via VPM
Renowned pianist Abdullah Ibrahim says that his outlook on music is to approach each note with total honesty. It’s a philosophy that’s brought him from the musical melting pot of Cape Town to New York City’s famous Chelsea Hotel, from early performances as a teenager to being mentored by Duke Ellington and performing with John Coltrane.
Now, at 89, he’s continuing to offer that honesty in the form of 3, an expansive new album where he performed two sets alongside longtime collaborators Cleave Guyton and Noah Jackson – first for an empty room, then for a full live audience. Ibrahim has been called “our Mozart” by Nelson Mandela and seen his music become anthems of the anti-Apartheid movement.The songs of 3 connect to another philosophy of his: the unique power of music to transform and heal, from individual injuries to international conflicts.
I caught up with him to learn more about the new album, how those ideas have impacted his work, and his life doing what he calls “pointing at the moon.”