Pianist
Abdullah Ibrahim (then known as
Dollar Brand) was a newcomer to Europe in 1963, having recently left his homeland South Africa. His wife Bea Benjamin had persuaded
Duke Ellington to see
Brand perform, and he was so impressed that he produced
Brand on a record date for Reprise with
Dollar's trio (which included bassist
Johnny Gertze and drummer
Makaya Ntshoko), reissued on CD in 1997.
Brand, who at the time was very influenced by
Thelonious Monk and (to a lesser extent)
Ellington, performs five originals plus
Monk's "Brilliant Corners." Although his style was not as distinctive as it would become (there is little heard of his country's folk music), this is a consistently stimulating, exploratory and recommended, if (at 33-minutes) brief set. ~ Scott Yanow