The late South African bassist Johnny “Mbizo” Dyani, who died nearly 40 years ago in 1986, remains influential on the international jazz scene. Growing up in apartheid South Africa, Dyani was a member of The Blue Notes, South Africa’s first integrated jazz group, whose members had to flee the country in 1964. He ended up in Denmark and later Sweden, where he and his New Jungle Orchestra influenced a generation of Nordic musicians, including Danish guitarist and composer Pierre Dørge.
Dørge has dozens of albums as a leader to his credit in a recording career that stretches back to 1979, on SteepleChase, Olufsen and other labels. Avant garde, free jazz, Nordic lyricism, Balkan and other global rhythms are all the hallmarks of Dørge’s singular career. He collaborated with Dyani on several albums before the latter’s untimely demise, and produced a tribute Johnny Lives in 1987.
Among those who also fell under Nyazi’s spell was American cornetist Kirk Knuffke (whose Super Blonde is among my favorite releases of 2025), who also has toured and recorded pretty extensively with Dørge. They’re joined here by bassist Thommy Andersson and drummer Martin Andersen, New Jungle Orchestra members who were instrumental in organizing this date. It’s an extraordinary record, matching Dørge’s wide ranging melodicism and powerful tonal moods with Knuffke’s equally clarion tonalities and inventiveness, and propelled by a sharp, sympathetic rhythm section.
The first four tracks revisits the four songs that were the entirety of Nyazi’s 1979 album Song For Biko, a tribute to the martyred Black Nationalist leader Steven Biko, which featured the great American cornetist Don Cherry, a particular hero of Knuffke’s. The ebullient lead track “Wish You Sunshine” is a fine way to kick off the disk, juxtaposing Dørge’s colorful chording with Kirk’s pointed melodicism. The two lay down a playful counterpoint on a mostly upbeat rendition of “Song For Biko,” which offers Dørge lots of room to roam, and roam he does. Nice solos from Andersson and Andersen, too. After a spiky ostinato intro, “Confession Of Moods” opens into a full on freely improvised exploration of various moods. “Jo’berg-New York,” which traces Nyazi’s early journey from South Africa to the Big Apple, melds a suggestion of African beats and township vibe with smoky club jazz.
From other Nyazi albums we have the meanderingly playful “Year Of The Child”; the strident “Heart With Minor’s Face,” with a superb, burbling bass solo; and a couple of deep blues explorations. “Blues For Bra Dick” has echoes of New Orleans and a hot drum solo from Andersen, and the jaunty “All In All” is a showcase for Dørge’s blues explorations. The album wraps with a more stately, nearly reverent take on “Song For Biko” that honors both the activist and the bassist.
I’m glad this album came my way. I love having discovered Dørge’s engrossing guitar style with its shifting colors and tones, as well as the relaxed yet upbeat music of Mbizo Dyani, not to mention another outing by Knuffke this year. This one’s a sneaker that pulled me in.
(SteepleChase, 2025)
