Movement In The City - 1981 - Black Teardrops

Movement In The City

1981

Black Teardrops

01. Lament 13:32

02. Black Teardrops 07:24

03. Seagull 05:46

04. Camel Walk 13:59

'Pops' M. Ismail - keyboards

Basil Manenberg Coetzee - tenor sax, flute

Robbie Jansen - alto sax, flute

Sipho Gumede - bass guitar

Roger Harry - drums

Flute on "Camel Walk" – Basil Coetzee

Bass on "Camel Walk" – Peter Odendaal

Drums on "Camel Walk" – Monty Weber

1981 South African Soul-Funk-Jazz by the creator of the Black Disco albums. As underground jazz fermented in the social and political powder keg of early-80s South Africa, composer and bandleader Pops Mohamed retired the Black Disco moniker in favour of Movement in the City. The group's second offering under their new name yielded one of the most treasured releases in the As-Shams/The Sun catalogue by way of Black Teardrops, a singular blend of down-tempo and atmospheric South African rare groove featuring Dollar Brand saxophonist Basil "Mannenberg" Coetzee and bass wizard Sipho Gumede.

A really sweet electric set from the South African scene – long tracks that are overflowing with great saxophone and keyboard solos – played here by a really top-shelf group! The sound's a bit like a more relaxed take on territory from CTI – with the keyboards from Pops Ismail at the core, next to electric bass that's nice and slow-stepping from Sipho Gumede – while Basil Manenberg Coetzee solos and tenor, and Robbie Jansen handles both alto and flute! The lineup shifts a bit on one track – with Coetzee shifting to flute, and Ismail picking up some guitar next to the keyboards – but there's a wonderfully unified flow to the record, a warm sweet groove throughout.