This is another excellent compilation from the Sheer Sound folks and a companion album to their 'African Jazz Men' collection. The CD has two tracks off each of the eight better CDs released by Sheer Sound during 1997. It is intended as a sampler (or taster) of the wide range of artists on the label's roster but actually succeeds on its own terms as an indication of how strong the South African jazz output has become during the past few years.

Kicking off with 'Tears Of Joy' and 'Cape Samba' by SA's funky new sax symbol McCoy Mrubata, it goes on to feature 'Trains To Taung', the title track from Paul Hanmer's outstanding piano album. There are two tracks apiece from albums by Landscape Prayers' 'Bush Telegraph', Sipho Gumede's '20 Years Of Life' (both songs recorded live), the ex-Tananas bassist Gito Baloi's 'Ekhaya' and 'NaKu Randza' albums and guitar maestro Tony Cox's 'Cool Friction'.

The hardest working man in SA jazz these days has got to be Pops Mohamed, who seems to release another great album every other week. Besides his two solo albums, 'Ancestral Healing' and 'How Far Have We Come?', Pops also collaborated with McCoy Mrubata on 'Society Vibes: A New Hope' and with jazz legend Bruce Cassidy on the ambient-jazz album 'Timeless'. Both these are represented by two tracks on 'Sheer Jazz'.

Although this is a mixed-artist album, as with 'African Jazz Men' it has a unity of style and sound that allows the album to stand alone as a quality release. Both of these albums could be soundtracks to South African films as yet unmade. Highly recommended.

Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman

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