The Official Japanese Edition
12" 33rpm Gatefold Vinyl with Obi strip
Liner notes by Mitsuru Ogawa
Shipping from Japan; limited quantities available from the US and UK
Includes unlimited streaming of The Balance
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
The Official Japanese Edition
Mini LP Replica Gatefold CD
Liner notes by Mitsuru Ogawa
Shipping from Japan; limited quantities available from the US and UK
Includes unlimited streaming of The Balance
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
“There are few musicians in jazz who can make you feel that essentially all is right in the world.” - The Times
On The Balance:
"Getting the balance just right has always been Ibrahim’s great strength, drawing from a source but keeping it fresh..." - Julian Cowley, The Wire
★★★★★ - The Evening Standard
"A modern master... his graceful playing leans on equal measures of force and restraint, of dense clusters and open space. Mr. Ibrahim’s music is dotted by satisfying, sometimes stunning, passages of repose." - Larry Blumenfeld, Wall Street Journal
Entitled 'The Balance', this project featured his long-time septet Ekaya, a line-up that he's been recording with since 1983. In this case, the album was recorded over the course of one day at London's RAK Studios last November. The lush horn lines, lilting melodies, and uplifting chord progressions are characteristic of Abdullah's own particular brand of Township Jazz. This is contrasted with various solo piano improvisations, which epitomise the nostalgic yet hopeful nature of Abdullah's musical spirit. Hence, The Balance.
In his own words, "We push ourselves out of our comfort zones. So that we can present to the listener our striving for excellence. So that we can engage with our listeners without any barriers of our ego. It's not jazz. For us, it's a process of transcending barriers."
I really can not express why I love this as much as I do. It is out-of-reach for a guy like me and hard to explain the feelings that I feel when I listen to it. The first McCraven album I bought a couple weeks ago, I played it twice, just 2 tracks at a time... It's making me humble because it feels bigger than me, and careful because I don't know where it is taking me. And all of that, is the definition of art. At least, for me it is.... PlayItLoud!
What a beautiful album, and "Max Brown" in particular is one of the most meditative jazz songs I've heard in some time. Listen with a good pair of headphones. blayze hembree
A diverse collection culled from the archive of jazz pianist Joe Castro featuring Paul Bley, Leroy Vinnegar, Paul Chambers, and many more. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 9, 2020
On this sprawling double LP, the South African drummer leads his band through a series of mournful and vibrantly melodic spiritual jazz compositions. Bandcamp Album of the Day Jul 6, 2020
I find this album so refreshing. The sound world, the blend of modal jazz, world rhythms, instrumental colours. And for those of us who salute the Sun every morning it’s a natural high! Azhaar Saffar