The Promise of a Future

The Promise of a Future is the eighth studio album by South African jazz musician Hugh Masekela released via Uni Records label.^[3] It was recorded in March 1968 in Los Angeles, California.^[4][5] The album was re-released on CD in 1993 on One Way label. The Promise of a Future features Masekela's version of a famous instrumental composition "Grazing in the Grass".

The Promise of a Future
Studio album by Hugh Masekela
Released	1968
Recorded	12–14 March 1968
Studio	Gold Star (Hollywood, California)
Genre	Jazz
Length	29:57
Label	Uni Records 73028
Producer	Stewart Levine
Hugh Masekela chronology
Hugh Masekela Is Alive and Well at the Whisky (1967) The Promise of a Future (1968) Africa '68 (1968)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[2]

Reception

A reviewer of Dusty Groove stated: "Classic work from Hugh Masekela – and the album that pushed him over the top! The record features his version of 'Grazin In The Grass', a runaway instrumental hit when it was issued – and a sly little groover that was based upon some earlier South African pop melodies that Hugh copped from his roots. The group's a tight little quintet with Al Abreu on tenor and soprano sax, William Henderson on piano, Chuck Carter on drums, and Henry Franklin on bass."^[6] A reviewer of Billboard added: "Fluent in any musical lingo, Masekela and his crowd should sample all the charts before settling down."^[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Ain't No Mountain High Enough"	Nick Ashford, Valerie Simpson	2:00
2.	"Madonna"	Al Abreu	3:10
3.	"No Face, No Name and No Number"	Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood	3:26
4.	"Almost Seedless"	Hugh Masekela	3:36
5.	"Stop"	Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman	2:35
6.	"Grazing in the Grass"	Philemon Hou	2:40
7.	"Vuca" (Wake Up)	Hugh Masekela	3:40
8.	"Bajabula Bonke" (The Healing Song)	Miriam Makeba	6:25
9.	"There Are Seeds To Sow" (Guitar – Bruce Langhorne)	Hugh Masekela	2:25

Personnel

• Bass – Henry Franklin
• Drums – Chuck Carter
• Guitar – Bruce Langhorne
• Engineer – The Doctor
• Piano – William Henderson
• Producer – Stewart Levine
• Saxophone (tenor, soprano) – Al Abreu
• Trumpet (uncredited) – Hugh Masekela