Abdullah Ibrahim - Mukashi (Once Upon A Time) (2013)

Abdullah Ibrahim is South Africa's most distinguished jazz pianist and is respected throughout the world as a master musician. He turned 79 in October 2013 and 'Mukashi', which in Japanese translates as "once upon a time", is a spellbinding reflection of his life in solo, duo and quartet settings.

Born into the cultural melting pot of Cape Town, Ibrahim (or "Dollar" Brand, as he became known) was exposed to American jazz, Christian hymns, Classical music and traditional African songs from an early age. In 1959 he recorded the first jazz album to feature an all South African line up (including Hugh Masekela) but then, with Apartheid in force, had to flee to Europe and ultimately to the U.S.A.. He recorded under the patronage of Duke Ellington, interacted in New York with such progressive musicians as Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, and went onto tour with his own groups including the popular Ekaya.

'Mukashi' sees Ibrahim joined by his companion of many years, reeds player Cleave Guyton, who combines sensitively with the pianist. However, Ibrahim also sought new textures for the recording, specifically fragile layers of sound. His addition of two master cellists with great expertise in all genres, Eugen Bazijan and Scott Roller, proves to be a master stroke as they fit seamlessly into this musical world and complement the other instrumentation wonderfully.