’m not likely to have my mind blown or anything, but the afrobeat fusion here is nice.

Un crack el negro como toca. Linda música. Me gustó mucho más la segunda mitad. El hecho que no cante y la cuestión jazzera un poco me la baja. Sigo sin entrar de todo en el género. 5/10

A serviceable, but exceedingly long jazz album with a bit of a world flourish

I couldn’t sing along but not terrible.

An ok Jazz album. Not into it as much as others though. I like the piano parts and solos a lot though.

A pretty good jazz album.

Good

I liked this one a lot with the main drawback for me just being the length. I’d listen to a lot of these songs on their own before I’d listen to the full album again.

It was okay. I prefer vocals

Great album, beautiful playing. A fine discovery for me!

Easy listening jazz

Not a jazz guy, though sometimes I aspire to it. Loved this, but I'm always suspicious that there's something wrong with jazz I find immediately satisfying.

Good jazz but too long

Pleasant jazz album. Nothing too memorable about it, though.

Great album. Really enjoyed the keys throughout it. South African Jazz, alright.

3.5 This is a great album to listen to while reading a good book and drinking a glass of red wine!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Home is where the jazz beats flutter! 🎺🎷👐 I’m a teetotaller when it comes to Jazz offerings, having said that these grooves serve as quite a pleasant backdrop to help liven up the social atmosphere. The album blends jazz, Afrobeat, soul‑jazz and South African musical traditions. Masekela doesn’t stick to one mode but uses this double LP to wander across grooves, moods, rhythmic patterns and textures. 🎧 Classic Track: The Big Apple 🎧 Deep Cut Gem: Nomali 🚫 Skip Track: Ingoo Pow- Pow (Children’s Song) There’s both energy and space here with some tracks being quite driving & intense, while others are more balladic or reflective. That contrast allows the listener dynamic variation rather than fatigue. The album is not just music for music’s sake. Masekela (and his collaborators) bring in the influence of exile, African heritage, the apartheid context, and the longing for home—musically expressed in rhythms, in certain song choices, in the emotional tone. This gives it depth beyond aesthetics. 🖼️ Album Artwork: Meh While nothing here is arduous to enjoy, a double LP running over 75 minutes can be a lot to take in one go. Some listeners might find portions drag or feel repetitious. The variety helps, but there are parts where momentum dips.

It’s was okay.

This is what jazz music sounds like.

Really great playing. I probably won't put it on very much unless I want to feel classy.

It’s not my favourite flavour of jazz 3/5

C’est du bon jazz

Liked it a lot.

Unexpected but I liked this! The big apple, inner crisis, and Normali stand out but I liked it all.

I wanted to love it more than I do, but I’m an honest fellow.

Nice

7,7/10

I enjoyed this but it's not something I would choose to listen to in my day to day

Fairly sure I've heard some of these tracks before. It's like jazz meditation — interesting but I couldn't really listen through the album in one sitting. Maybe I needed a few drinks. 3/5

Lowkey mediocre.

This is good but inconsistent for me. I've enjoyed other jazz albums more but some of the songs were great! Fav-Nomali

What I think of as lazy Sunday jazz. Chilled and inoffensive with a couple of more upbeat numbers. Didn't grip me but I didn't hate it

This is music we need to hear right now.

Fan of the smooth jazz - again another change of pace to what I normally listen to. Funky base line in The Big Apple is very enjoyable. As I’m not a connoisseur of jazz many songs blended together but I have a big appreciation for the musical abilities shown.

Unexpected! Great listen

Not usually big on jazz but quite enjoyed that

Delightful South African jazz

Solid jazz album.

It's cool. He plays a flugelhorn, which is objectively funny. Anyway, this is subjectively, a bit too smooth and objectively a bit too long, but there's some nice bits and rhythms.

I've never listened to this album (14). Cool, smooth trumpet jazz.

