Seeking to take jazz in inclusive and expansive new directions, the Cape Flats-born pianist and saxophonist Abdullah Ibrahim has been at the forefront of South Africa’s jazz landscape since the ‘50s. There and during his exile from apartheid, Ibrahim became a pioneer of racial integration. He had a spiritual awakening in 1968 that led him to convert to Islam, and around this time, the Black Power movement inspired him to bring African sounds into his work. And although his music reflects radical changes in spirit, his tunes are surprisingly easygoing, featuring buoyant melodies, relaxed rhythms and a generally festive, compassionate vibe.