Abdullah Ibrahim was born in Cape Town, South Africa and became a professional musician in 1949. "Duke Ellington Presents The Dollar Brand Trio" was Abdullah Ibrahim's entree into the international world of Jazz. An eloquent spokesman and deeply religious, Abdullah's believes and experiences are reflected in his music. Other than playing with Elvin Jones Quartet, Abdullah has been a band lead as well as a much-accomplished solo pianist. In 1988, he wrote the award-winning sound track for the film Chocolat. 

His recent projects are of a larger scale. The world premiere of the sym-phony piece was at the renowned Herkules Saal in Munich, Germany in 1998. The string orchestra version was released on "African Suite" and met critical acclaim from both worlds of jazz and classical music. In October 2000, Abdullah had the honor of being invited by Gresham College, an eminent institution in London, to give several lectures and concerts. 

 

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Quotes

“Stunningly recorded, it's a definite keeper.”

- Downbeat Magazine ****1/2  – John Corbett  8/2003

 

"…their clear rapport signals both a shared grasp of jazz's origins and a shared commitment to the cause of freedom.”

- JazzTimes Magazine – Nate Chinen  11/2003

 

“ …this conversation is a marvelous rediscovery.”

- Downbeat Magazine – Paul de Barros  8/2003

 

“The sum of the four tunes (witness the names given them!) make up the breathtaking whole.”

- AllaboutJazz.com – Jerry D’Souza 8/2003

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