Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana was a South African saxophonist and composer.
Louis Tebogo Moholo, is a South African jazz drummer. He has been a member of several notable bands, including The Blue Notes, the Brotherhood of Breath and Assagai.
Christopher McGregor was a South African jazz pianist, bandleader and composer born in Somerset West, South Africa.
Mongezi Feza was a South African jazz trumpeter and flautist.
Johnny Mbizo Dyani was a South African jazz double bassist, vocalist and pianist, who, in addition to being a key member of The Blue Notes, played with such international musicians as Don Cherry, Steve Lacy, David Murray, Finnish guitar player Jukka Syrenius, Pierre Dørge, Peter Brötzmann, Mal Waldron, fellow South African Dollar Brand, and Leo Smith, among many other prominent players.
The Brotherhood of Breath was an English-South African big band established in the late-1960s by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor, an extension of McGregor's previous band, The Blue Notes.
The Blue Notes were a South African jazz sextet, whose definitive line-up featured Chris McGregor on piano, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Dudu Pukwana on alto saxophone, Nikele Moyake on tenor saxophone, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo-Moholo on drums. After moving away from their home country in 1964, they established themselves on the European jazz circuit, where they continued to play and record through the 1970s. They are now considered one of the great free jazz bands of their era, whose music was given a unique flavour by their integration of African styles such as Kwela into the progressive jazz ideas of the time.
Bremen to Bridgwater is a double-CD live album by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor's big band Brotherhood of Breath. It was recorded in 1971 and 1975 in Bremen, Germany, and Bridgwater, England, and was released on CD by Cuneiform Records in 2004.
Very Urgent is an album by the Chris McGregor Group, led by pianist McGregor, and featuring saxophonists Ronnie Beer and Dudu Pukwana, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, bassist Johnny Dyani, and drummer Louis Moholo. It was recorded at Sound Techniques in London, and was released on LP by Polydor Records in 1968. In 2008, the album was reissued on CD by Fledg'ling Records. With the exception of Beer, all of the musicians were members of The Blue Notes, and the album can be viewed as the group's debut studio recording.
Travelling Somewhere is a live album by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor's big band Brotherhood of Breath. It was recorded on January 19, 1973, at Lila Eule, a jazz club in Bremen, Germany, and was released by Cuneiform Records in 2001. The recording took place eight days before the concert heard on Live at Willisau.
Dudu Phukwana and the "Spears" is the debut album by South African saxophonist Dudu Pukwana and his band, the "Spears." Produced by Joe Boyd, it was recorded in 1968 at Sound Techniques in London, and was initially released on vinyl in 1969 by Quality Records, a subsidiary of the Trutone label. In 2020, the album was remastered and reissued by Matsuli Music as a double-LP set with nine previously unissued tracks that were recorded in 1969, and that feature a number of guest artists such as Fairport Convention's Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol.
Procession (Live at Toulouse) is a live album by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor's big band Brotherhood of Breath. It was recorded on May 10, 1977, at Halle aux Grains in Toulouse, France, and was released on LP by Ogun Records in 1978. In 2013, Ogun reissued the album on CD with three extra tracks.
Blue Notes for Mongezi is an album by The Blue Notes, featuring saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, pianist Chris McGregor, bassist Johnny Dyani, and drummer Louis Moholo. It was recorded on December 23, 1975, in a rehearsal room in London, and was released on vinyl as a double album in 1976 by Ogun Records. In 2022, Ogun reissued the album in expanded form as a double-CD set, using tracks that originally appeared on the 2008 compilation The Ogun Collection.
Blue Notes in Concert Volume 1 is a live album by The Blue Notes, featuring saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, pianist Chris McGregor, bassist Johnny Dyani, and drummer Louis Moholo. It was recorded on April 16, 1977, at the 100 Club in London, and was released on vinyl in 1978 by Ogun Records. In 2022, Ogun reissued the album in expanded form on CD with the title Blue Notes in Concert, using tracks that originally appeared on the 2008 compilation The Ogun Collection.
Blue Notes for Johnny is an album by The Blue Notes, featuring saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, pianist Chris McGregor, and drummer Louis Moholo. It was recorded on August 18, 1987, at Redan Studios in London, and was released on vinyl later that year by Ogun Records. In 2022, Ogun reissued the album in expanded form on CD, using tracks that originally appeared on the 2008 compilation The Ogun Collection.
Legacy: Live in South Afrika 1964 is a live album by The Blue Notes, featuring saxophonists Nick Moyake and Dudu Pukwana, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, pianist Chris McGregor, double bassist Johnny Dyani, and drummer Louis Moholo. It was recorded during 1964 in Durban, South Africa, shortly before the group fled the country's apartheid regime and went into exile in Europe, and was released in 1995 by Ogun Records. The music was reissued in 2008 as part of the compilation The Ogun Collection, and was reissued again as a stand-alone release in 2022.
Township Bop is an album by The Blue Notes. Documenting the group's first studio session, it was recorded during early 1964 for the South African Broadcasting Corporation in Cape Town, South Africa, shortly before the musicians fled the country's apartheid regime and went into exile in Europe. The album was not released until 2002, when it was issued on CD by Proper Records. All of the tracks feature saxophonists Dudu Pukwana and Nick Moyake, as well as pianist Chris McGregor, while a number of the tracks include musicians who would not go on to become core members of the band: trumpeter Dennis Mpali, bassists Mongezi Velelo and Sammy Maritz, and drummer Early Mabuza.
The Ogun Collection is a five-CD box set compilation album by The Blue Notes, featuring saxophonists Nick Moyake and Dudu Pukwana, trumpeter Mongezi Feza, pianist Chris McGregor, double bassist Johnny Dyani, and drummer Louis Moholo. It brings together the contents of four albums previously released by Ogun Records: Legacy: Live in South Afrika 1964 ; Blue Notes for Mongezi ; Blue Notes in Concert ; and Blue Notes for Johnny. The latter three albums appear here in expanded form. The Ogun Collection, which also includes a booklet containing photos and essays, was released by Ogun in 2008. In 2022, the label reissued all four albums as stand-alone releases, using the expanded versions found on the compilation.
Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath is the debut album by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor's big band of the same name. Produced by Joe Boyd, it was recorded in 1970, and was issued on LP by the short-lived Neon imprint of RCA Records in 1971 as the label's second release. In 2007, it was reissued on CD by Fledg'ling Records.
Diamond Express is an album by South African alto saxophonist and composer Dudu Pukwana. It was recorded during the fall of 1975 at Island Studios in London, and was released on vinyl in 1977 by Arista/Freedom. In 1999, it was reissued on CD by the German Jazz Colours label with the title Ubagile, and with a different track order. On four of the album's five tracks, Pukwana is joined by trumpeter Mongezi Feza, guitarist Lucky Ranko, keyboardist Frank Roberts, double bassist Ernest Mothle, and drummers James Meine and Louis Moholo. On the remaining track, he is accompanied by saxophonist Elton Dean, trumpeter Feza, trombonist Nick Evans, guitarist Ranko, pianist Keith Tippett, double bassist Victor Ntoni, and drummer Moholo.
