Album Reviews

The South African trumpet and flugelhorn player Hugh Masekela first became known to American audiences as a pop star with his 1968 hit “Grazing in the Grass.” He played trumpet on The Byrds' hit “So You Want to Be a Rock and Roll Star,” and among audiophiles, his song “Stimela (Coaltrain),” recorded live, is a sonic standout as well as an inspiring track.

Masekela explains in his self-penned liner notes to this album that when he arrived in America from South Africa and began recording, “self appointed” jazz experts like Leonard Feather and Stanley Grouch (Crouch), disparaged his music saying “This is not jazz!”

Thus the whimsical title of this set, Almost Like Being in Jazz. Masekela writes that now that these two critics and jazz purists are dead, he feels safe “coming out of the closet” and playing this set of jazz standards without “…being harassed by their ghosts.”

Where Masekela got the idea that Stanley Crouch is dead, I don't know. The author, jazz critic, and social commentator is very much alive. I don't know if he's harassed Mr. Masekela yet about this album, but I sure won't.

This is a set of ballad standards performed in what can now be called “classic” '50's/'60's style-and that goes for the sound quality as well. Fans of Miles Davis's and Bill Evans's balladry will not be disappointed, to say the least by both the unhurried pace of the quartet's music and the sweet, rich sound. The Miles influence can be heard in Masekela's ragged, linear phrasing and his choice of notes around the familiar melodies. Backing him are the great Larry Willis on piano, John Heard on bass and Lorca Heart on drums. Willis recorded a wonderful album on the AudioQuest label back in 1992 with Gary Bartz and Cecil McBee called Steal Away produced by Joe Harley and engineered by Mapleshade's Pierre M. Sprey. Heard has played with, among others, Al Jarreau (not jazz to me), as well as Sonny Rollins and Randy Weston (both definitely jazz). I'm not familiar with Lorca Heart.

Tunes include Charlie Chaplin's “Smile,” “You'll Never Know,” “I Remember Clifford,” “Paper Moon,” and “Don't Explain,” which is credited to “Billy” Holiday (ouch!). Actually I made the same stupid error in a Tracking Angle story, but it hurts worse on an almost like a jazz album.

The recording, produced live in the foyer of Bernie Grundman's mastering facility is absolutely stunning. Grundman learned this magic while working at Contemporary during the 1960's, and while he didn't engineer the session, his input was critical to getting the almost overwhelmingly pure, harmonically decadent, three dimensional sound, recorded live to two track analog for the LP, and to separate “computers” for redbook CD and high resolution DVD-A.

The miking is intimate and while the drum kit is spread across the soundstage, the recording is otherwise very natural, with Masekela's trumpet almost jumping into your lap. Willis's piano, delicately recorded, is properly left somewhat in the background, helping to give the recording a natural “live” feel.

The set is available as a double LP, and as a Dualdisc with CD on one side and DVD-A (two channel) on the other. Needless to say, the LP simply squashes the CD, good as it sounds. I couldn't do a direct LP to DVD-A comparison.

This is a “cognac” type of jazz album, or almost jazz album, whatever you want to call it. There's nothing challenging about the music, nor is that intended. An album of slow ballads can get to be a bit much after a while, but a side or two at a time will definitely lower your blood pressure and let you know just how good your system is sounding. So uncork, roll up, meditate, pray to Jesus, whatever you do, and then listen to this soothing set. It's jazz in my book.