Abdullah Ibrahim

In piano trios, horns are conspicuous by their absence. That's a political theory joke. Look up Leo Strauss. I like the sound of the saxophone, along with the bigger horns like the bass clarinet or the baritone sax. So when I listen to piano trios, it seems very quiet and subtle. Today I chanced upon Abdullah Ibrahim's Yarona.

Born Adolph Johannes Brand in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1934, he began his musical career as Dollar Brand. Later he converted to Islam, hence the more colorful name. Well, listening to Yarona while I prepared the first hamburgers to go on this year's grill, I converted as well. Ibrahim digs deep into the vein of song. I found it changed by mood by about 180 degrees. I am still disoriented. Here is a sample:

Abdullah Ibrahim/Duke 88/Yarona

Marcus McLaurine on bass and George Johnson on drums. This will put your ship on a new course. Don't miss the bass solo. It keeps bringing me back to... something.