A Double CD – reissue of the Ogun LP from 1978- Louis Moholo-Moholo’s Octet, – Spirits Rejoice, and a studio recording from the same year of Viva-La-Black Septet . Both CDs exposing the wonders of Louis’s musical vision crossing many spectrums, influenced by his roots, reflecting the warmth of the South African sun.
FOUR STARS – GUARDIAN Double album from the great South African drummer Louis Moholo – now returned to his homeland – featuring two sessions recorded in London 17 years apart. The 1978 Spirits Rejoice session joins Moholo’s elemental, townships-Elvin drumming style with a mixed British and South African band including Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler and pianist Keith Tippett. The recent one, recorded in 1995, includes Jason Yarde, Claude Deppa and the singer Francine Luce. The 1995 set is full of striking themes and strong improvisation, and continues a tradition that goes back a long way in South African jazz: stripped-down, hymnal themes repeated like mantras, gradually intensifying into free-jam furores, or giving way to racing swing. Some of the songs are as quirkily gentle as a Norma Winstone record, some like Annie Ross in a free-improv band – and though Francine Luce’s frantic variations might not work for everybody, she’s sonorous and soulful on the brooding traditional song Utshaka, and on a defiant Motherless Child. The Spirits Rejoice band is brassier and wilder, the improvising more abstract and staying closer to the edge for longer. But counterbalancing the squalling ferocity are some of the most sonorously beautiful themes to come to the UK from the South African jazz exodus of the 1960s. –Guardian
