South African drummer, Tumi Mogorosi was starting his career behind many great musicians before recording his own album under the title Project Elo on UK label Jazzman Records, supported by a jazz sextet and 4 chorally-trained voices. If the influence from South African music is clear, the reverence to great jazzmen – think Max Roach and his vocal suites, Mary Lou Williams… – is also really evident. For us, the guy from Jo’Burg selects 5 important tracks that brings him where he’s at now!
The Quintet
All The Things You Are
«This was the album that was on repeat on my stereo. I used to lay on the floor with my eyes closed analysing how the band members aesthetically create the nuances of hardship and triumph, displayed by their genius for a lack of a better word.»
John Coltrane
Moment’s Notice
«This album opens me up to really being able to appreciate the stylistic hard bop approach to the music and the sheer ferocious nature of an expression when its time has arrived.»
Brian Blade & Wolfgang Muthspiel
Gnadenwald
«‘Friendly Travelers’ is one my favorite record by fact of how unfamiliar/familiar it is from the band configuration and how the use of instrument goes beyond the idea of its conventional thought…»
Louis Moholo
Angel Nomali
«This is somehow a soundtrack of my upbringing, this would some up my sound pallet in my early teens and just the interest in the narrative of this artist, his trajectory and committment to the music. He is most definitely one of my heroes.»
Zim Ngqawana
Long Waltz To Freedom
«This track and this album represent a period of exploring with sound as an ideology of healing. That lends us to the notion of a simple repetitive motive and building with the intensity of spontaneous composition of members of the ensemble.»
