Abdullah Ibrahim, born Adolph Johannes Brand in Cape Town in 1934, made his strong and unmistakable voice a trademark on the international jazz scene with his first album in 1962. Despite the massive oppression of his native people in Africa, including being denied a music degree because of his skin color, he fought extremely successfully for his advancement as a young talent in the then burgeoning bebop music under his first stage name: Dollar Brand.

in 1965, the artist moved to New York, where the young musician absorbed free jazz and worked to make the African population heard in the Western world. After cigarette and alcohol consumption had taken their toll on his health there, he found refuge in religious support and converted to Islam in 1968. On his return to Cape Town at this time, he adopted his new name Abdullah Ibrahim.

The extraordinary South African pianist meets his compatriot, the late, very great bassist Johnny Dyani, and the result is one of the finest recordings of the 70s. The duo mix traditional African and Islamic songs and play with a fervor and depth of feeling rarely heard in or outside of jazz. From the very first traditional Xhosa song, "Ntsikana's Bell", the rich, sonorous approach of these two musicians becomes clear, both singing in a rousing manner, Ibrahim throaty and serious, Dyani free and light as a swallow. In the following track, Ibrahim treats the listener to some of his all too rarely heard flute entries, using Kirk's techniques of sung harmonics in a glorious original. Dyani's bass playing is simply amazing, never content with purely virtuosic performances, he always goes deep - the way Mingus might have sounded if he had been born in South Africa. His almost whipping piano playing on "Good News" provides an incredibly agitated yet solid framework for Ibrahim's inspired piano playing. The Islamic prayer chant "Adhan/Allah-O-Akbar" is sung with such heartfelt intensity that it melts the heart of the unbeliever.

"The Pilgrim" is an Ibrahim special built on a slow, irresistibly dragging groove that lingers for a second or two at the end before moving on and on like a luxurious desert caravan. "Moniebah" begins stately and progresses for a minute or two until, as if drawn by its inescapable gravity, they return to "The Pilgrim", unable to escape its pull. It's an astonishing and joyful moment that sends a shiver down your spine. "Good News From Africa" was the brilliant, transcendent release from these two great musicians and should be in every jazz listener's collection.