Sub-Saharan sonority

Abdullah Ibrahim was born in Cape Town in 1934 and grew up surrounded by jazz and the traditional and religious music of his country. He took up music full time at the age of 29 and toured Europe in 1962 with the Dollar Brand Trio, which brought him to the attention of Duke Ellington. A recording session for the legendary band leader followed, which in turn led to a string of touring and media appearances.

The band soon shipped to the other side of the Atlantic and shortly after taking the Newport Music Festival by storm, Ibrahim took on a new position in the musical hierarchy when he lead the Duke Ellington Orchestra for five dates. He developed a taste for the top spot and has rarely relinquished it since then (other than a six-month stint playing with the great Elvin Jones Quartet).

Ibrahim has since constantly toured worldwide, and returned to his native country in the mid 1970s. However, he found conditions so oppressive that he soon left for New York. In 1990 he again returned to South Africa, which he now counts as one of his homes.

An eloquent spokesman and deeply religious (he converted to Islam in the late 1960s), Ibrahim's beliefs and experiences ring true in his music, which reflect his many roles as traveler, exile and pioneering musician. Varsovians are in for a rare treat on November 8 when the peripatetic maestro stops off in Poland.

The Abdullah Ibrahim Trio plays Sala Kongresowa on November 8. Tickets zł.70-160, see www.jazz.pl for more details