Bonington Theatre in Nottingham, UK on December 7, 2006
Bheki Mseleku made quite an impression in the late '80s and early '90s, working with Michael Bowie, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Abbey Lincoln and others, but then he seemed to slip out of the picture. Bheki's health has not been too good in recent times, but fortunately for us he had recovered in time for this gig with John Donaldson's trio, which was part of a short tour. Bheki's South African heritage shines through in his music, his tunes having a wonderful melodic quality - you find yourself humming them after the show has finished. The other members of the band were on form and a special mention is in order for bassist Simon Thorpe, who played with John Donaldson's trio as well as Bheki's quintet. Bheki seemed rather taken aback by the audience's warm reception, but everyone was happy to see this great musician back in action.
JazzReview.com
