Review: Linda Sikhakhane’s ‘LINDA’

With LINDA (Blue Note, 2026), acclaimed South African saxophonist and composer Linda Sikhakhane delivers his fifth album. His second for the iconic Blue Note Records, like its predecessor, Iladi (Blue Note, 2024), is produced by his mentor, Nduduzo Makhathini, who also featured Sikhakhane on his own debut for the label, Modes of Communication: Letters from the Underworlds (Blue Note, 2020) and its follow-up, In the Spirit of Ntu (Blue Note, 2022). With LINDA, Sikhakhane fronts a tight quartet of drummer Kabelo Mokhatla and brothers Cameron and Conway Campbell on piano and bass respectively. The album also includes guest artists gracing select tracks.

Like Makhathini, Sikhakhane’s music is meditative and spiritually minded. Of course, “spiritual” can be considered a loaded term by some who argue that all music matches that definition. But it is undeniable that a new generation of saxophonists have begun diving deeper into manifesting the metaphysical on their horn, whether tenorists James Brandon Lewis and Isaiah Collier or altoists like Lakecia Benjamin. Sikhakhane, though less fiery than some other saxophonists, is a welcome addition to these explorations. His fervor, however, is expressed without the aggressive shrieking or squawking that some other saxophonists employ. His sound is generally more soothing, more akin to John Coltrane at his most balladic or possibly much of Charles Lloyd’s work. This is especially apparent on “Ubizo,” a modal piece replete with shimmering piano from Campbell.

The album’s opening “Days Begin to Sing” is a calm but arresting outpouring of transcendent love, fulfilling a sense of inner purpose, imbued by the lilting vocals of Makhathini’s wife, Omagugu. At times, although with softer tones, the leader inevitably evokes the work of Coltrane from 1964 or 1965, as well as McCoy Tyner’s early ‘70s Milestone period.

“Indlela” begins with Mokhatla’s skittering snares and animated piano, before Sikhakhane enters, soaring on the soprano. The piece somewhat breaks from the meditation of its predecessor tracks to travel into higher-energy territory. “Ilanga” is an even more surprising jolt, with rapper Zuluboy’s lyrics carrying the album’s core message of seeking a guiding light for all people under the sun. On tenor, Sikhakhane returns to his trademark lyricism on the gorgeous “Vumani,” which also features exemplary piano. “Izibusiso,” a Makhathini composition, features rising star Ovuyonke on vocals, completely enraptured in a chanting prayer, as Sikhakhane harmonizes with her.

On the pulsating “Uzalo,” the contingent enlarges to a quintet as Linda’s brother and composer of the piece, Thabo Sikhakhane, joins on trumpet. It is yet another example where contemporaneity, heritage, community, and a look to the greater beyond all convene. Thabo gets fiery toward the end of the piece. “Abalimi Bayovuna” features a chanting Phila Dlozi, chant-like drum rhythms, and some of Sikhakhane’s most inspiredly aggressive tenor. The album closes in meditative fashion with the leader’s soothing tenor serving as a palate cleanser on the hypnotic “Izwi.”

Sikhakhane, like Makhathini, adheres to the Zulu principle of music as a healing force and form of meditation. That perspective invariably lies at the core of LINDA as the record lies between the expansive unknown and the comfortably familiar. The saxophonist is more exploratory than ever before on the album. And yet, the music remains highly accessible and available to even those who value sheer beauty over envelope pushing. The album also shows something interesting about the occasion of Coltrane’s centennial. Not a single track on the album was penned by the man who created sheets of sound. But, even six decades after his death, the legend’s brilliance continues to shine through the generations that have followed. And it happens while the younger artists still retain their own voice and perspective. As the title LINDA suggests, the album is Sikhakhane’s child and Sikhakhane’s alone. Yet, in his hands, the spiritual journey Trane embarked on so long ago remains as vital and vibrant as ever.

‘LINDA’ is out now on Blue Note Records. It can be purchased directly from the label.