Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath

Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath (1971) is a large-ensemble jazz album that blends South African township rhythms and melodic material with the energy and collective improvisation of European free jazz. The music alternates between tightly arranged, high-energy brass and reed passages and open, raucous group improvisations, driven by strong rhythmic pulses and call-and-response phrasing. It is notable for merging African-rooted melodies and danceable grooves with avant-garde textures and ensemble swing.