POPS MOHAMED & MORRIS GOLDBERG - Sophiatown Society

While the Kalamazoo Series of the early 1990s revived Pops Mohamed's long creative journey with bassist Sipho Gumede, it also gave rise to an exciting new collaboration with saxophonist Morris Goldberg and a memorable album entitled Sophiatown Society. Goldberg's association with As-Shams dated back to the label's inaugural release in 1974, providing the third epic sax solo on Abdullah Ibrahim's "Mannenberg" alongside Robbie Jansen and Basil Coetzee.

Like Ibrahim, Goldberg had settled in New York City by the late 1970s. As the pennywhistle soloist on "You Can Call Me Al" from Graceland in 1986, he was part of a pool of South African musicians that Paul Simon enlisted for the Grammy-winning album. Bakithi Kumalo (bass) snd Vusi Khumalo (drums) were also among the Graceland contributors, with Bakithi's fretless pyrotechnics holding down the core rhythm section for much of the album. The cousins had been frequent collaborators since the early 1980s and had backed Masike "Funky" Mohapi on his earliest offerings.

On Sophiatown Society, this unique quartet emerges with a nostalgic, hopeful and beautifully-crafted South African jazz sound for the 1990s. With the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA) beginning to drive the development of a new constitution, principal composer Mohamed steps up with a soulful and healing palette that marked his early forays into weaving traditional instruments and new-age sensibilities into South African jazz.

Keyboards/Mbira - Pops Mohamed

Saxophones/Pennywhistle - Morris Goldberg

Brass/Percussions - Bakithi Kumalo

Drums - Vusi Khumalo

All compositions composed by Pops Mohamed except "Sophiatown Society" composed by Pops Mohamed and Morris Goldberg.

An Original Recording by Sun Music Group

Producer - Pops Mohamed

Recorded and Mixed by Richard Felani Gumbi

Cover Design - Eirfaan Gillan

Photography - Joe Sefale

Executive Producers - Rashid Vally & Eirfaan Gillan

Original Release 1991 • Cat. No. KMH 1003

SIPHO GUMEDE - Banana City Jive

Bassist and composer Sipho Gumede's self-produced solo album from 1991, Banana City Jive was the fourth recording issued by Kalamazoo Productions, the Sun Music imprint created for Pops Mohamed's Kalamazoo EP, which both featured and was co-produced by Gumede in 1990.

The importance of Sipho Gumede (1952-2004) in the As-Shams/The Sun catalogue cannot be overstated. As a session player, he appears on classic 1970s recordings by label heavyweights Dollar Brand, Kippie Moeketsi, Pat Matshikiza and Tete Mbambisa. He was also an integral member of Pops Mohamed's Black Disco and Movement in the City recording ventures. But As-Shams alone couldn't contain his creative zeal. As a band member and composer, he made vital contributions to the epic 1970s and 1980s South African jazz constellations Roots, Spirits Rejoice and Sakhile.

It wasn't until the mid-1980s that Sipho Gumede stepped into the shoes of a solo recording artist and it is over the course of the 1990s that he left an indelible mark on South African music, courting even the mainstream with his sophisticated and modern African jazz sound. Having worked together since 1975, Banana City Jive provided a welcome opportunity for Sun Music label director Rashid Vally to get behind a fully-fledged Gumede offering for the first time. Notable contributors to this effort were Sakhile bandmate Khaya Mahalngu on soprano sax, rising star McCoy Mrubata on tenor and As-Shams/The Sun veteran Themba Mokoena on guitar.

Recorded and mastered on quarter-inch tape and issued only on vinyl, Banana City Jive is among the last South African jazz artefacts of the analog era and part of a body of works created during an period of political, social and technological transition that announced a new set of aesthetics for South African jazz in the 1990s.

KHAYA MAHLANGU – Soprano Sax

MZI KHUMALO – Alto Sax

McCOY MRUBATA – Tenor Sax

SIPHO GUMEDE – Bass

BABA THEMBA MOKOENA – Guitar

BARNEY BOPHELA – Keyboards

KWAZI SHANGE – Drums

Recorded by FELANI GUMBI

Mixed by FELANI GUMBI & SIPHO GUMEDE at HIT CITY STUDIOS

Produced by Sipho Gumede for KALAMAZOO PRODUCTIONS

Executive Producers: RASHID VALLY & EIRFAAN GILLAN

Cat. No. KMH 1004

℗ 1991 Sun Music Group