20 February 2010

Johnny Mbizo Dyani - African Bass



Here's some more Johnny Mbizo Dyani, this time a session recorded in Milano in November 1979, about a month or so prior to the Stockholm sessions we featured in the last post. This, however, is a solo/duo set with drummer/percussionist Clifford Jarvis and quite different from the Stockholm session. Only three pieces on this record, first a solo bass track with added Mbizo vocals, then a piano-drums duo with Jarvis on drums and then finally, on the second side, an extended duo piece, starting with vocal improvisations and handclaps, then sequing into a bass-drums duo, starting and ending with a four note motiv and developing into a drum solo with some frenzied arco playing from Mbizo in the middle. A much more closeted, intimate set, this one, featuring the fat, thick tone of Mbizo's bass, of which I'll never grow tired.

This one was out on the Italian Red Record label and has never been rereleased. A bit of background static on this disc, but hopefully, not too distracting. This one is for Igor/Selim and their valuable discographical project, to which this is a small contribution.

The basic facts:
Johnny M. Dyani - African Bass
Red Record VPA 149

Johnny M. Dyani - bass, piano, voice
Clifford Jarvis - drums, voice

Side1
Afrikan Anthem (Zulu) (trad. arr. J.M. Dyani)
Afrikan Blues (J.M.Dyani)
Ithi-Gqi (J.M.Dyani)

Side2
South Afrikan (trad.arr. J.M.Dyani)
The Robin Irland Struff (J.M.Dyani)

Recorded at Barigozzi Studio, Milan, 14/11/79
Produced by Sergio Veschi
Photos: E. Carminati

It's actually listed as "Irland", but I trust it's a typo for "Island". There's no date of release for this record, but as the session was in late 1979, I guess we're talking 1980 or later.

As always, enjoy!
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28 comments:

  1. kinabalu20 February 2010 at 19:14:00 CET

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. gilhodges20 February 2010 at 19:36:00 CET

    Up to your old tricks, eh, Kinabalu? What a gorgeous slab of wax this is. My old vinyl specimen is ready for a rest. A blessing!

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  3. Wallofsound20 February 2010 at 20:19:00 CET

    Many thanks, kinabalu, over the years I've made many attempts to get my own copy of this. Until then it will be great to hear what the record sounds like.

    ReplyDelete
  4. exilestreet20 February 2010 at 21:01:00 CET

    Indeed...many thanx for this and the last one. Scuse my ignorance but what is discography project you mention?
    Regards/

    ReplyDelete
  5. kinabalu21 February 2010 at 19:36:00 CET

    Mona, the said gentlemen are on a mission to document the entire Red Record catalogue on an invitation-only blog. If they read this, they might extend you an invitation, hopefully.

    ReplyDelete
  6. kinabalu21 February 2010 at 19:37:00 CET

    gilhodges, fer sure. But you knew that ...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous22 February 2010 at 22:05:00 CET

    Thanks for this and a lot other things you posted. great work!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Igor22 February 2010 at 23:18:00 CET

    Thanks so much, kinabalu, for thinking on our small RR community.
    What a great contribution this is!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Igor22 February 2010 at 23:23:00 CET

    @Mona
    Could you, please, contact me.
    wazooline@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous26 December 2010 at 21:22:00 CET

    wow. the biggest of thank you's.
    I am a big fan of mr Dyani and this is among his truly finest work. Together with "Witchdoctor's son" with Okay Temiz.

    U rule.

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  11. Anonymous21 October 2013 at 14:22:00 CEST

    Could anybody, please, re-upload this album? It is very hard to find one!

    ReplyDelete
  12. kinabalu22 October 2013 at 00:58:00 CEST

    The flacs are gone, but the mp3s are still there.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous22 October 2013 at 09:08:00 CEST

    Yes, they are! I didn't check mp3 link, i'll gladly take it, thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  14. tommy14 January 2015 at 21:43:00 CET

    Howdy everyone -longtime fan of JD's music and saddled with only the first solo track on a copy of a copy of copy of a cassette ! The mp3 is gone now too - is there any chance of a re-up ?
    I dunno about the "Witchdoctor's Son" with Temiz - I'll give it another listen to make see if I missed something.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous27 May 2015 at 06:49:00 CEST

    paul said....
    Many thanks for great site! Any chance of a re-up of this recording.

    ReplyDelete
  16. kinabalu30 May 2015 at 21:21:00 CEST

    New link:

    1fichier

    ReplyDelete
  17. headman31 May 2015 at 17:15:00 CEST

    Thanks, kinabalu...missed this first time around.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Solomon31 May 2015 at 18:27:00 CEST

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Javier Roz1 June 2015 at 13:20:00 CEST

    Thanks again kinabalu! Love that bass playing

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous24 November 2015 at 21:06:00 CET

    thank you for the re-up after all these years kinabulu...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous21 July 2017 at 18:08:00 CEST

    Masterpiece! And an underrated one too.
    I wish there were more recordings with Mbizo in this raw, intimate setting.
    He's on fire as well as the drummer.
    Hope it gets re released soon....

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  22. Ernst Grgo Nebhuth21 July 2017 at 20:51:00 CEST

    This time I'll get it.
    I created (what a word for such a mundane task) a blogger account the month you were posting it - February 2010.
    And some months later I was invited to IS...
    Thank you, kinabalu.

    ReplyDelete
  23. _rirrie31 July 2019 at 14:55:00 CEST

    yooo! please re-up. thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  24. pierre d'alai18 September 2019 at 17:56:00 CEST

    Would you be able to upload this one again, please?

    ReplyDelete
  25. kinabalu29 September 2019 at 12:28:00 CEST

    Sure thing.

    Adrive

    ReplyDelete
  26. pierre d'alai30 September 2019 at 00:35:00 CEST

    Thanks so much. It's solid stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Destroyer19855 October 2019 at 00:10:00 CEST

    Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  28. wrayb24 February 2020 at 18:46:00 CET

    Thank you very much

    ReplyDelete