THE BARGAIN BUY: Superbrew; Africa Aroha

 |   |  <1 min read

Superbrew: Aroha
THE BARGAIN BUY: Superbrew; Africa Aroha

 When, just five years ago, this innovative and enjoyable album from '87 was given an "at last!" reissue on CD, Elsewhere used it as an example of how exciting New Zealand jazz had been in those times.

The jazz scene in Auckland has become more vibrant in the years since, but this album still holds attention for its lively criss-cross of African sounds (treatments of Abdullah Ibrahim's Namibia, Coltrane's Afro Blue) alongside originals from the same zone (drummer Barry Young's Agbekor), and saxophonist Jim Langabeer's Aroha.

The band also offer a fine version of Mike Nock's In, Out and Around.

As you may read in that earlier article, there were also some fine players in this ensemble.

With the coverage given to African-influenced music which is popular right now, this album's time might have come again. And even it is hasn't there's hardly any excuse for not checking it out.

I picked this up at my local JB Hi-Fi store in the sale bin for just $5.

JB_logoFrom the opening bars I was smiling all over again, and -- given that price and the joyful effect it has -- then we can certainly call this a Bargain Buy. 

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   The Bargain Buy articles index

THE BARGAIN BUY: Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned It (Apple)

THE BARGAIN BUY: Billy Preston: That's The Way God Planned It (Apple)

By the time keyboard player Billy Preston ended up on the Beatles' Apple label in the late Sixties he'd already had quite some career. A child of the church, at 10 he played behind gospel... > Read more

THE BARGAIN BUY: Neil Young; On the Beach

THE BARGAIN BUY: Neil Young; On the Beach

It always gives Elsewhere special pleasure when one of our Essential Elsewhere albums turns up going cheap, and possibly never more so than in the case of this Neil Young album from '74. The... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

EPs by Shani.O

EPs by Shani.O

With so many CDs commanding and demanding attention Elsewhere will run this occasional column by the informed and opinionated Shani.O. She will scoop up some of those many EP releases, in... > Read more

Paul and Linda McCartney: Ram (1971)

Paul and Linda McCartney: Ram (1971)

Sir James Paul McCartney has released around 50 albums under his own name  -- or that of Wings, with his late wife Linda, or under some other nom de disque -- since the break-up of... > Read more