Hugh Masekela, I Am Not Afraid, 1974

Blue Thumb LP, 1974

1. night in tunisia
2. been such a long time gone
3. in the market place
4. jungle jim
5. african secret society
6. nina
7. stimela (coaltrain)

hugh masekela (tp, flhrn); joe sample (el-p); richard neesai "jagger" botchway (g); stanley kwesi todd (el-b); stix hooper (d); acheampong welbeck (bass d, calabash, bells); james kwaku morton, nat "leepuma" hammond (cga); isaac asante (talking d, perc); samuel nortey (shekere).

first things first, this is another guest post, this time from kind reader pepper67. let me profusely thank him for this lost gem.

so what would it sound like if fela had played with miles davis? listen to track 1, an absolutely incredible and barely recognizable cover of dizzy's "night in tunisia" and you'll have some idea. i first heard this track on a compilation over at el reza, and had to hear more. enter pepper67.

what a great album. afro-beat, south african jive, some funk, some mellow vocals, a hint of the melancholy of exile, a little commercial gloss care of two of the crusaders (though joe sample's electric piano playing here cooks, not like some of the snoozier later crusaders albums), and lots and lots of groove.

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