Spiritual Pianist Nduduzo Makhathini Makes Blue Note Debut Via ‘Communication: Letters from the Underworlds’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

The visionary South African pianist and composer Nduduzo Makhathini makes his Blue Note Records debut, Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds, an expansive album anchored by Makhathini’s expressive, McCoy Tyner inspired piano in modal style in which lyrical, plaintive horns mingle with percussion, vocal shouts and urgent lyrics. He’s the first South African artist to ever sign with the legendary label. You may have heard the single,  “Beneath the Earth” featuring lead vocals by Msaki along with Makhathini’s own voice and accompanying piano, plus a soaring alto saxophone solo by Logan Richardson. The band also includes tenor saxophonist Linda Sikhakhane, trumpeter Ndabo Zulu, bassist Zwelakhe-Duma Bell Le Pere, drummer Ayanda Sikade, percussionist Gontse Makhene, and backing vocals by his wife Omagugu Makhathini and their children Nailah, Thingo, and Moyo. A previous single “Yehlisan’uMoya” (Spirit Come Down) has also been released featuring impassioned vocals by Omagugu. She and their daughter, Nailah, sing on “Indawu.”

“‘Beneath the Earth’ speaks to a way of locating our Gods and developing a language of communication with them,” says Makhathini. “Similar to most cultures on the continent it references the soil (the underworlds) as our symbol of communication. The tune is also based on the musical style amahubo, an art form is based on Zulu praise and lament songs, or ‘Zulu hymns’ as it is sometimes described. Historically this particular style was popularized by the great Princess Magogo KaDinuzulu, and within a cultural context it is understood as a mode and space for preservation of significant memories of the Zulu people.”

In addition to the American alto saxophonist Logan Richardson, the front line of horns includes rising stars of the South African scene including Linda Sikhakhane on tenor saxophone and Ndabo Zulu on trumpet. All play aggressively and spiritually echoing greats like Trane, Azar Lawrence and Pharaoh Sanders. The rhythm section is helmed by the intuitive and economical drumming of Ayanda Sikade working in tandem with Zwelakhe-Duma Bell Le Pere on bass. The percussion provided by Gontse Makhene also slides further up the mix to dazzling effect in the beginning and ending of “Umyalez’oPhuthumayo” (“Urgent Message”).

Mostly Makhathini comps and vamps behind the horn ensemble passages and their spirited soloing, the bulk of which seem to feature Richardson.  When Makhathini does stretch out (i.e Umyalez’oPhuthumayo”) his influences from Tyner, Weston and Abdullah Ibrahim are readily apparent. The style of the album is closer to Azar Lawrence’s Summer Solstice and McCoy Tyner’s Song of the New World but several of Randy Weston’s African based albums and those of Shabaka & the Ancestors, the band in which some of these South Africans who also play (including Makhathini) in a modal, spiritual style, are reference points as well.

Nduduzo Makhathini grew up in the lush and rugged hillscapes of umGungundlovu in South Africa, a peri-urban landscape in which music and ritual practices were symbiotically linked. The area is significant historically as the site of the Zulu king Dingane kingdom between 1828 and 1840. It’s important to note that the Zulu, in fact the African warrior code, is deeply reliant on music for motivation and healing. This deeply embedded symbiosis is key to understanding Makhathini’s vision. 

The church also played a role in Makhathini’s musical understanding, as he hopped from church to church in his younger days in search of only the music. The legends of South African jazz are deep influences as well, especially Bheki Mseleku, Moses Molelekwa, and Abdullah Ibrahim. Through his mentor Mseleku, Makhathini was also introduced to the music of John Coltrane’s classic quartet with McCoy Tyner. “I came to understand my voice as a pianist through John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme,” he says. “As someone who started playing jazz very late, I had always been looking for a kind of playing that could mirror or evoke the way my people danced, sung, and spoke. Tyner provided that and still does in meaningful ways.” Makhathini also cites American jazz pianists including Andrew Hill, Randy Weston, and Don Pullen as significant influences.

In addition to producing albums for his peers (such as Thandiswa Mazwai’s Belede and Tumi Mogorosi’s Project Elo), Makhathini has released eight albums of his own since 2014 when he founded the label Gundu Entertainment in partnership with his wife. Those albums earned him multiple awards and include Sketches of Tomorrow (2014), Mother Tongue (2014), Listening to the Ground (2015), Matunda Ya Kwanza (2015); Icilongo: The African Peace Suite (2016), Inner Dimensions (2016), and Reflections (2016). His 2017 album Ikhambi was the first to be released on Universal Music South Africa and won Best Jazz Album at the South African Music Awards (SAMA) in 2018. As stated, he is a member of Shabaka Hutchings’ band Shabaka and the Ancestors appearing on their 2016 album Wisdom of Elders, and the recently released We Are Sent Here By History and has also collaborated with artists including Logan Richardson, Nasheet Waits, Tarus Mateen, Stefon Harris, Billy Harper, Azar Lawrence, and Ernest Dawkins.

Again, if you’re a fan of McCoy Tyner, Randy Weston, Azar Lawrence or Shabaka & the Ancestors – or any spiritually oriented jazz that incorporates African rhythms, this is one you’ll need to hear.

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