A fascinating peek into the early South African career of Brand, aka Abdullah Ibrahim, these recordings precede by three years his first widely available sessions recorded in Europe, for Reprise (produced by none other than Duke Ellington) and Fontana. The earliest to be taped, billed here as a bonus LP, is the historic sextet originally issued as by the Jazz Epistles under the title Jazz Epistle – Verse 1, with the legendary Moeketsi and the two early defectors Masekela and Gwangwa, who were both in the US by the time the album was released. The hornmen contribute some interesting material, now recognisable as influenced by, but going beyond, mere “township jazz”, and Brand/Ibrahim has two piano tracks here including ‘Gafsa’, a piece to which he returned subsequently. The trio album placed first (but not issued till after his move to Europe) is even more interesting for the pianist’s fans, with Monk’s ‘Misterioso’ and a Monk-associated standard, while the five originals are already recognisable as reflecting his unique amalgam of influences. It would be a mistake to be picky about the musicians’ lack of American-style polish and tightness, because their very own brand of urgency and individuality jumps out at every moment.