The 10 Best South African Jazz Albums Right Now

The past few months have seen central figures who’ve contributed to South Africa’s thriving jazz scene transition to the otherworlds. The likes of bassist Spencer Mbadu, drummer and composer Julian Bahula (he of the mighty Malombo Jazzmen), drummer Clement Benny, vocalists Sylvia Mdunyelwa and Vuyiswa Mbambisa, and multi-instrumentalist Tony Cedras. It’s in their spirit that this list is presented. Not everyone could be included, but it’s worth giving them a shout nonetheless. Nkoso Zondo, Tutu Puoane, Abdullah Ibrahim, Kazi Ya Sanaa, Johnny Wxlf, McCoy Mrubata, Mlungisi Gegana, Steve Dyer and Johnny Dyani also have some heat for you to check out. Below are releases from the past six months that we could fit in.

Herbie Tšoaeli — 'African Time'

Herbie Tšoaeli’s critically acclaimed, SAMA award-winning album kickstarted an era in South African jazz that continues to grow in unbounded, inspiring ways. This might come off as odd, because how does an elder statesman, one who’s parlayed his bass notes with the coldest cats in the scene, receive praise for heralding a new era? It’s the core cast of young talent, for one. Nududuzo Makhathini, Ayanda Sikade, and Mthunzi Mvubu – all magicians who contribute to the vibrant ecosystem of creative improvised music in Mzansi. African Time stayed true to the words of Steve Kwena Mokoena’s liner notes, that it is “a celebration of what came before; and a contribution to what is becoming in our time.” A timeless classic is experiencing its second life in an environment brimming with virtuosic masterminds following a lengthy period of absence from streaming platforms.

Sibusiso Mashiloane — 'Izibongo'

IZIBONGOwww.youtube.com

Durban-based Sibusiso Mashiloane’s discography speaks volumes. A singular artist with a larger-than-life vision; a vibrant artist with a warm heart and ready-made, radiant smile, he has shown an ability to leap barriers and dare his compositions to surprise him. On this, his seventh record since his debut Rotha in 2017, he was intent on speaking the essence of home and the multi-cultures of Africa’s southern tip onto record, all while paying homage to his roots. Izibongo is a slow, percussive creeper that calmly collects and connects to the senses; “Words,” a steady-paced bouncy cut with a Latin twist; “Umoya Wokholo”, a horn-heavy feast for his late mother, Rotha; and “Amehlo Ayakhuluma”, a brazen, melodic joint that reaches past the depths of life into an edifying otherness. Izibongo might just be Mashiloane’s victory lap.

Kujenga — 'In The Wake'

Cape Town’s Kujenga embarked on a successful nationwide tour following the release of their sophomore album. The collective appeal of In The Wake found an audience in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban that was ready to mash out the most promising live outfits working today. Their reception proved that the songs connect, and that their place when history books are written has been reserved. “The Awakening” is meditation before battle; “Clarion Call” attacks without leaving room to breathe; “Abaphantsi” is ancestral, ancient, a victory over life and death; “It Was Wonder,” bluesy and sassy; and “A World Within, A World Without” sounds hope in a time of hopelessness. In The Wake is conscious rebel music with the picture-perfect panoramic vision to match.

Thandi Ntuli and Carlos Niño — 'Rainbow Revisited'

Thandi Ntuli is always searching and reaching for the unknown. She arrives at her destination via several paths, each with an expansive, tailor-made story of the journey. Listening to Rainbow Revisited lends the same feeling: of experimentation with the LA-based percussionist Carlos Niño, of figuring out how to escape from longing for an unknown past, of mourning for a rainbow nation’s deferred dream. “Nomayoyo (Ingoma ka Mkulu)” lifts a page from her grandfather’s songbook and lays it face-first on the beach sand of the West Coast of Los Angeles, the city where the project was recorded in 2019. Both parts of “The One” re-visit the theme of “Amazing Grace” from Blk Elijah & The Children of Meröe to present it as minimal inquisitions across the piano’s ebony and ivory keys; while “Rainbow Revisited” dusts off the excess from its past lives on Exiled and Live at Jazzwerkstatt, breathing new life in the process. Experimentation, at its most effective, produces results. What Ntuli and Niño pulled off here transcends the best of them.

