Abdullah Ibrahim

South African pianist, flutist, soprano saxophonist, and composer Abdullah Ibrahim's sound is instantly recognizable. His effervescent music reflects the influences of his childhood in Cape Town, ranging from township and traditional African folk songs to AME Church gospel to Indian ragas, modern jazz, and Western pop. He combines these with the elegant compositional flair of Duke Ellington, the canny harmonies and rhythms of Thelonious Monk, and the technical proficiency of a classical pianist. After beginning with the Jazz Epistles, Ibrahim escaped apartheid and emigrated to...