Search - Abdullah Ibrahim :: Knysna Blue

Jazz Liberation Poetry

jazzy271 | Washington, D.C., District of Columbia USA | 05/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I first learned of Abdullah Ibrahim when a playwright friend of mine used the title track from this cd to open a scene for one of his plays. The power of the story of the lost love told in Knysna Blue is more complex than human love and personality. The story is set in the context of the loss of access to the physical beauty of Capetown South Africa during Apartheid. This opening jazz- backed poem is powerful because it combines the politics of apartheid with the poignancy of love's labors lost. He tells us that, "Once I heard a Cape Town mystic say, If you feel yor love is sliping away, And you just don't know what more to do, Just wash your tears in Knysna morning dew." Enough said! This cd is a central feature of the creative work of this South African jazz master. I love his work, and this cd was my initial seduction.The record is not perfect. The second track, "You Can't Stop me Now", is terribly off-key. Abdullah's singing, reminds us all that he is a jazz piano maestro.If you buy this album, you will meet a gifted artist who has been in exile too long, and who pours out his artistic soul in the sounds of his beloved country."

Simply Wow!

George Adamopoulos | Agia Paraskevi, Athens Greece | 07/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the first record of Abdulah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) that I bought. With the exception of track #2, all others are simply fantastic. I listen track #1 2 to 3 times in a row and it is a 15min track!"