BRUBECK/NTONI AFRO COOL CONCEPT - Afro-Cool Concept in New Orleans (1990)

African Echoes/Sun/WGBH Education Foundation, AE7865   
Producer: Martin Miller (exec: Robert Lyons)   
Engineers: Steve Colby, Dave Classer & Miles Smith       
Recorded at: GBH Mobile, Boston USA

Recorded live at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 27-May 6, 1990), featuring Darius Brubeck (then based in Durban) on piano and synths, Victor Ntoni on acoustic bass, Lulu Gontshana on drums and Barney Rachabane on sax.

"AFRO-COOL' went to the 'source' with one simple message: there is such a thing as South African Jazz. Maybe they knew it already as the group had a prime slot in the festival: between New Orleans heroes - Harry Connick Jr and Ellis Marsalis. Our exactly 59 minute performance was carried over 100 US radio station and of course we did not know then we were also making an album. But, thanks to the generosity and supreme technical ability of National Public Radio and the Festival, here is part of that musical message."

THE JAZZANIANS - We Have Waited Too Long (1988)

Umkhonto/RPM, UMKH407   
Producer: Darius Brubeck   
Engineer: David Marks       
Recorded at: Sound Crew Studio, KZN

Debut album of KZN-based jazz supergroup formed under the eye of Professor Darius Brubeck, son of Dave Brubeck, featuring young stars like sax and flute maestro Zim Ngqawana (who sadly passed away in May 2011, aged 52), Victor Masondo (bass), Johnny Mekoa (trumpet, trombone), Andrew Eagle (guitar), Nic Paton (sax), Melvin Peters (keys) and Lulu Gontsana (drums).

"The Jazzanians are the first nationally recognised band to emerge from the first university jazz course in South Africa (University of Natal, Durban). They were the first South Africans to perform at the prestigious National Association of Jazz Educators annual conference in Detroit (January '88) and during their trip to the US made their first TV appearances on NBC and CBS.  Six originals and a tribute to Johnny's late mentor, Victor Ndlazilwana of The Jazz Ministers, suggest a rainbow of urban sounds from soul to marabi and of course the kind of jazz that says 'made in RSA'." More about them here.