Black Beauty

Originally released on the Soweto label back in 1975, Black Beauty is a classic album of early South African township jazz, and a reminder of the brilliance of Allen Kwela, a guitarist and composer who never received the recognition he deserved, partly because he refused to follow the musical fashions of the day. Born in a Durban township, where he herded cattle, he moved to Soweto, a township in Johannesburg, to help pioneer a style in which American jazz, and the influence of that great guitarist Wes Montgomery, was fused with home-grown marabi music. Kwela was a remarkable musician, but his music was apparently considered too jazzy for the commercial market and so didn’t get played on the radio. This immaculately-produced set (the first vinyl reissue) should help to restore his reputation. There are four instrumental pieces here, all credited to Kwela, and they range from the upbeat, marabi-influenced title-track to the slower and more reflective ‘Mild Storm’ and ‘Willow Vale’. He is joined by an impressive band, including that brilliant saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi, and he never dominates the proceedings, often easing back to let the brass or piano take the lead. Then he moves in for a stunning, virtuoso guitar solo. Check out his fluid, rapid-fire work on the breezy ‘Quaphela’. He really was a remarkable musician.