Album Reviews : *** ABDULLAH IBRAHIM & EKAYA “African River” <i> Enja</i> : ** 1/2 VARIOUS ARTISTS “African Horns” <i> Kaz Import</i> :<i> Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to five (a classic). : </i>

Ibrahim’s revamped septet shines brightest on two extended compositions--”Duke 88” and the title track--which into the South African pianist’s Ellingtonian ensemble mode. Otherwise, it’s a fairly typical Ekaya outing--gorgeously melodic and richly sonorous, though the solo turns are less distinguished than the group’s previous albums. And why new versions of “The Wedding” and “The Mountain” that so closely mirror arrangements of the same tunes on the last Ekaya album?

Ibrahim also pops up on “Horns,” a collection featuring South African saxophonists Basil Coetzee, Kippie Moeketsi and Barney Rachabane on pieces probably recorded in the mid-’70s. South African jazz can be uncommonly jubilant but it wears thin as a vehicle for extended blowing here and seems to require an orchestrator/arranger of Ibrahim’s caliber to retain its vibrancy. Highlights: Coetzee’s measured tenor on “Next Stop Soweto” and “Msunduza” (with Ibrahim on cello (!) and soprano sax, respectively) and Rachabane’s flute showcase, “Mafuta.”