Town Hall and (Le) Poisson Rouge present One of the Most Exciting Jazz Events of the Year

Town Hall and (Le) Poisson Rouge are proud to present the Jazz Epistles, featuring Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela live in New York City for the first time on South African Freedom Day, April 27th. Half a century after recording South Africa's landmark jazz album, Jazz Epistle, Verse 1, these original bebop legends reunite for their first North American performance at the Town Hall at 123 West 43rd Street in New York.

The Jazz Epistles album is the "Holy Grail" recording in modern South African jazz history, yet the world was not aware of its pivotal importance, until now.

In 1959, South Africa's top musicians­­­ -Hugh Masekela on trumpet, Abdullah Ibrahim on piano, Jonas Gwangwa on trombone, Kippie Moeketsi on alto saxophone, Johnny Gertze on bass, and Makaya Ntshoko on drums - created "the first all-black modern South African jazz recording." (Gwen Ansell, author of Soweto Blues). It was revolutionary for the time period, yet its modern sounds and controversial nature made it a commercial flop - only 500 LPs were originally printed. The apartheid government, which viewed jazz as an inherent threat to authority, forced its brilliant musicians into exile. Thus, the Jazz Epistles disbanded and the music was buried and almost lost. For decades, due to the hostile circumstances of the time period, very little of this rich cultural history has been documented.

Remarkably, Ibrahim and Masekela achieved massive success on their own terms overseas in exile. Ibrahim settled in Europe and Masekela in the States. They became symbols of the Pan-African movement, each writing popular anti-apartheid freedom songs and creating formidable discographies.

Now, half a century later, these two giants reunite for the first time in concert in North America. They not only revisit a critical chapter from their youth, but also pay tribute to one of the most important jazz sessions to occur on South African soil.

The Town Hall date will take place on April 27th, South Africa Freedom Day, which commemorates the country's first democratic elections in 1994.

This unique North American debut performance will be captured by WBGO-FM for Jazz Night in America, carried on NPR stations nationwide, and The Checkout hosted by Simon Rentner.

This concert is produced by The Town Hall and (Le) Poisson Rouge, in partnership with WBGO, South African Tourism, and South African Airways.

Visit The Town Hall www.thetownhall.org or (Le) Poisson Rouge www.lprnyc.com for more information.

About Abdullah Ibrahim

Abdullah Ibrahim is South Africa's most distinguished pianist and a world-respected master musician. Formerly known as Dollar Brand - a nickname he earned for his spirited efforts to buy American LPs, which could be found for one dollar - he took the name Abdullah Ibrahim in 1968 when he converted to Islam. Alongside Hugh Masekela, he performed and recorded with South Africa's first premier modern jazz group, the Jazz Epistles. When the apartheid clampdown came, he became one of the most successful, and - with some 100 albums - prolific, musicians in the exodus. In 1963, while in exile in Europe, Ibrahim was heard by Duke Ellington at the Africana Club. Ellington was so impressed that he arranged a recording session for Ibrahim and his trio. The resulting album, Duke Ellington Presents the Dollar Brand Trio, was released on the Reprise label later that year. He continued to be supported by Ellington following the album's release. Under the urging of Ellington, he came to New York in 1965 and performed at the Newport Festival with the Ellington Orchestra, at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Museum of Modern Art, The Village Vanguard, and many college venues. He briefly returned to Cape Town in 1973, which resulted in the recording of the legendary "Mannenburg" and "Soweto". Those songs became anthems of the uprisings in the Soweto townships, expressing the anguish of his people under the oppression of apartheid. Ibrahim went into exile again in 1976 vowing not to return until South Africa and his people were free. He would not return until 1990. For more than a quarter-century, Ibrahim has toured the world extensively, giving sold-out performances with renowned artists like Max Roach, Carlos Ward, and Randy Weston. Even today, Ibrahim remains at his zenith, a musician and tireless initiator of new projects.

About Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela is a world-renowned flugelhornist, trumpeter, bandleader, composer, singer and defiant political voice who remains deeply connected at home in South Africa, while his international career sparkles. Masekela began to hone his now signature Afro-Jazz sound in the late 1950s during a period of intense creative collaboration, most notably performing in the 1959 musical King Kong, and, soon thereafter, as a member of the now legendary South African group, the Jazz Epistles. In 1960, at the age of 21, he left South Africa to begin what would be a 30-year exile from the land of his birth. On arrival in New York he enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music. This coincided with a golden era of jazz music and the young Masekela immersed himself in the New York jazz scene where nightly he watched greats like MiLes Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Mingus and Max Roach. Under the tutelage of Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong, Masekela was encouraged to develop his own unique style, feeding off African rather than American influences - his debut album, released in 1963, was entitled Trumpet Africaine. His subsequent solo career has spanned five decades, during which time he has released over 40 albums (and been featured on countless more) and has worked with such diverse artists as Harry Belafonte, Dizzy Gillespie, Fela Kuti, ­­Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Miriam Makeba. In 1990 Masekela returned home, following the unbanning of the ANC and the release of Nelson Mandela - an event anticipated in Hugh's anti-apartheid anthem "Bring Home Nelson Mandela"(1986) which had been a rallying cry around the world. Masekela is currently using his global reach to spread the word about heritage restoration efforts in Africa, a topic that remains very close to his heart.