November 30 marked what would have been Blue Note member Johnny Mbizo Dyanis’ 76th birthday (some say 78th) here, I take a journey through conversation with the living and departed jazz musicians and students on impression of the Afrofuturistic bass master.
The Brother Moves On has created a ‘time capsule in vinyl’ with its latest album, which pays homage to South African jazz greats both new and old while capturing the spirit of an era.
Political repression and censorship forced a generation of Black jazz musicians out of South Africa and into clubs in Europe and the US. But jazz critic Gwen Ansell says some musicians remained, and they left a legacy of unforgettable music.