Born Under the Heat

by Brian Olewnick

For this session, recorded only six weeks after

Afrika

on Steeplechase, South African bassist Johnny Dyani continued the use of a six-or seven-member ensemble and inched closer to the sort of music

Abdullah Ibrahim

, one of his mentors, was creating at around the same time with his band

Ekaya

. The edgy roughness and avant-garde affinity shown in his earlier ensembles with

John Tchicai

and

Dudu Pukwana

have been replaced by a slightly smoother (though, certainly, still rambunctious) sound and more song-oriented pieces. The band's a strong one, however, the compositions are engaging and the soloing imaginative. A couple of the pieces, including "Song for the Workers," still have the aching, bitter quality of his best work. Dyani spends a good deal of time on piano ("Wish You Sunshine" is a solo piano feature), again evincing

Ibrahim

's influence but in the process sacrificing bass duties to

Thomas Ostergren

who, on electric bass, can't quite plumb the same depths as Dyani. There's little to dislike here and fans of bands like

Ekaya

will find much to savor, but those who remember his prior, more adventurous work with great fondness may be somewhat disappointed.