South African twist on soul/jazz with some very melodic trumpet playing makes for a relaxing album. More arrangements than songs with some clocking in at 10 minutes, nevertheless a pleasant listen and not a record I had heard before.

Bardzo przyjemny

Pretty good listening, but nothing special or attention grabbing. From my Wikipedia reading, I learned that Hugh Masekela is important for bringing a uniquely African flavor to jazz and for writing several protest songs that were important in the South African anti-apartheid movement... pretty cool! This album didn't send me anywhere amazing, but it's fun to hear some early Afrobeat influence on a genre that I enjoy (jazz). I hope we get some proper Ethio-jazz at some point: Mulatu Astatke or Hailu Mergia would be awesome.

Love the jazziness but did start getting fatigued, but I think that's on me.

3,1

Фʼюжн з афроджаз орієнтиром. Загалом приємний альбом. Мені не всі композиції сподобались. Іноді були не дуже цікаві мелодії на трубі, а тут це головний інструмент.

я розслабилась.

Reposant jazz

There’s something quaint about jazz albums with dumb homespun titles like this. It sounds like one of those plaques quietly depressed housewives get at homegoods and put on their kitchen walls. Home is where the music is. Oh god, I’m so lonely.

I really dig Masekela! Having only heard grazing in the grass before this, I knew to some extent that this would be happy jazz 🤣 The album is a tish too long and slow at times, but I still managed to get through it a couple of times this weekend. Maesha is an incredible tune. It has a slow start (2 mins or so of buildup), but the vamp is worth it. It was in my ears all weekend Somewhere around the 3.5 stars mark

7/10. Great background jazz music for the living room

В целом спокойный альбом с довольно хаотичной музыкой. Последней композиции лучше бы не было - испортила только общее впечатление. Можно слушать фоном, когда хочется нестандартного джаза. 6 из 10.

Made for good waiting for the bus in the rain at first. But did feel quite bloated for what it was.

I tried, and I can tell this is high quality music, but it mostly sounds like very well-played muzak to my ears.

Funky enough

This album is pretty neat but it really faded into the background for me.

Coffee shop music. Fades into the background for me. Gets repetitive. Very long album. 2.5 rounded to 3

Album is much Jazz! But like, in a good way. Not that spastic all over the place nonsense. This is the kind of stuff I'd put on in the background while working on my novel. I know it's been over 20 years and I should just release the thing already, but I won't let brevity be the enemy of perfection. The 56th chapter about the musings of the 'sophisticated interlocuter' are some of my finest work. Anyway, the album is alright. 3 stars.

Oh man! This jazzy album has all the jazz! It's got shiny brass, squeaky sax, faint bass, sporadic piano, chaotic drums! 10/10 is jazz!

Sound Jazz album, not my personal favorite

I definitely rate jazz on kind of a weird scale because I'm just not well versed in it. Unless I absolutely loved it (there have been a few) or hated it (also a few) they mostly get a 3 star rating. This is also getting that 3 star rating. It was pleasant, and I liked it well enough (up until the last song). Nothing I'll listen to again, but it was nice.

Jazz

A lovely listen, some high peaks but some middle of the road stuff as well. Really liked Part of a whole and Nomali 3.9/5

Nice background music. Unremarkable

This album isnybad, it's just my uncultured brain doesn't know how to distinguish a good blues/jazz instrumental record from a dull one. Is this album the one that inspired an entire genre? Or just another album in a sea of Jazz? I have no clue. Either way, Masekala is talented. Also Wikipedia says Masekala was basically an anti-apartheid activist and that that comes through in his music. I couldn't tell any of that just from listening

Haven't heard of Hugh before. Pleasantly surprised. Jazz albums are a hit or miss but this one actually did have something that made it stand out and be a bit "catchy" 3/5

I always enjoy some good jazz. This is pretty good.

It's too long for my tastes, but it's not a bad jazz album. Definitely not my favorite though.

