JUNE 2021: Saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi (1925-1983) is a towering figure in South African jazz - a member of the hallowed Jazz Epistles alongside Ibrahim, Masekela and Gwangwa and part of the cast of the Todd Matshikiza's lauded King Kong musical. He is also an integral part of the the As-Shams catalogue as both featured performer and principal artist, often presented in partnership with another figure. Tshona! (1975) is recognised as a South African jazz masterpiece and one of his most enduring As-Shams releases, in which his own compositions are paired with those of pianist Pat Matshikiza. On the title track of his 1977 follow-up Blue Stompin', Moeketsi (using the spelling Moketsi during his tenure with As-Shams) joins American tenorist Hal Singer (1919-2020), revisiting Singer's 1959 composition at the behest of producer Rashid Vally. Seizing the opportunity provided by the Hal Singer Quartet's US State Department sponsored visit to South Africa in the mid-70s, Vally not only solicited a recording of new material (Hal Singer Quartet's Soweto to Harlem) but also engineered this transatlantic collaboration with Moeketsi. In addition to the title track featuring the Hal Singer Quartet, Blue Stompin' is rounded out by three other covers led by Moeketsi with a South African ensemble that demonstrate his prowess as an interpreter of American jazz idioms seeped in R&B, blues and swing. We're delighted to announce a 2021 reissue of Blue Stompin' presented by the skilled restoration team at We Are Busy Bodies, who worked with the original master tapes. This July 2021 release sees the album back on vinyl for the first time since 1977 and honours Singer's passing at the age of 100 last year.
