Loxodonta Africana (album)

Loxodonta Africana
Studio album by Ricky Ford
Released	1977
Recorded	June 1977
Studio	Columbia Recording Studios, NYC
Genre	Jazz
Length	36:38
Label	New World NW 204
Producer	Michael Cuscuna
Ricky Ford chronology
Loxodonta Africana (1977) Manhattan Plaza (1979)

Loxodonta Africana is the debut album by saxophonist Ricky Ford, recorded in 1977 and released on the New World label. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
DownBeat	[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[6]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[7]

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford's first record as a leader preceded the beginning of his highly rated string of Muse albums by a year. 23 at the time, Ford already had a recognizable sound that was influenced by Dexter Gordon. For this ambitious effort (which displayed the impact of his stint with Charles Mingus), Ford performs five of his original". ^[4] Reviewing the reissued album in JazzTimes , Willard Jenkins wrote: "While there is ample evidence that Ricky Ford’s palette has broadened, and his sound has ripened notably over these twenty years, he has yet to craft a recording that tops this one". ^[8]

Track listing

All compositions by Ricky Ford except where noted

1. "Loxodonta Africana" – 4:42
2. "Ucil" – 5:13
3. "Blues Peru" – 5:00
4. "Dexter" – 5:43
5. "My Romance" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 8:30
6. "One Up, One Down" (John Coltrane) – 4:24
7. "Aerolinos" – 6:54

Personnel

• Ricky Ford - tenor saxophone
• Oliver Breener, Charles Sullivan – trumpet (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7)
• Janice Robinson – trombone (tracks 2 & 6)
• Jonathan Dorn – tuba (tracks 2 & 6)
• James Spaulding - alto saxophone (tracks 2 & 6)
• Bob Neloms – piano
• Richard Davis – bass
• Dannie Richmond – drums

References

1. New World Records album listing, accessed September 27, 2017
2. Jazzlists: Ricky Ford discography, accessed September 27, 2017
3. Enciclopedia del Jazz: Ricky Ford, accessed September 27, 2017
4. Yanow, Scott. Ricky Ford: Loxodonta Africanus – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved September 27, 2017.
5. Lange, Art (January 1980). "Ricky Ford: Loxodonta Africana/Manhattan Plaza". DownBeat . Vol. 47, no. 1. p. 42.
6. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 499. ISBN   978-0-141-03401-0.
7. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 78. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
8. JazzTimes Review, March 1998