- Been Such A Long Time Gone (One of the last LPs I bought at Webster Records just before it closed was Masekela's "I Am Not Afraid." One of its highlights is this Masekela composition, with captivating lyrics about readjusting to a place that was once so familiar.)
- Blues For Huey (Masekela displays his traditional straight ahead jazz chops on trumpet here.)
- Cantelope Island (Live) (A fine, forthright cover of the Herbie Hancock tune, with Larry Willis on piano.)
- Grazing In The Grass (Fifty years later, this is still an engaging fresh breeze of a melody. To casual listeners, this is the instrumental for which Masekela is best known. Also, check out the idealistic, welcoming vocals on The Friends Of Distinction's rendition.)
- Moonza (with Herb Alpert) (If smooth jazz had been a radio format in 1978, this would have been a staple cut, for its immediate accessibility and resemblance to Chuck Mangione.)
- Night In Tunisia (Another standout from "I Am Not Afraid." This is how you honor Dizzy Gillespie, while sounding contemporary for the time, i.e. 1974.)
- Skokiaan (with Herb Alpert) (An appealingly blended cover kicks off a collaboration between two noted trumpet and flugelhorn players.)
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
In memory of Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela, a prolific trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer for over five decades, passed away today. I consider these seven of his best tracks:
