Told you she was underrated! She also sang with the Young Disciples among others (she also looked like my ex)
OK I'm back in the seventies again
one of the ultimate live bands.
So was the Brotherhood Of Breath, in a totally different way. I saw them many times. They were a loose collective consisting of many of the original Blue Notes from South Africa plus the great and good of British jazz. The lineup was forever changing depending who was available on the night but usually contained the rhythm section of Louis Moholo, Harry Miller and McGregor himself, plus Dudu Pukwana and Mike Osborne, who despite coming from Hereford could blow as African as anyone.
The first track here is perhaps their best recording (most of their records were from live concerts), it reminds me of that line in the bible about making a joyful noise unto the Lord.
The second track is more freeform and if you get bored forward to about 36.00 for some ZA funk
Still back in the seventies. Music was going in all kinds of directions, and there were crossovers like jazz-rock and folk-rock. It seemed to be more about art and less about product than today.
I pick up a lot from Jools Holland - where I first saw Carleen Anderson among many others. Back in the day of course there was John Peel - and I learned a lot about jazz from Radio Three - or it might still have been the Third Programme. In between I knew a load of musicians, but you won't have heard of most of them.
He went blind in early childhood, and his second stroke killed him in his forties. I can guess what he was never diagnosed with.
I DO listen to modern music too
Beverley Knight is yet another outstanding singer who should be better known. Tight band and excellent drummer too, and there's lots more of her on YouTube, like for example
There's one on YouTube from 2017 but not that special, not surprising really as they have been going since 1969.
Meanwhile from Cameroon
I have an absolutely blistering performance of this on video, sadly not on YouTube
My first love is still South African jazz, here's a tune by the late Mongesi Feza played by Louis Moholo and co. I believe it was later made a hymn tune.
OK I have been getting mildly(!) obsessed with musical history.
African folk music first came to the west largely via slaves, and gave birth to the blues and jazz, and influenced a lot of rock music. Meanwhile they got hymn tunes.
Then the western music went back to Africa and cross-fertilised with folk music from other countries.
Things continued to go back and forth until we ended up with rap, and they got Tinariwen
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