Abdullah Ibrahim. 10/09/34-06/15/26

Legendary South African musician Abdullah Ibrahim, who changed his name from Dollar Brand in 1968 when he converted to Islam and whose “Mannenberg” composition is often dubbed the unofficial South African anthem, died yesterday in Priem am Chiemsee, Germany. His performances often seemed like meditations in recent years. The last time I saw him perform live was at last year’s Enjoy Jazz Festival in Ludwigshafen. As a dedication, here is the review of his show from November 5th, 2025:

There was this certain air of deep reverence when 91 year old Abdullah Ibrahim, one of the most influential and respected pianists today, took to the stage last night at Pfalzbau in Ludwigshafen, where he performed during this year’s Enjoy Jazz Festival. The South African pianist, who lives in Germany, was accompanied to the piano bench where he waited patiently for his first cue, after flutist and clarinetist Cleave Guyton, Jr. played an honest version of Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood” and bassist Noah Jackson chimed in afterwards with a solid take on John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”.

It was only when Abdullah lowered his hands to the keys when the real magic happened: here he was, celebrating his own legacy with an impeccable amount of resources to draw upon. He sometimes nodded to his latest release with his two bandmates: the album “3” was released early last year with one part recorded live in performance. Abdullah mostly stayed in subdued mode, repeating a motif here and there, and letting both Noah and Cleave stay in sometimes almost chamber-like quietude before he comes back in, staying in sometimes somber mood, always focussing more on the overall pretty meditative vibe of the set. It was actually a revelation to witness this master of a pianist letting the music speak for itself instead of showing off or simply playing some sort of best-of set which would have been appropriate as well. But that’s not what he’s about. He’s always searching for new paths, new adventures, striving for beauty and excellence.