Kippie Moketsi Featuring Hal Singer - 1977 - Blue Stompin

Kippie Moketsi Featuring Hal Singer

1977

Blue Stompin'

01. Blue Stompin' 11:19

02. Hang On There 06:39

03. Scrap Iron 10:53

04. Yes Baby 12:38

Personnel on Track 1:

Hal Singer - Tenor Sax

Kippie Moeketsi - Alto Sax

Oliver Johnson - Drums

August "Gus" Nemeth - Bass

Alain Jean Marie - Piano

Personnel on Track 2:

Kippie Moeketsi - Alto Sax

Duku Makasi - Tenor Sax

Pat Matshikiza - Piano

Sipho Gumede - Bass

Gilbert Mathews - Drums

Personnel on Tracks 3, 4:

Kippie Moeketsi - Alto Sax

Barney Rachabane - Alto Sax

Duku Makasi - Tenor Sax

Jabu Nkosi - Piano

Enock Mthaleni - Guitar

Sipho Gumede - Bass

Gilbert Mathews - Drums

Blue Stompin’, originally released on Rashid Vally’s As-Shams/The Sun label in South Africa in July 1977, is a tour-de-force meeting of two seemingly unlikely saxophone collaborators. Kippie ‘Morolong’ Moeketsi was a founder member of The Jazz Epistles, along with Abdullah Ibrahim (or Dollar Brand as he was known then), Jonas Gwangwa, and Hugh Masekela. Hal Singer was a veteran of Duke Ellington’s orchestra as well as stints with Roy Eldridge, Coleman Hawkins, Jay McShann and Don Byas in the Be-bop era. In 1965, he emigrated to France and joined the sizeable contingent of Afro-American Jazz ex-pats who had made Paris their home. He is probably best known now for his 1969 Polydor album “Paris Soul Food”, on the back of which he toured extensively throughout Europe. In 1974 he went on a U.S. State Department-sponsored tour of South Africa, which was the genesis for the 1977 Blue Stompin’ release; a 1974 session featuring Singer and Moeketsi which re-worked the title track of Singer's 1959 Prestige album with Charlie Shavers, (Blue Stompin' - Prestige 7153) as a bluesy workout with R&B overtones, but this time incorporating Moeketsi taking the place of Charlie Shavers in trading lively solos. Spirited covers of "Scrap Iron' by Charles Hodges, 'Hang On In There' by Duke Pearson and 'Yes Baby' by Kenny Burrell round out this straight-ahead set, albeit with a decidedly South African flavour.

Any release featuring South African alto saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi (1925-1983) is to be warmly welcomed. This is a reissue of a 1977 collaboration with the Paris-based Oklahoma-born tenor saxophonist Hal Singer (1919-2020) that has been unavailable for 40 years.

Often introduced as ‘Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro’ by his close friend Abdullah Ibrahim, Moeketsi was a member of the Jazz Epistles, the trailblazing 1950s band, alongside Ibrahim, Hugh Masekela and Jonas Gwangwa, who all stated many years later that Moeketsi was the foremost South African jazz musician of their generation. For someone of such influence and importance, his death in 1983 aged 58 after years of bitter frustration, alcoholism and injustice for him and his fellow musicians is a tragedy.

The album was produced by Rashid Vally, the owner of the Kohinoor record shop in Johannesburg, and the As-Shams (The Sun) record label, and who played a major role in giving a voice to modern jazz in South Africa. The new mastering by Noah Mintz is excellent, the vinyl sounds warm and pristine.

The key selection here is Blue Stompin’, the opener and title track, recorded with Singer and his band during their 1974 US State Department tour of South Africa. It’s a romping blues on the front foot as the title suggests, first recorded for Singer’s 1959 Prestige album with Charlie Shavers. On this version Moeketsi plays a long solo introduction before the piano of Alain Jean Marie brings in the familiar riff and double bassist Gus Nemeth and drummer Oliver Johnson kick off with Singer’s solo setting the pace. Marie’s piano follows with some style before Moeketsi starts stretching out, showing the influence of Charlie Parker but playing with a style very much his own. He plays well, if a little hesitantly at times, with the song fading right on the ending at 11:20 but it really doesn’t feel a second too long.

It was Singer and his band’s only contribution, as the rest of the album consists of three tunes with tenor saxophonist Duku Moketsi and a rhythm section of double bassist Sipho Gumede and drummer Gilbert Mathews. On Hang On There (in reality trumpeter Harold Baker’s Hang In There) the band are tight, together and the playing is superb with the wonderful Pat Matshikiza following the saxophone breaks with a fine piano solo.

The second side features two long blues tunes, Duke Pearson’s Scrap Iron and Kenny Burrell’s Yes Baby, with Jabu Nkosi now sitting in for Matsikiza on electric piano, plus guitarist Enoch Mthaleni and Barney Rachabane on alto saxophone. The horn arrangements are pure South Africa in accent and with both tracks at over 10 minutes each the soloists get plenty of room.

Although Blue Stompin’ is the album’s focal point, Moeketsi’s playing on the other three tracks is feels stronger and more creative with the energy flowing in the camaraderie provided by musicians he knew well. It’s a privilege to be able to hear this music and inspires one to discover more and learn from his story.