DJ Kenzhero & Tha_Muzik — 'What Is Wrong With Groovin’'

What Is Wrong With Groovin’ is what results when a business partnership between two trusted selektahs (DJs) meet the musical direction of an accomplished bassist and composer, and brings on deck some of the finest voices this side of the deep South. The back-and-forth conversations between DJ Kenzhero and Tha_Muzik found Thembinkosi Mavimbela, who then gathered a band of capable musicians and reached out to vocalists Melo B. Jones, Zarcia Zaccheus, Bilani Bubu, Msaki, Spha Mdlalose and Yonela Mnana to assist with re-configuring some of the finest tunes that animate the jazz songbook. “Four Women” is sprightly; “Piece of the Ground” would make Miriam Makeba glow; “What Is Wrong With Grooving” would surely make Letta Mbulu’s mouth agape; and Yonela Mnana’s “Vukani” should soundtrack all voting stations come voting day. This is masterful work.

Thandeka Dladla — 'Umnikelo'

Thandeka Dladla’s voice cuts through clutter, squeezes out the pain, and heals open wounds. She has a way with words, a gentle whisper built over years of perfecting her craft out of the spotlight, and as the voice that carries the music of the Unity Band collective. What she gives us on Umnikelo are poetic strands that weave through simple yet complex compositions. “Inkatazo” is Mzansi jazz-coded, the forefront exhibition of the struggle that has come to define home; “Ithemba” is comforting, an assurance that there is a silver lining at the edge of dark clouds; and “Rise Up” is a duel with the acoustic bass that transforms into a carnival of melodies fitting for the majestic queen that she is.

Thando Zide — 'Umvulo'

UMvuloyoutube.com

The Soweto-born vocalist’s Umvuluo might hint at heavy jazz undertones, but the journey starts in the choir where her parents met. It’s this melding together of different registers that carries this record, an overlapping, charged wonderland where rhythm, harmony and melody meet strong songwriting and an even stronger command of the voice as instrument. “Dawn” speaks to the emotional connectedness of a new day; “iNtwenhle” is folksy, calming, disarming; and “Mazenszisa” with Ndabo Zulu is a neck-snapping delight for head nodders worldwide. Umvulo is an illustration of love in all its manifestation — the joy, the disappointment, the hurt, the pain and the fear are conveyed, be it sonically or lyrically, in equal parts, and with outstanding results.

Mark Fransman — 'Solo'

Mark Fransman is a one-man bandstand conqueror, a mighty performer whose talents remain limitless and unconfined. Solo breaks his silence from the scene — although he was involved in other projects — and re-asserts his inquisitive, improvisational gift of gab. It’s a recording that had been shelved since 2009, and consists of compositions that celebrate iconic figures who’ve been at the forefront of South African jazz throughout the years. The names on this one are gems: Allen Kwela, Errol Dyers, Mike Makhalemele, Chris McGregor, and more. “It was the perfect time for me to pay homage […] it’s something I’ve thought long and hard about,” he told Brenda Sisane recently.

Mbuso Khoza — 'Ifa Lomkhono'

Ifa Lomkhonoyoutube.com

Mbuso Khoza is an institution. He has carved a resonant space in improvised music that incorporates his heritage work, his activism, and his love for collaboration. All parts of him, of what he does, are all-present on this recording. It’s a hopeful lullaby driven by sheer fearlessness and a shared trust between him and his collaborators — in this case, a tight unit helmed by Nduduzo Makhathini on keys, Linda Sikhakhane on saxophones, Ndabo Zulu on trumpet, and Ayanda Sikade on drums. The music is calm and introspective, and the production lends it an all-rounded, focused appeal, and Khoza ties it all together with his effortless charm.

Skyjack — 'Light Cycle'

Skyjack comprises accomplished musicians from South Africa and Switzerland. Light Cycle is their third project, and it doesn’t disappoint. Every composition draws upon the strength of individual musicians to build a cohesive body of work that builds on their output so far. It’s an outstanding achievement, lacking in monotony and chock-full of sharp turns. “Light Cycle/Vang Gou Die Strandloper” is encoded with First Nation resilience; “Hey Stranger” is playful and fun; “Method of Moments” welcomes you to the Skyjack dojo, where mass innovation happens; and “Porcupine” exhibits all the ingredients that feed the madness. Stellar!