Description
2015 repress; originally released in 2006. The fourth volume in Honest Jon’s Records’ series celebrating the music of black London, staying for now with the first waves of modern immigration from Africa and the West Indies. After devoting a third installment to the accomplishments of the late Nigerian genius Ambrose Campbell, Honest Jon’s resumes an open-house policy, suited to musicians whose lives and artistic ambitions carried them all over the world; calypso and kwela are back, and highlife and bebop, with a little rock ‘n’ roll, a “mambo Indio,” a shango hymn, some Sun Ra-style cha-cha-cha. A lake in a Johannesburg zoo, a Chinese on the Harrow Road; astronauts and prostitutes, landlords, streetfighters and cricketers. The music and detailed notes are presented alongside rare artist photographs by Val Wilmer. Includes tracks by Ginger Folorunso Johnson, Young Tiger, Dorothy Masuka, Lord Kitchener, Cab Kaye, Shake Keane, Eric Hayden, Enoch & Christy Mensah, Victor Coker, Young Growler, The African Messengers, and Nat Atkins.
