Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly known as Dollar Brand) was born in 1934 as Adolph Johannes Brand. He grew up in the cultural melting pot of Capetown. His grandmother introduced him to the piano and he played in local big bands when he was just fifteen. He formed his first Dollar Brand Trio in 1958. With the septet the Jazz Epistles (which also included trumpeter Hugh Masekela), he created a buzz from 1959 onwards. His main role models were pianists Albert Ammons, Thelonious Monk and later Herbie Nichols. After moving to Switzerland in 1960, he met greats like John Coltrane, Art Blakey and Max Roach. Duke Ellington personally arranged for him to record an album in Paris. In 1965, he left for New York, after which his star really began to rise. He changed his name to Abdullah Ibrahim in 1968 after converting to Islam. Ibrahim’s most recent album is Solotude (2021).