Very good jazz record

A little heavy on the horn, but in general some good, bombastic jazz. I don't know that I'll return, but I enjoyed the journey.

jazzy - made me work fast

Cool jazz - pleasant to listen to and musically interesting when you concentrate. Not really a jazz fan but can't help but admire the skills. This was a good hour of music.

19/1089 a very relaxed and warm vibe, can’t say it’s my thing yet but it’s a nice change of pace. i dont really have the knowledge/framework to understand this music fully or pick out what parts i like in detail but it’s a pleasant listen and is something i’d enjoy as part of a soundtrack Maseru is fast becoming a stand out for me as is Inner Crisis, both of those were really great listens and definitely stood out The ending of Maesha is pretty magical i like that Ingoo Pow-Pow feels like an epilogue almost with the vocalising etc it’s a nice unwind/release after the rest of the album faves: Inner Crisis, Maseru no least faves 3 stars or 61/100

snazzy

Jazz is just not my thing but I guess this is a decent album?

Alright

Ondanks dat het jazz is, heb ik mij niet ge-ergerd. Blij vlagen zelfs vermakelijk.

I love jazz and the fact that this album is not on my radar signifies the questionability of it being on this list. However I am not into smooth jazz which this borders on in my opinion which also makes me question its place on this list. There is a lot of great jazz. There is a stunning lack of jazz on this list. This album, sadly should be neither. 3/5

Makes good background music. Very relaxing. Makes me want to drink whiskey neat. I think I would like it more if it was winter time.

Jazz albums have become the Jehovah's Witnesses of this project. I keep gently saying that I'm not interested but they still keep knocking. This album was gentle and easy to listen to. I had it on during a long drive and it was a pleasant companion. I particularly liked the mix of horns and piano taking the lead on melody. As usual though, the album all sort of blurred into one and sounded pretty homogeneous, apart from a bit of "Ingoo Pow-Pow" at the end which was a positive change of pace.

Quite catchy and entertaining for a jazz-album. Looses a bit tension at the end for me and therefor it is maybe too long. Weak three stars. 2,5

This style of jazz is puzzling to me because it doesn’t seem to go anywhere melodically, but it is nice background music.

This was good, I enjoyed it

I liked it. Straight up jazz.

Yep, this is definitely Jazz. What, you wanted me to say more? My favorite song on this album is “Part Of A Whole”, as it’s the only one I really remembered. It’s the only one I kept coming back to since it’s the first song on the album. I don’t know man, it’s really, really hard reviewing Jazz due to its very nature. Further more, the more of them I listen to, the harder it becomes to give a unique review that's not just a copy and paste of the last one. The best compliment I can give this album is that the piano player goes pretty crazy at times. Would I come back to this? Not really. Did I enjoy it more or less compared to some of the other Jazz I’ve heard so far? Couldn’t really say that either. It didn't really annoy me, excite me, bore me or offend me in any meaningful way so it’s getting another 3. One thing is for certain though, I still don't know how I feel about Jazz as a whole.

3.5

3.5

Razzy, snazzy jazzer album with a general rich, earthy, vibrant feel to it. Pretty directionless though and with super interminable track durations. I felt I was trapped and suffocating in snazzy razzmatazzy jazz elevator for most of a lifetime but really I was only halfway through the second track. Wouldn’t want to call this home let alone a possible Air BnB destination.

Was hoping to like this one more

great horn listen, I wouldnt call it an absolute classic but if i ever see the LP I'd pick it up, 3.5

Had never heard of this guy. A pretty good, big jazz album for a Saturday morning. Nothing shocking here but a good album.

calkiem przyjemny, album typu do wlaczenia przy gotowaniu obiadu

This time I did not like the jazz so much

What a great album. It's an amazing blend of jazz with african rhythms and instruments. So glad I found this album and this artist! 3.5⭐️

Good stuff Catchy jazz, did not expect to listen to it as much as I did

My Jazz penny has yet to drop. This was an easier listen than some of the other Jazz so far (looking at you Mungus) and was pleasant at times but at other times it did make my ears bleed and welcome the silence when I paused the jazz. Was disappointed there was not more afrobeat flavourings as was looking forward to that. Only managed one listen through.

