Having first met in the 70s thanks to their respective close associations with Fela Kuti, Tony Allen and Hugh Masekela talked for decades about making an album together. When, in 2010, their touring schedules coincided in the UK, the moment presented itself and producer Nick Gold took the opportunity to record their encounter. The unfinished sessions, consisting of all original compositions by the pair, lay in archive until after Masekela passed away in 2018. With renewed resolution, Tony Allen and Nick Gold, with the blessing and participation of Hugh’s estate, unearthed the original tapes and finished recording the album in summer 2019 at the same London studio where the original sessions had taken place. According to Allen, the album deals in “a kind of South African-Nigerian swing-jazz Afrobeat stew”. Allen and Masekela are accompanied on the record by a new generation of well-respected jazz musicians including Tom Herbert (Acoustic Ladyland / The Invisible), Joe Armon-Jones (Ezra Collective), Mutale Chashi (Kokoroko) and Steve Williamson.
Out March 20th on CD, 180g heavyweight LP and digital, via World Circuit Records.
Preorder or pre-save the album now and listen to first track ‘We’ve Landed’: http://worldcircuit.lnk.to/Rejoice
