Derek Gripper 'Billy Goes To Durban' (New Cape) 5/5 - ukvibe - astral travelling since 1993 (original) (raw)
Let’s face it, 2021 has been, at best, a strange year. We don’t need to highlight here what a year it has been at its worst. In a musical sense though, for me, it has highlighted a few interesting things. Musicians, again due to the pandemic, have been forced to reevaluate how they make music. The music industry, and indeed the arts as a whole, have suffered in the extreme. And yet countless albums have been recorded and released as a result of the need to think outside the box. Sometimes necessity really is the best form of invention. 2021 has also brought a wealth of new musical discoveries. Not only are we seeing a huge upturn in reissues of previously very hard to find albums, due partly to the renewed demand in vinyl sales (which has led to a serious supply and demand issue), but also I have to say just how wonderful it is to hear so much new music finding its way to our ears. And for me, one of the highlights this year has been the discovery of South African guitarist and composer Derek Gripper.
With over a dozen releases to his name, it is both a surprise and a delight to have only recently discovered Gripper’s music. His guitar playing is sublime, as he creates original music from the diverse musical traditions of Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. His style crosses the paths of classical, jazz and world music, taking in influences from the likes of Arvo Part and Egberto Gismonti. Having spent some time researching the man and his music, I can honestly say that I find his playing to be a very welcome breath of fresh air.
“Billy Goes To Durban” is a collection of solo guitar compositions and improvisations recorded in multiple environments. For the full insightful story of how this album came about, and to listen to the tunes themselves, of course, it’s well worth heading over to Gripper’s Bandcamp page. It’s all on there in all its glory. One thing that struck me on first listen, once I got beyond my initial awestruck reaction to the music itself, is how well it has been recorded. There is such a warmth to these recordings, that one can’t help but think you’re sitting right next to the guitarist listening to him play. It’s like I’m right there, sitting peacefully on an old Persian rug, a softly scented candle burning slowly in the background as Gripper’s wonderful playing drifts effortlessly into my ears, finding a warm welcome in my heart. The eight tunes heard here create a beautiful atmosphere of their own. In them I hear truth, I hear meaning, I hear love and I hear hope. At times I am overcome with emotion.
There could, undoubtedly, be various reasons as to why I hadn’t heard of Derek Gripper up to this point. Where fellow contemporaries Egberto Gismonti, Fabiano Do Nascimento, Paco De Lucia, Julian Bream, as examples, have found their way to my ears, it may well simply be that our paths were not meant to cross until now. I can’t help feeling, however, that the fact that most of the guitarist’s music is only available as a digital download, doesn’t help things at all. There are some notable exceptions of course, with vinyl releases available for his stunning albums “One Night on Earth: Music from the Strings of Mali” through Matsuli Music and “A Year of Swimming”. And there have also been a few limited edition CD releases. But this music is just way too good not to be released on vinyl. It cries out for it. It deserves it. It demands it. I demand it. We demand it. Life itself should demand it. But then, as with life, we don’t always get what we want. But there’s always hope. And hope is a truly wonderful thing.