#DÍA 6: 1001 Discos Que Hay Que Escuchar Antes De Morir (English Translation Below) No sé por qué el generador de álbumes categoriza este disco como “Afrobeat” si sólo la última pista se podría considerar como tal pero bueno. Por lo demás, es un LP bastante básico de jazz, nada que no te esperes, por lo que termina siendo una escucha agradable pero quizá demasiado inofensiva para un género de música del que suelo esperar una experiencia algo más salvaje y fuera de la norma. La atmósfera es sólida, es suave y en general para tenerlo de fondo viene al dedo. Sin embargo, se me hace muy aburrido en gran medida, incluso el solo de batería en Blues for Huey es como una delicada brisa que ni hace moverse un poco al árbol. Las dos primeras piezas si cargan con algo más de calidad y movimiento, las melodías y solos de Part of a Whole son muy entretenidas, recuerdan en parte a Herbie Hancock. Luego Minawa progresa de una forma muy consistente y construye una serie de armonías con las que sí llegué a quedar algo hipnotizado. No obstante, la mayoría del álbum pasa bastante desapercibido y deja bastante que desear. Favoritas: Part of a Whole, Minawa, Maseru Menos favoritas: Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children’s Song) #DAY 6: 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die I don't know why the album generator categorizes this record as "Afrobeat" when only the last track could be considered as such, but oh well. Other than that, it's a fairly basic jazz LP—nothing you wouldn't expect—so it ends up being a pleasant listen, though perhaps a bit too harmless for a genre of music from which I usually expect a wilder, more unconventional experience. The atmosphere is solid, it's smooth, and overall it works perfectly as background music. However, I find it quite boring for the most part—even the drum solo in Blues for Huey feels like a gentle breeze that doesn't even make the tree sway a little. The first two pieces do carry a bit more quality and movement; the melodies and solos in Part of a Whole are very entertaining, somewhat reminiscent of Herbie Hancock. Then Minawa progresses in a very consistent way and builds a series of harmonies that actually left me a bit hypnotized. Nonetheless, most of the album goes largely unnoticed and leaves quite a bit to be desired. Favorites: Part of a Whole, Minawa, Maseru Least favorite: Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children’s Song)

this is great for any mood, just to have it going in the background

Helt okej jazzalbum

This album is suuuper 70s. I liked it but I feel like it’s so dated it would be a tough sell for anyone these days. It’s jazzy, sure, but in such a specific 70s way. And I’m not sure I could even say why it’s that way. Regardless, I enjoyed listening. Probably wouldn’t listen again. 3/5

Great playing from Mr. Masakela. Unfortunately, the compositions aren't that expectional. The album is too long and repetitive. Still I could see myself listen this album time to time, but nothing to be too excited about.

I seem to like Jazz music but know nothing about it. My rating may not be fair

Not a big jazz fan, but this one had moments, especially with the piano solos, that I could get into.

Good time! Lyder ikke lige så vild som mange af de andre fusion jazz plader jeg har hørt fra start-70erne men det er ikke nødvendigvis en dårlig ting!

Quite pleasant..

From what (admittedly little) research I did, Hugh Masekela seems deeply important to the landscape of jazz, and this is seemingly regarded to be among his best. While I can tell this is a detailed, sophisticated piece of jazz, I'm not sure I can entirely speak this music's language. I enjoy jazz quite a bit, but my comfort zone usually hovers around the hard-bop, swing and (to an extent) free jazz world. Home Is Where The Music Is has some distance from these touchstones, and while I enjoy this while it's on, I often just don't have the ear to tell you exactly what is spectacular about it. Although, this is still a pretty great album to just sort of drift through, even if I can't take it all in. Although there are some moments here that I feel I can fully appreciate. The Drumwork in the second half of Blues For Huey is really incredible. I also love the second half of Minawa. And Ingoo Pow-Pow brings in some really interesting percussive and vocal components that really set it apart. Also, I would like to note that while Hugh Masekela's name is specifically on this, it feels more like an ensemble piece than a solo exhibition at many times (although he certainly has some fantastic flugelhorn solos on here). Overall, this is pretty great and I enjoyed it quite a bit, I don't know if I see myself coming back to it anytime soon though: maybe someday.

