The Journey (Abdullah Ibrahim album)
The Journey is a long-form instrumental jazz album composed and led by South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (also known as "Dollar Brand") after his move to New York City. This studio recording was made the day after the 17 September 1977 Alice Tully Hall concert pictured on the cover and included other veterans of Ibrahim's group Universal Silence: Don Cherry, Johnny Dyani, and Carlos Ward.[1][2][3]
| The Journey | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1978 | |||
| Recorded | September 18, 1977 | |||
| Studio | Downtown Sound, NYC | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 43:43 | |||
| Label | Chiaroscuro | |||
| Producer | Hank O'Neal | |||
| Abdullah Ibrahim chronology | ||||
| ||||
Release and reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [5] |
Ibrahim had released Cape Town Fringe earlier in the year, and while that album's African folk roots remain, the addition of many leading-edge New York jazzmen made The Journey a much more avant-garde affair.[6] The short "Sister Rose" begins things, a "sprightly calypso" suffused with the sound of Ibrahim's native Cape Town.[7] Two lengthy improvisations follow—the first, "Jabulani", features an energetic rhythm section, soaring trumpet work, and atonal group playing. The 22-minute closer "Hajj (The Journey)" is a Middle Eastern–flavored work centered around a hypnotic piano riff, originally from "Eighty-First Street" on Ibrahim's 1968 album Hamba Khale! (with Gato Barbieri).[4][8]
Track listing
All tracks written by Abdullah Ibrahim.
- "Sister Rosie" – 4:33
- "Jabulani (Joy)" – 17:38
- "Hajj (The Journey)" – 21:56
Personnel
- Abdullah Ibrahim – piano, soprano saxophone
- Hamiet Bluiett – baritone saxophone, clarinet
- Don Cherry – trumpet
- Talib Rhynie – alto saxophone, oboe
- Carlos Ward – alto saxophone
- Johnny Akhir Dyani – bass
- Claude Jones – conga drums
- John Betsch – percussion
- Roy Brooks – percussion
References
- McGregor, Tony. "Top 10 Albums of the South African Jazz Diaspora". Spinditty. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- Muller, Carol Ann (2014). "Musical Remembrance, Exile, and the Remaking of South African Jazz (1960–1979)". In Bithell, Caroline; Hill, Juniper (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Music Revival. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199765034. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- "Events Today". The New York Times. 17 September 1977. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
- Dryden, Ken. "Abdullah Ibrahim - The Journey". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 743. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- Hopkins, Michael F. (October 1978). "Dollar Brand - The Journey - Chiaroscuro CR 187". Buffalo Jazz Report. No. 56. p. 19. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- "New Directions for Chiaroscuro". Jazz Magazine. Vol. 3, no. 1. Fall 1978.
- "Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim) - The Journey". Sounds of the Universe. Retrieved 15 June 2018.