1981 Movement In The City “Black Teardrops” on The Sun

I mean, if you’re reading these (you’re not only a hero, but a total masochist) you know that I’m crazy about Cape Jazz. But there’s Cape Jazz and then there’s CAPE EFFING JAZZ. Yeah, this record falls squarely in the latter category. In fact, it’s fantastic, the entire roll just one solid, heavy, deep, angry, hot, resigned, exalted groove. You can SMELL the sun and the sweat and the fire. So let’s just start with the bass, which could power three Russian semi-functional nuclear reactors, by the Mighty Mighty Mighty Sipho Gumede. No joke, if we’re doing a fantasy bass draft, Sipho’s on my team before Jaco. Of course, our man Pops Mohamed runs the show, not only composing the tunes, but laying down tuff organ, keys, and guitar right and left as needed. Pops, no joke, could have been the essential 5th wheel of Kraftwerk if he’d wanted. He also wrote “Lament” the top-down California highway ’66 Impala seaside groover that’s also a political and social statement of real significance, all without a single word. Basil Coetzee kills it on tenor and flute, Robbie Jansen has some nice runs on alto, and Monty Weber (Black Disco, Chris McGregor) is as tight as a mosquito’s tweeter on trap drums. Man, I don’t know what to tell you except that this record is pure, slow-steppin’, long-jam, dappled gold. TOP ACTION.