Abdullah Ibrahim The Balance

In this case, the album was recorded over the course of one day at London's RAK Studios last November. The lush horn lines, lilting melodies, and uplifting chord progressions are characteristic of Abdullah's all-encompassing Township-Jazz. This is contrasted with various solo piano improvisations, which epitomise the nostalgic yet hopeful nature of Abdullah's musical spirit. Hence, The Balance.

In his own words: "We push ourselves out of our comfort zones. So that we can present to the listener our striving for excellence. So that we can engage with our listeners without any barriers of our ego. It's not jazz. For us, it's a process of transcending barriers".

Abdullah Ibrahim: piano
Featuring Ekaya:
Noah Jackson: double bass (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8), cello (tracks 3, 10)
Alec Dankworth: double bass (tracks 3, 10)
Will Terrill: drums
Adam Glasser: harmonica (track 10)
Cleave Guyton Jr.: alto saxophone (tracks 2, 3, 6), flute (track 1, 10), piccolo (track 4, 8)
Lance Bryant: tenor saxophone
Andrae Murchison: trombone
Marshall McDonald: baritone saxophone