Next and Final Stop Soweto

Strut conclude their essential three part excursion into the archives of South African music with the third and final volume of the Next Stop Soweto series with a look at jazz in South Africa from 1963-1978. As with the previous two volumes of the series, the folks at Strut have researched, dug around, search high and low and unearthed some of the rarest, deepest, and best music that no one outside of the continent of Africa has ever heard. Spread out over two discs, this Next Stop Soweto, volume is an all encompassing tribute to an era in South African jazz often dubbed the silent period. But after listening to this massive catalogue of tunes, it's almost impossible to say that this fifteen year period was silent. The quality of tunes and arrangements on this set prove that there were some amazing musicians who overcame amazing obstacles to record some stunningly good songs.

While jazz is often thought of as an American phenomenon, it's appeal truly is global and whether it's Oscar Peterson in Paris or Batsumi in a South African township the music and influence of the American masters is inescapable. From vocal jazz to broad post-bop brush strokes of instrumentation, Next Stop Soweto covers it all in a hot sweaty series of improvisations, arrangements, and songs that sound as if they featured Miles Davis. Next Stop Soweto is excellent stuff and quite honestly, if someone handed this to you without telling you where it came from you'd have no idea. It's affection and ability is truly to be admired and the songs really do speak for themselves.

In hindsight, it seems only fitting that Strut wind up the Next Stop Soweto series with this double disc set. Having previously covered soul and funk with care and devotion, they may very well have outdone themselves here with this extensive collection. With top musicianship coming from artists like Early Mabuza Quartet, Themba, The Jazz Ministers, and Malombo Jazz Makers it's awesome to know that the musicians featured perservered the hardships of their country and overcame them with flying colors and some amazing music. Next Stop Soweto is an essential collection and whether it's the first, second, or third volumes in the series they are all important and awesome collections that any true music fan needs to own. If you love jazz from the 60's and 70's you'll treasure the gold mine of material that makes up this the final volume of Next Stop Soweto. Essential stuff, really.

Next Stop Soweto

With hipsterdom's new found love for world music it was only a matter of time before a zillion compilations were issued that featured some obscure world music form that no one's ever heard of except some dude in Vampire Weekend. The problem with that is about 95 percent of those compilations are absolute garbage and so few of the remaining five percent stand out it's almost disheartening. There are those compilations, however, that will reaffirm your belief in such things and Strut's recent two disc anthology, Next Stop Soweto is a shining example of how to do things right when it comes to the burgeoning afro-beat reissue market.

Like many of Strut's essential reissues, the label spares no expense at digging through the crates, looking under rocks, travelling around the globe, and researching everything to find the absolute best tunes that no one has ever heard of. They do an incredible job on Next Stop Soweto by unearthing so many rare and unheard of gems, record collectors might just have a heart attack. This is an absolutely corker of a set with forty two rarities of soul, funk, and organ grooves that are as fresh and original as the day they were recorded. While some of the recording techniques might be suspect and the recording quality pales in comparison by today's standards, so much of the material here is robust, exciting, and proves time after time that music truly is a universal language that knows no barriers.

Next Stop Soweto is packed with grooves and hooks that cross language barriers and cultures and are deeply thrilling from the jangly guitar work outs of "Soul Charkari," to the the laid back jazzy feel of, "Happy Africa." This is simply magical stuff and there's not one single track here that isn't worth it's weight in gold. Funky, jazzy, soulful, poppy it's all hear and after listening to Next Stop Soweto a few times you'll see where so much of today's world music influenced indie comes from; heck you'll be able to spot the bands a mile away. Next Stop Soweto is absolutely essential stuff that's the sound of a young Africa discovering the joys of sweet soul music...now thanks to Strut you to can discover those joys as well.