Various ArtistsAfrican Jazz N JiveReview

Amongst the troubled apartheid townships of 1950s and 60s South Africa a vibrant underground music scene was growing. Fusing imported American swing with local Kwela & Marabi, local artists created the sound known as ‘township jazz’. Out of this bustling scene sprung the hit musical King Kong which made it to London’s West End in 1961 and helped launch the worldwide careers of an array of jazz heroes such as Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekala and Kippie Moeketsi. This compilation takes us back to those lively days with 24 upbeat and elegant tracks from many of the scene's key artists.

About half the album is instrumental and half with lyrics, such as the sublime vocal harmonies of mbaqanga acts The Skylarks and The Manhattan brothers, who owe a lot to the American r&b and ‘doo wop’ artists of the time. There is also an original a capella of Solomon Linda’s ‘'Mbube'’, which you will certainly recognise when you hear it! Substantially older than the rest of the tracks, ‘'Mbube'’ has a Zulu choral rooting with more subtle imported elements than its 50s & 60s counterparts, many of whom hold more in common with bebop and the up-tempo jump blues sound which had developed across the Atlantic. The superb reed work also really stands out on these tracks, and consistently does its bit to make this compilation sound rather special, not least on dancefloor killer '‘Ndenzeni Na?'’ by Father Huddleston Band and the alluringly titled '‘Beer Club'’ by Orlando Six.

This cd is not just a great collection of fun yet classy jazz and swing tunes, it is a doorway into a fascinating part of history which writes the first pages in the astounding back stories of some of today’s most respected musicians.