Review Jazz

Tete Mbambisa

African Day

As-Shams • 2024

Last summer, the University of Cape Town awarded him an honorary doctorate for his services as a composer. Tete Mbambisa is one of the great names in South African jazz, whose compositions have been performed by bands such as the Blue Notes. He began his career in the 1950s as a teenage singer in the band Four Yanks, before switching to the piano, which he taught himself. Despite early success in various formations, it was not until the 1970s that he was able to release two albums under his own name, »Tete’s Big Sound« (1975) and »Did You Tell Your Mother« (1979). During this time, material was created for a complete double album, which was then postponed indefinitely. The title track, by far the longest track on the album at almost 18 minutes, has that typically cautious, rolling sound of South African jazz, with carefully syncopated piano and chorale-like brass phrases. This alone makes the As-Shams label’s archival work worthwhile. There are more moments of grandeur among the other eight tracks on »African Day«, which range in length from just over three minutes to just under nine, such as »Kohinoor«, whose melody and groove are a little reminiscent of Miriam Makeba’s »Pata Pata«. Elsewhere, Mbambisa’s sound occasionally takes its cue from more traditional American models. This doesn’t change the fact that this good hour swings very coherently and safely.