Hugh Masekela / Uptownship
Artist Hugh Masekela
Album Title: Uptownship
Album Cover:
Primary Genre Jazz
Format CD
Released 01/01/1989
Label Novus
Catalog No 3070-2-N
Bar Code No 1241-63070-2
Packaging Jewelcase
Tracks
1. Uptownship (6:01)
2. If You Don't Know Me by Now (6:25)
3. Now or Never (4:46)
4. Hold on (5:33)
5. Ooo, Baby, Baby (6:18)
6. Egoli (5:38)
7. No Woman, No Cry (5:24)
8. Emavungweni (4:31)
9. Naledi (4:10)
10. Elijah (5:28)
11. Nomalizo (7:12)
Date Acquired 11/19/2022
Personal Rating
Acquired from Trace_Blends (Discogs)
Purchase Price 2.00

Web Links

Discogs Entry:
All Music Guide Entry:
MusicBrainz entry:

Notes

Notes:
Original rhythm tracks and horns recorded at Evergreen Studios (NYC): October 1988
Rhythm, horn and voice overdubs recorded at Evergreen Studios (NYC), Quantum Studios (Jersey City, N.J.), Baby Monster Studios (NYC) and RCA Studios (NYC): November 1988 - July 1989
Mixed at Quantum Studios (Jersey City, N.J.), Power Play Studios (Long Island City), Baby Monster Studios, Hit Factory and Electric Lady (NYC): April - August 1989
Edited and mastered at RCA Studios
℗ 1989 BMG Music
© 1989 BMG Music

Credits:
Alto Saxophone, Whistle [Penny Whistle] – Morris Goldberg
Arranged By, Other [Conceived By] – Hugh Masekela
Art Direction, Design – Ria Lewerke
Drums – Damon Duewhite
Edited By, Mastered By – Hugh Masekela, Morris Goldberg, Rick Rowe
Engineer – Cynthia Daniels, Lance McVickar
Engineer [Assistant] – Eddie Esz, Josie Lynn
Executive-Producer – John Stirling
Flugelhorn, Cornet, Percussion – Hugh Masekela
Guitar, Vocals – John "Blackie" Selolwane
Keyboards – Rico Tyler
Keyboards, Vocals, Accordion – Tony Cedras
Mixed By – John Cartwright, Sello Mokwena
Percussion – Francis Fuster
Photography By – Brian Davis
Producer – Hugh Masekela, John Cartwright, Morris Goldberg, Rick Rowe
Producer [Basic Tracks For "Hold On"] – Jo Cang, Matthew Cang
Supervised By [Series Director] – Steve Backer

Companies, etc.:
Copyright © – BMG Music
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – BMG Music
Manufactured By – BMG Music
Distributed By – BMG Music
Recorded At – Evergreen Studio
Recorded At – Quantum Sound Studios
Recorded At – Power Play Studios
Recorded At – Baby Monster Studios
Recorded At – The Hit Factory
Recorded At – Electric Lady Studios
Edited At – RCA Studios
Mastered At – RCA Studios
Glass Mastered At – Denon Digital Industries

Barcode and other Identifiers:
Barcode (Text): 1241-63070-2
Barcode (Scanned): 012416307024
Matrix / Runout: 30702N 2/90 1DA3

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed Folder: Hugh Masekela - Uptownship_dr.txt
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DR         Peak         RMS      Filename          
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DR10   -2.12 dB   -13.67 dB  01 - Uptownship.aif      
DR09   -2.10 dB   -13.18 dB  02 - If You Don't Know Me By Now.aif
DR09   -1.40 dB   -11.68 dB  03 - Now Or Never.aif    
DR10  +0.00 dB   -12.50 dB  04 - Hold On.aif      
DR09   -1.73 dB   -13.23 dB  05 - Ooo, Baby, Baby.aif      
DR12   -1.20 dB   -14.43 dB  06 - Egoli.aif        
DR09   -1.20 dB   -12.11 dB  07 - No Woman, No Cry.aif    
DR10   -1.20 dB   -13.14 dB  08 - Emavungwengi.aif    
DR10   -2.00 dB   -13.72 dB  09 - Naledi.aif      
DR11   -1.20 dB   -14.92 dB  10 - Elijah.aif      
DR10   -1.20 dB   -13.32 dB  11 - Nomalizo.aif        
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Files: 11
Official DR Value: DR10
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Reviews
All Music Guide Review by Richard S. Ginell:

The title of this New York City-recorded album suggests a combination of township jive and uptown Gotham soul and energy, but what we get is some of the former and little of the latter. Here, Masekela alternates South African-inflected pop/jazz with lugubrious covers of a couple of U.S. soul tunes (Gamble & Huff's "If You Don't Know Me by Now" and Smokey Robinson's "Ooh Baby Baby") and a Bob Marley anthem, "No Woman, No Cry." While the covers are instantly disposable, even the South African-rooted tracks suffer from a lack of energy, not helped by the dull recorded sound. "Now or Never" is a leisurely stroll through the township; "Hold On" has a stuttering jive feeling to it where Masekela plays well but has little new to say. Altoist Morris Goldberg's contributions range from dreary jazz-lite clichés to some passages where he can spar effectively with Masekela, and the cast of the Broadway show Sarafina! provides some of the backing vocals.
Cover 1
Cover 2
Cover 3
Cover 4
Cover 5