Best Of The Early Years, The

An album of works from the earlier years of Miriam Makeba's long career. Featured are the years with the Skylarks and the Manhattan Brothers, as well as a few bits from her time in Guinea (after being exiled from South Africa). The presentation is anything but chronological, jumping from the Guinea Quintet to the Skylarks to the later run with the Manhattan Brothers and back again. The vocal work is always worth hearing, with the four- to five-part harmonies of the Skylarks showing an ever changing sound as the members changed from year to year (or sooner). There is a distinct showcasing of American jazz motifs in the instrumental arrangements throughout the pieces with the Manhattan Brothers, both from the earlier stint, and from her time in the play King Kong (about the South African boxer, not the giant gorilla). In combination with the labelmate Definitive Collection album, this album provides an outstanding, if not orderly, overview of the long and varied career of the songstress. Everything from her debut with the Manhattan Brothers, "Laku Tshone 'Ilanga," to her biggest international hit, "Pata Pata," is represented here, and her solo work is continued in the complementary album. For the newcomer, the combination is suggested. For those already acquainted with Makeba's work, this album would likely make a worthwhile addition to the collection as the representative of all of the numerous albums made behind the curtain of apartheid and only heard in bits and pieces in the West. ~ Adam Greenberg|