The Promise of a Future
The Promise of a Future is the eighth studio album by South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela released via Uni Records label.[3] It was recorded in March 1968 in Los Angeles, California.[4][5] The album was re-released on CD in 1993 on One Way label. The Promise of a Future features Masekela's version of a famous instrumental composition "Grazing in the Grass".
| The Promise of a Future | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1968 | |||
| Recorded | 12–14 March 1968 | |||
| Studio | Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 29:57 | |||
| Label | Uni Records 73028 | |||
| Producer | Stewart Levine | |||
| Hugh Masekela chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [2] |
Reception
A reviewer of Dusty Groove stated: "Classic work from Hugh Masekela – and the album that pushed him over the top! The record features his version of 'Grazin In The Grass', a runaway instrumental hit when it was issued – and a sly little groover that was based upon some earlier South African pop melodies that Hugh copped from his roots. The group's a tight little quintet with Al Abreu on tenor and soprano sax, William Henderson on piano, Chuck Carter on drums, and Henry Franklin on bass."[6] A reviewer of Billboard added: "Fluent in any musical lingo, Masekela and his crowd should sample all the charts before settling down."[7]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" | Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson | 2:00 |
| 2. | "Madonna" | Al Abreu | 3:10 |
| 3. | "No Face, No Name and No Number" | Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood | 3:26 |
| 4. | "Almost Seedless" | Hugh Masekela | 3:36 |
| 5. | "Stop" | Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman | 2:35 |
| 6. | "Grazing in the Grass" | Harry Elston, Philemon Hou, Hugh Masekela | 2:40 |
| 7. | "Vuca" (Wake Up) | Hugh Masekela | 3:40 |
| 8. | "Bajabula Bonke" (The Healing Song) | Miriam Makeba | 6:25 |
| 9. | "There Are Seeds To Sow" (Guitar – Bruce Langhorne) | Hugh Masekela | 2:25 |
Personnel
- Bass – Henry Franklin
- Drums – Chuck Carter
- Guitar – Bruce Langhorne
- Engineer – The Doctor
- Piano – William Henderson
- Producer – Stewart Levine
- Saxophone (tenor, soprano) – Al Abreu
- Trumpet (uncredited) – Hugh Masekela
References
- Davis, Hank. "Hugh Masekela – The Promise of a Future". Allmusic. allmusic.com. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- Larkin, Colin (27 May 2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1203. ISBN 9780857125958. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
- "Hugh Masekela - Biography". Amoeba Music. amoeba.com. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
- "Hugh Masekela: The Promise of a Future". Discogs. discogs.com. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- "DISCOGRAPHY: 1955-1969". dougpayne.com. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- "Hugh Masekela: Promise of a Future". Dusty Groove. dustygroove.com. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- "Album Reviews". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1 June 1968. p. 85. Retrieved 4 November 2019.