Letta Mbulu
1973
Naturally
01. Afro Texas 3:31
02. Learn To Love 3:33
03. Noma Themba 3:28
04. Kube 3:17
05. Hareje 4:06
06. Never Leave You 4:05
07. Now We May Begin 3:35
08. Saddest Day 5:00
09. Setho 4:20
10. Zimkile 3:15
Guests – Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, Nat Adderley
What an extraordinary voice Letta Mbulu has and the two openers (especially "Afro Texas") are thrilling inviters for a quite unknown album and singer. Everything here smells to early/middle 70's, the loud brass section, the afro-funk and soulful expression, even a tearful ballad ("Saddest Day" is exactly what it is) in a Roberta Flack manner (anyway the least interesting track on the album). She's wonderful when she sings in her native language and she could be considered a kind of african Aretha Franklin. A voice to be rediscovered now
One of the hippest albums ever cut by Letta Mbulu – a perfect mix of her Soweto roots and the funky styles of her adopted California home! The album’s the only one that Mbulu ever recorded for Fantasy Records – and the style brings together those great sing-song vocal modes perfected on her 60s records, with some of the funky jazz elements that were bubbling in the Fantasy scene during the years of Cannonball Adderley and David Axelrod!
No surprise, both Cannonball and Nat Adderley appear on the record, and the set’s produced by their own company – with lots of great early arrangements from the great Wayne Henderson. Some of the best tracks have a spacious groove that leaves plenty of room for funky basslines
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info musicians of Letta Mbulu ( and Miriam,Hugh Masekela... ):
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NATURALLY
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Hollywood, California: August 2, 1972
Joe Sample (key); Arthur Adams, David T. Walker (g); Wilton Felder (b); Stix Hooper (d); Mailto Correa, Milt Holland (perc); Letta Mbulu (vcl).
overdubbed later
horns, background vcl, Wayne Henderson (arr, hrn orchestrations).
a. Kube (Caiphus Semenya) - 3:17
b. Noma Themba (aka Nomathemba) (Letta Mbulu/Caiphus Semenya) - 3:28
c. Hareje (Caiphus Semenya) - 4:06
Hollywood, California: August 2, 1972
Joe Sample (key); Arthur Adams, David T. Walker (g); Wilton Felder (b); Stix Hooper (d); Mailto Correa, Milt Holland (perc); Letta Mbulu (vcl).
overdubbed in Hollywood, California: December 19, 1972
Jay DaVersa, Larry Ford (tp); Maurice Spears, Britt Woodman (tb); Herman Riley, Fred Jackson (reeds); Wayne Henderson (hrn orchestrations); Caiphus Semenya (arr).
overdubbed in Hollywood, California: December 21, 1972
Carroll Stephens, Barbara Durant (vln); Leonard Selic, Carole Mukogawa (viola); Nathan Gershman (cello); Marion Sherrill (music preparation); Jimmy Jones (string orchestrations); Caiphus Semenya (arr, cond).
d. Never Leave You (Caiphus Semenya) - 4:05
Hollywood, California: August 3, 1972
Joe Sample (key); Arthur Adams, David T. Walker (g); Wilton Felder (el-b); Stix Hooper (d); Mailto Correa, Milt Holland (perc); Letta Mbulu (vcl).
e. Oluwa
Hollywood, California: August 3, 1972
Joe Sample (key); Arthur Adams, David T. Walker (g); Wilton Felder (el-b); Stix Hooper (d); Mailto Correa, Milt Holland (perc); Letta Mbulu (vcl).
overdubbed in Hollywood, California: December 19, 1972
Jay DaVersa, Larry Ford (tp); Maurice Spears, Britt Woodman (tb); Herman Riley, Fred Jackson (reeds); Caiphus Semenya (arr).
overdubbbed in Hollywood, California: December 21, 1972
Carroll Stephens, Barbara Durant (vln); Leonard Selic, Carole Mukogawa (viola); Nathan Gershman (cello); Marion Sherrill (music preparation); Caiphus Semenya (arr, cond).
f. Afro Texas (Wayne Henderson/Caiphus Semenya) - 3:31
g. Now We May Begin (Joe Sample) - 3:35
same, add poss. Nat Adderley (tp); Cannonball Adderley (as); background vcl.
h. Setho (Wayne Henderson) - 4:20
Hollywood, California: August 4, 1972
Joe Sample (p); Joe Pass, David T. Walker (g); Wilton Felder (b); Stix Hooper (d); Mailto Correa, Milt Holland (perc); Letta Mbulu (vcl).
overdubbed later.
strings, Jimmy Jones (string orchestrations).
i. Saddest Day (Caiphus Semenya) - 5:00
overdubbed later.
horns, Wayne Henderson (hrn orchestrations).
j. Learn To Love (Caiphus Semenya/Letta Mbulu/Wayne Henderson) - 3:33
same, add Cannonball Adderley (as), strings, Jimmy Jones (string orchestrations).
k. Zimkile (Caiphus Semenya) - 3:15
Note: Special thanks to Terri Hinte and Debra Frequez.
Issues: a-d & f-k on Fantasy F-9428, BGP (E) CDBGPM 214 [CD], Magic of Music (SA) MMT 1082, Munjale Music (SA) ZMUN 2003 [cass], CCP/EMI (SA) CDFAT (WM) 88 [CD].
Samplers: b also on SonyBMG (SA) CDBSP3177 [CD] titled COLLECTIONS. f also on BGP (E) BGP1 05, CDBGPD095 [CD] titled THE 'NEW JAZZ' SPECTRUM 3 and BGP (E) BGP2 140, BGP (E) CDBGPD 140 [CD] titled LIVING IN THE STREETS 2. a, b & k also on Columbia (SA) CDCOL 8109 P [CD] titled GREATEST HITS.
Producer: Caiphus Semenya for Junat Productions
Notes: Dean Rudland (BGP (E) CDBGPM 214 [CD]).
Covers: "Kube" (with added music by Lebo M) also performed by Lebo M on RHYTHM OF THE PRIDE LANDS (Walt Disney 60871-7 [CD]).