Tons of variety, really enjoyed the brass

Excellent musicianship (particularly the piano), arrangements, and overall sound. I appreciated my listen but I don’t plan to revisit in full; it didn’t grip me like other jazz albums have.

Enjoyed. Good chill jazz.

Very consistent sound, would be good as instrumental background music. Best song: Part of a Whole Notable(s): Maseru

Disco de jazz entretenido. Pese a que el jazz no ha sido mi género favorito, cuanto más escucho, más me gusta. Serán prejuicios. Tiene varias canciones de más de 7 minutos, cosa que siempre se disfruta.

Reminds me of SimsCity2000 music

как оказалось, не все эти духовые звуки люблю + африканские чанты не зашли

It's jazz. Not the biggest fan, and the more I hear via this list, the less interested I am. Sounds ok but runs long

Good

yeah it was fine

Decent for background ambience at work while coding. Some parts of the songs can get quite fun, but it's too long for me and there are enough boring sections to detract a couple of points. My favourite song was the first one, "Part Of a Whole"; the sections that I enjoyed the most came from this track.

The musicianship is clear, but at some point one track was just floating into the next with no discernable unique qualities, and I think that's where jazz lives for me: Love and admire it, but there are no songs I jump up for, no songs that get stuck in my head, no songs I can't wait to revisit. The masterpieces transcend that; this wasn't one of them.

Ganz ordentlicher Jazz. 3,3

Good to study to, was sure about the drums but really enjoy it

Kind sweet until the last song, which is so bad and inconsistent with the foregoing that it lost a star

Happy to say I am LOVING this. Embarrassed to say that I've never heard of this artist before

Cool jazz

Okay but some random noodling.

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.

Jazz, good

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

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

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?

i don’t remember

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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)

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.

Really emotionally invoking

Solid and easy listening

correct

Correct pas malade. Vite oublié.

Groovy stuff. I like this!

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

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.

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".

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

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.

Had some good vibes

Yli tunti tiskausjazzia Etelä-Afrikasta

3.5 Need to revisit

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

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

a very fun listen!

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This was good, but still not my gateway into jazz

Jazz is a really good genre

Jazz, really solid

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.

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 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.

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

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.

dnf not for me

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.

This was actually pretty cool....

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.

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

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

I bet if I enjoyed jazz I would love this.

Nice background vibe.

Great vibe to this record, feels like you're travelling around a busy city

My wife walked in while I was listening to this and asked if I was watching a 70's cop show. This album definitely had that vibe.

Would rather the piano of ryuichi...

Jazz is one of the genres I don't fully understand yet, but I know that I'll probably get into later down the line. As for this album specifically, honestly, there's not much to criticize here. Although I feels like it doesn't do a good job at separating itself from the rest, Home Is Where the Music Is is a solid jazz record with great performances all around. That being said, I don't understand why many artist are so averse to cutting their albums to more appropriate lengths. I'm not against long albums, but for the record to justify its length, in my opinion, it needs to either constantly rejuvenate itself with new and exciting ideas or be based around one idea and explore it with different approaches. Unfortunately, a lot of longer records, this one included, tend to fall under neither and be just repetitive. 7/10

It is very good genre music but I don't find it personally engaging.

Lots to like but too much of the good stuff

Listened on my drive home from work and it was a solid album for a night drive. I get it’s a jazz album but some of the songs could have been tightened up. Inner Crisis was great. I felt like a 1970s big city detective on my way to the big bust. 3.5

I feel completely neutral about this album.

