LOUIS MOHOLO-MOHOLO/ALEXANDER HAWKINS

KEEP YOUR HEART STRAIGHT

In the rich jazz history of an old lion making inspired new music with a young one, ‘Keep Your Heart Straight’ deserves a very prominent place on the podium (John Fordham)

Musical fireworks are guaranteed from an intercontinental meeting between the intense piano improvisations of Alexander Hawkins and the extraordinary dynamic range of South African percussionist Louis Moholo- Moholo, who played a pivotal role in the influential community of South African exiles who transformed the evolution of British creative music from the 70s.

Though representing two different generations of musician – the one, an established master and veteran of numerous seminal recordings and bands in the history of the music; the other, a member of a much younger generation, but whose audacious and far-reaching musical vision marks him as a major force in today’s scene – South African drummer Louis Moholo- Moholo and English pianist Alexander Hawkins have developed a special rapport over the past years.

Their duo captures an always-passionate mix of free jazz; South African melodies; Ellington; and much else besides.

‘Keep Your Heart Straight’ on the Ogun label (home to classic recordings by the likes of the Blue Notes, the Brotherhood of Breath, and many others) is the first released work of this pair; adding another chapter to a history of duo collaborations with pianists which has already seen Moholo-Moholo create masterpieces with musicians such as Cecil Taylor, Marilyn Crispell, Irene Schweizer, and Keith Tippett, it has been called ‘A classic in waiting’ (John Eyles).