Brotherhood by Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath, released on RCA in 1972

Fifty years ago Pete Gamble thought the Brotherhood's second album got closer to the impossibility of reproducing the effect of the live band. First published in Jazz Journal July 1972

While I don’t think that the true es­sence of the Brotherhood will ever be captured on disc, this their second al­bum goes a long way toward reproduc­ing the live article. The fact that Chris produced this one himself is almost certainly the reason why.

Side I shows the two sides of the band. Nick Tete, composed by Dudu Pukwana, has a simple repetitive theme, a wailing typical solo from Mr. P., and some excellent drumming from Moholo in the driving seat...

https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2022/07/27/jj-07-72-chris-mcgregors-brotherhood-of-breath-brotherhood/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CovVJ5ZyLD4&list=OLAK5uy_mPoEwEWUlf58mixZM4muONvc_lvm23Bss

#ChrisMcGregor #BrotherhoodOfBreath #Jazz #BigBand #FreeJazz #SouthAfricanJazz #Music #DuduPukwana #MikeOsborne #HarryMiller #LouisMoholo #GaryWindo #AlanSkidmore #BritJazz #HarryBeckett #MarcCharig #MongeziFeza

Family Affair by Harry Miller's Isipingo, released on Ogun in 1977

Marcello Carlin wrote:

The record begins with the easy kwela strut of the title track, Moholo-Moholo audibly having a ball with his ride and rimshot refrains (his unshakeable consistency here puts me in mind of Jaki Liebezeit with Can) as the catchy riff leads into solos by Griffiths, whose playing is romantic yet occasionally discursive, Charig, who seems intent on recapturing Feza’s ghost with his snarling triple-tonguing and hyperactive half-valve shrieks before settling back into his more familiar meditative melancholy – and Tippett doubles up and multiplies supporting piano figures beneath, or alongside, the trumpeter – and Osborne, who leads the ensemble into a free section...

https://ogunrecords.blogspot.com/2025/03/harry-millers-isipingo-family-affair.html

https://harrymiller.bandcamp.com/album/family-affair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXVZGB3RSLU

#HarryMiller #MarkCharig #MikeOsborne #MalcolmGriffiths #KeithTippett #LouisMoholo #BritJazz #Jazz #Music #Ogun #Isipingo

S. O. S. by S. O. S., released on Ogun in 1975

Marcello Carlin wrote on

https://ogunrecords.blogspot.com

This was a major, and controversial, event at its time. These were perhaps the three foremost saxophonists on the British jazz scene; they were all world-class players and at least one of them was acknowledged as the greatest living exponent of his principal instrument...

...the album's highlight, and one of my favourite tracks recorded by anyone on Ogun, "Goliath," featuring a wholly-liberated Osborne blowing ecstatically over Surman's cathedral of synthesisers (and electric piano?) and Skidmore's punk rock drums. It reminds me of Van Der Graaf Generator or the Dean/Ratledge/Hopper/Wyatt Soft Machine at their most fervent. Towards track's end, Surman's keyboards begin to ascend into the heavens, and there is a holy poignancy...

https://ogunrecords.blogspot.com/2025/01/sos-sos.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuBxH-dyEq4&list=RDAuBxH-dyEq4&start_radio=1

#AlanSkidmore #sax #MikeOsborne #JohnSurman #synthesisers #jazz #britjazz #music #OgunRecords