Written by Abdullah Ibrahim.
Arrangement by Reggie Houston

Reggie Houston - alto sax
Janice Scroggins - keyboards
Reinhardt Melz - drums
Andre St. James - acoustic upright bass
Stan Bock - trombone

"Tafalberg Samba" was written by, who I consider to be one of the greatest composers of all time, Abdullah Ibrahim from South Africa-- though many know him by the name Dollar Brand. Ibrahim is as significant a composer as Duke Ellington, and in fact the two of them worked together and shared a mutual respect and appreciation for each others' work. Though both were composers of the jazz idiom, their expression was built on the shoulders of many of the great classical composers like Stravinsky. And in fact today you find their music being studied at the university level by young composers learning their craft. Not only do I admire and cherish the music of Ibrahim, but I respect his drive and success in rising above the oppression of South Africa's apartheid, which mirrored the struggle of Blacks in our own country and many others as well. This song is dedicated not only to those who refused to accept the shackles of racism and bigotry, but who continually found and focused on the beauty in life even in the face of such unjust treatment. Those folks are some of the strongest heroes we have-- folks like Oscar Brown Jr. who used humor and playfulness to inspire others to achieve great and positive things.