Hugh Masekela - Hope (180g 45rpm 4LP Box Set)

What more can be captured from the masterpiece that the late trumpet great Hugh Masekela left devoted fans, the effervescent Hope. Now cut at 45 RPM and spread over four 180-gram premium LPs, you're about to discover the answer to that question. The eight sides of vinyl reduce distortion and high frequency loss as the wider-spaced grooves let your stereo cartridge track more accurately.

A longtime audiophile demonstration disc. Hope will show off your system's dynamic range as well as any record ever released. Hugh Masekela, the outstanding South African trumpeter, assembled a seven-piece group and recorded this great set live at Washington, D.C.'s Blues Alley. The songs stretch over a period of nearly five decades and serve as an informal guided tour of Masekela's life. The songs are honest and bare, and as for the sound — WOW!

Unlike a prior 45 RPM version that included seven songs, this 45 RPM reissue contains the full program as originally recorded with all 12 tracks included! Plus, as an added bonus, we've included a special insert — featuring an exclusive interview with Grammy/Emmy Award-winning engineer David Hewitt, who recorded Hope originally.

"Hugh's record is right up near the top for a lot of reasons," Hewitt says.

Hewitt and his team were afforded the time they needed, and they pulled out all the stops to pull off what's now recognized as an all-time great recording. They used better-quality microphones, they were micing the room for ambient sound, and Masekela was performing for a sophisticated and appreciative audience.

"We used stuff from our stash of mics as opposed to what you'd find typically at a jazz club. We actually had control via the record label and producers, so we could take our time. We had the ability to mic the room for abient sound. ... you've got people that actually know and appreciate the music and respond accordingly. What you've got there is all the right stuff at the right time and the right people, and then something magical happens."

Listen to that magic unfold — put on this Analogue Productions 45 RPM 4LP reissue of Hope, and be transported.

✓ Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the original analog tape
✓ 45 RPM mastering enables full dynamics present on the tape
✓ Pressed at RTI!
✓ Gatefold tip-on jacket by Stoughton Printing
✓ Packaged in a custom-designed slipcase
✓ Includes insert containing interview with David Hewitt, original recording engineer for Hope

Side 1
1. The Abangoma (The Healers)
2. Uptownship

Side 2
1. Mandela (Bring Him Back Home)
2. Grazing in the Grass

Side 3
1. Lady

Side 4
1. Languta

Side 5
1. Nomali

Side 6
1. Market Place
2. Ntyilo Ntyilo (The Love Bird)

Side 7
1. He le Se (The Dowry Song)
2. Until When

Side 8
1. Stimela [Coal Train]