I definitely don't know why this is on the list. I've never even heard of this album. It's good, and the dude is related to Earl Sweatshirts which is cool. 3.5/5

Pleasant and enjoyable enough listen. Maseru picked up the energy a bit but otherwise it all sorta blended together. Enjoyable enough but I likely won’t return to it. Not my cup of jizz. 3 stars

Jazzy funky

Enjoyed some trumpeting but it ran long (75 min) and started to get dull. Clearly talented musician though.

I liked this mostly but a double Lp was a lot to take in at once. What a talented horn player he was. I hadn't idea.

I enjoyed some of this, which is about as good as it gets with me and jazz. It definitely dragged in some parts, but the musicianship was consistently good. I think. I dunno, it got harder to pay attention to in the last half of the album. 2.5

I'm torn. This was a really good listen, the musicians are so talented and the performances are incredible, but I cannot imagine ever having the desire to hear it again, which I think has to be part of what makes a great album. Experiencing this live would be the best, but relistening to improvised music seems crazy. Do I maybe just take issue with the concept of jazz recordings?

It's some decent jazz, but it's not wowing me. It drags on a little despite being solid throughout.

Pleasant.

That was really enjoyable. I ended up listening to it twice

The beginning of the album reminder me of SNL's transition music lol. Overall an enjoyable jazz album, but not among my favorites.

This is #day157 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... it looks like this is my first jazz album on the list. I like the album title, Home Is Where the Music Is. Never knew this guy’s name before, but that’s part of the fun, I guess. Is this the kind of jazz I gravitate toward, though? I'm not sure. It’s a bit too traditional and smooth if you will, although the record does have its edgy/more experimental moments. My personal highlight, for example, is Blues For Huey. But I wouldn’t reach for this the second time. Also, it's mercilessly long... This is a 3 out of 5. Looking forward to #day158.

Quite enjoyable Jazz album for the background. So easy going, it fails to be catchy.

it was ok, still elevator music tho

Enjoyable listen. Rated 3 1/2 stars for me since this website does not allow half stars ill go with 3 Sadge.

Jazz does not interest me in a full LP form. I just need to listen to it more before having a fair judgement

3.5, nothing wrong with it, definitely some engaging moments I just felt it dragged a little

Jazz jazz jazz jazz, tsch tsch tsch tschtschtsch tsch tsch - bumm tsch bubummbumm tsch yeahyeah jazz jazz jazz Weiss noni so was für e jazz person dasi bin, obwohl ich gwüsse moderne jazz super super nice find, isch mer klassische jazz mengisch zu jazzig. Aber irgendwie hets de masekela mit sim Jazz guet troffe ah mim Fritig Morge, darum gits au gern drü jazzhands inejazzled vo mir.

Hallo zusammen, Den folgenden text müsst ihr mit einem schweizerdeutschem akzent lesen. Dann ist es vielleicht lustiger, da mir sonst nicht so viel schlaues einfällt. Auf jeden Fall, ich habe kurz reingehört und es ist eigentlich noch eine gemütliche musik, die auch schon vor einiger Zeit gemacht wurde. Ich hatte aber wiedermal zu wenig zeit um musik zu hören, weil wir sind gerade in lombok und hier ist mehr surfen und strand angesagt. Zurück zum album es ist weder schuurig schlecht noch schampar guet. 3 tequila sönrise

Jazz, was pleasant to listen to. Not majorly bothered.

OK

Cool album, unfortunately was distracted by work and missed parts. Enjoyed what I heard.

Old instrumental jazz album. Stand-out: Maseru

Agree with John, decent background jazz tracks. Review for pictures at an exhibition was accidentally the jazz one whoops.

First album on this list with no preconceptions. Decent jazz for playing in the background.

Solid jazzy album

Listened Before? N Really good trumpet jazz. I enjoyed this one for mellow background music. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: The Big Apple

Not my cup of tea.

Worth a spin!

Very nice