The ARChive of Contemporary Music in conjunction with Columbia University has initiated a series of World Music Days starting today with its first: Muslim World Music Day. Since its inception, the collaborative endeavor has generated an extensive web-based database of over 4000 recordings from the greater Islamic world. I was approached by the project to compile a list of related material from South Africa in the flatinternational archive. Of course, this task will take many years and is ongoing. But for the time being, to coincide with the project's launch today, April 12th 2011, I have put together a visual discography of the early work of one of South Africa's finest jazz pianists, the iconic Abdullah Ibrahim (aka Dollar Brand).Calling Ibrahim prolific is an understatement! He has recorded well over 70 individual albums over the last 55 years. For that reason I have chosen to focus this discography primarily on LPs from the first twenty or so years of his career. For those interested in the ultimate discography of Ibrahim's work, I would recommend Lars Rasmussen's book, Abdullah Ibrahim: A Discography, without which much of my own research would not have been possible.
The list below is by no means exhaustive. Many additional recordings from this period have subsequently been issued on CD. Moreover, the LPs represented here have each been issued and reissued in many different countries, often with alternative covers. In most cases I have attempted to show the first cover with its country of origin. In addition I have tried to include all pressings from Rashid Vally's The Sun (As Shams) label based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The date shown is the year in which the recording was made and any additional dates in parentheses (brackets) are issue dates for the vinyl. Ibrahim did record a few 78 rpm discs with other bands before 1960 and The Sun label issued various tracks as 7" 45 rpm singles. I have included some of these in the discography.
(Abdullah Ibrahim image sourced from Yvonne Huskisson's The Bantu Composers of Southern Africa, SABC, 1969.)
DISCOGRAPHY (1956 - 1980)
Regtrek Kwela / Hot Toddy
1956
Parade, 78 rpm, RSA
HP 517
Jazz Epistle Verse 1
1960
Gallo, Continental, RSA
CONT 14
(thanks to Warren Siebrits)
Dollar Brand Plays Sphere Jazz
1960 (1962)
Gallo, Continental, RSA
ZB 8047
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786141
(thanks to Olivier Ledure)
Duke Ellington Presents The Dollar Brand Trio
1963
Reprise, USA
R 6111 / R9 6111
Anatomy of a South African Village
1965
Fontana, Netherlands
688 314 ZL / 888 314 ZY
The Dream
1965
Freedom, UK
FLP 41046
This is Dollar Brand
1965 (1973)
Black Lion, UK
2460 192
Reflections
1965
Black Lion, Germany
BLP 60127
(thanks to Olivier Ledure)
Confluence
1968
Freedom, Germany
162 303
DOLLAR BRAND & BEA BENJAMIN
Untitled Transcription Record
1969
SABC Transcription Record, RSA
LT 10 185 / LT 10 186
African Sketchbook
1969 (1973)
ENJA, Germany
2026
African Piano
1969
Spectator, Denmark
SL 1005
African Sun
1970
Spectator, Denmark
1025
Peace
1971
Soultown, RSA
KRS 110
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786137
Dollar Brand Trio with Kippie Moketsi
1971
Soultown, RSA
KRS 113
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786142
Ancient Africa
1972
Japo, Germany
60005
The Third World — Underground
1972
Trio, Japan
PAP 9018
Sangoma
1973
Sackville, Canada
3006
African Portraits
1973
Sackville, Canada
3009
Boswil Concert 1973
1973 (1983)
Colomba, Switzerland
SAKB 473
African Space Program
1973
Enja, Germany
2032
Good News From Africa
1973
Cameo, Switzerland
102
Memories
1973 (1974)
Phillips, Japan
RJ 5124
(thanks to Olivier Ledure)
Ode To Duke Ellington
1973
Phillips, Japan
RJ 5139
African Breeze
1974
East Wind, Japan
EW 7002
Underground in Africa
1974
Mandla, RSA
KRS 114
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786143
Mannenberg – “Is Where It’s Happening”
1974
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786134
African Herbs
1975
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786135
Soweto Is Where It's At (Part 1 + 2)
1975
The Sun, 45 rpm, RSA
PD 1192
Black Lightning
1975
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786138
Bra Joe From Kilimanjaro
1975
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786145
Blues For A Hip King
1975
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786136
The Art of Dollar Brand I
1976
SABC Transcription Record, RSA
LT 15 377 / LT 15 378
LT 15 498 / LT 15 499
(thanks to Olivier Ledure)
The Art of Dollar Brand II
1976
SABC Transcription Record, RSA
LT 15 379 / LT 15 380
LT 15 500 / LT 15 501
(thanks to Olivier Ledure)
The Children of Africa
1976
Enja, Germany
2070
African Songbird
1976
The Sun, RSA
GL 1839
Natural Rhythm
1977
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786139
Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand
1977
Chiaroscuro, USA
CR 165
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786140
The Journey
1977 (1978)
Chiaroscuro, USA
CR 187
The Sun, RSA
SRK 786144
Streams of Consciousness
1977 (1978)
Baystate, Japan
RVJ 6016
Duet
1978
Denon, Japan
YX 7532
Anthem for New Nations
1978
Denon, Japan
YX 7537 ND
Autobiography
1978
Plainisphare, Switzerland
PL 1267 6/7
Nisa
1978
African Violets, Switzerland
101
Liberation
1978
SAFCO, USA
A 001
African Tears and Laughter
1979
Enja, Germany
3039
Echoes from Africa
1979
Enja, Germany
3047
African Marketplace
1979 (1980)
Elektra, USA
6E 252
Dollar Brand at Montreux
1980
Enja, Germany
3079
DISCOGRAPHY (1980 - present)
To follow in the near future!
No comments? I'm stunned!
ReplyDeleteThis great artist has an astonishing discography on labels from classic to obscure. And seeing these covers has even given me a surprise or two, with my fairly strong collection.
As always, I'm grateful to cats who put in time doing things like this, often never knowing if their work is appreciated.
It is, my friend ...
(now, get back on the case!)
Brent Higinbotham
Chelmsford MA
Brent, many thanks for your great comments!
DeleteI am still hoping to get all the material into the main flatinternational database... one of these days!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteblog...
ReplyDeleteHi! this is a great blog...thanks! do you have The boswil concert?
ReplyDeleteSiemon, have you any more work available to add? I continue to have a heck of a time organizing my DB/AI list; obscure labels, reissues, varying covers, lack of recording dates, etc. If you know of other sources of info, let me know.
ReplyDeleteRegards.
This is a very cool page that clears up a lot of things - many thanks!
ReplyDeletethanks!!!
ReplyDeleteSiemon, I've compiled a pretty complete Ibrahim discography. Not a lot of details, but titles and dates. If you're still active here I could send it to you with your email address.
ReplyDeleteHi Brent, Long time no chat! I have not been tending to the blog for some time but the shutdown has brought me back to it. Yes, please do share your AI discography. I do have Lars Rasmussen's book on Abdullah Ibrahim which has probably one of the most comprehensive discographies of his work. If you can find a copy, each album is detailed with session dates, performers, mis-titled tracks and other info. It's pretty comprehensive.
DeleteAnyone know of other tracks on which he plays electric piano other than Kamalie on Bra Joe From Kilimanjaro and and with Bea Benjamin on African Songbird?
ReplyDelete