THE spring transition from jazz famine to feast in Johannesburg is less marked this year. There is now a viable performance circuit in the city, which has stimulated an influx of players, regular performances, and a refreshing number of new releases.For the first time in years, I have local, rather than international, albums stacked up awaiting review space. This is cause for celebration.One of those albums is bassist Mlungisi Gegana’s second outing as leader, I Am Who Am I (Sheer). It’s a decade since his debut, the Sama-winning One Step Forward (Gallo), and in that time he has grown considerably as both player and composer. I Am Who Am I features a tight, small group, including reedman McCoy Mrubata, horn player Feya Faku, pianist Vee Ferlito and drummer Kevin Gibson, with guest trumpet Lee Thompson. The eight tracks expose a lyrical composer’s voice: far more in the tradition of classic South African jazz, with its melodic central hooks and hard bop and free edges, than that firs...
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