Africaine

Last updated
Africaine
Africaine by Art Blakey.jpg
Studio album by
Released1981
RecordedNovember 10, 1959
Studio Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
Genre Jazz
Length45:25
Label Blue Note
LT 1088
Producer Alfred Lion
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers chronology
Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960
(1959)
Africaine
(1981)
Art Blakey et les Jazz Messengers au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
(1959)

Africaine is a collection of 1959 recordings by jazz artist Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. The collection was not released until over 20 years after it was recorded. The album features tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter in his first recording with The Jazz Messengers, trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Walter Davis, Jr. and bassist Jymie Merritt. [1]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Michael G. Nastos of Allmusic called it, "a recording that shows a band fully able to fuse many exotically attractive elements into a unified whole of creative jazz music ecstasy". [2]

Track listing

  1. "Africaine" (Shorter) – 7:57
  2. "Lester Left Town" (Shorter) – 8:35
  3. "Splendid" (Davis) – 7:46
  4. "Haina" (Morgan) – 10:17
  5. "The Midget" (Morgan) – 6:00
  6. "Celine" (Morgan) – 4:50

Personnel

Related Research Articles

Lee Morgan Musical artist

Edward Lee Morgan was an American jazz trumpeter and composer.

<i>A Night in Tunisia</i> (1961 album) 1961 studio album by Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

A Night in Tunisia is a jazz album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers which was recorded in August 1960.

<i>Moanin</i> 1958 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Moanin' is a jazz album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded in 1958 for the Blue Note label and released in 1959.

<i>The Freedom Rider</i> 1964 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

The Freedom Rider is an album by jazz drummer Art Blakey and his group the Jazz Messengers. Continuing Blakey's distinct brand of hard bop, this album features contributions from Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Blakey himself, and Kenny Dorham, a former Jazz Messenger. This was the final album by this particular edition of the Jazz Messengers, who had been together for 18 months, as Lee Morgan left after this album and was replaced by Freddie Hubbard. The compositions themselves are varied, with Blakey contributing an energetic drum solo on "The Freedom Rider"; at least three of the compositions on the album are blues pieces. "El Toro" features a solo by Shorter incorporating the sheets of sound technique pioneered by John Coltrane. The CD version contains three bonus tracks originally released on the album Pisces.

<i>Introducing Wayne Shorter</i> 1960 studio album by Wayne Shorter

Introducing Wayne Shorter is the debut album by jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter. It was recorded on November 9th & 10th, 1959. It features five Shorter compositions, plus Kurt Weill's "Mack the Knife," played by Shorter with trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb.

<i>Roots & Herbs</i> 1970 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Roots & Herbs is a jazz album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, recorded in 1961 at the same sessions which produced The Freedom Rider, but not released on the Blue Note label until 1970. The CD reissue features three alternate takes, two of which originally released in 1979 on Pisces.

<i>Mosaic</i> (Art Blakey album) 1962 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Mosaic is a 1961 jazz album released by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers on Blue Note Records. The album's performers included: Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard (trumpet), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Cedar Walton (piano), Jymie Merritt (bass) and Art Blakey (drums). They recorded and performed together from 1961 into 1964. Hubbard and Walton became permanent members of the group following the 1961 departures of trumpeter Lee Morgan and pianist Bobby Timmons. The Mosaic recording session featured no alternate takes and, therefore, has yielded no bonus material in reissue.

<i>Buhainas Delight</i> 1963 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Buhaina's Delight is a jazz album released by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in 1963. Produced by Alfred Lion, the album was recorded in two sessions on November 28, 1961 and December 18, 1961 at Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The album was released by Blue Note Records in July 1963 after Blakey had moved to Riverside Records in late 1962.

<i>Three Blind Mice</i> (album) 1962 live album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Three Blind Mice is a 1962 jazz album released by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers on the United Artists Jazz label, featuring live material recorded in 1962 Club Renaissance, Hollywood. It was reissued later in 1962 in two volumes by Blue Note Records, adding two tracks recorded in 1961 at The Village Gate and also unreleased material from the primary session. It was bassist Jymie Merritt's final recording with the group before having to leave to recover from an illness; he would be replaced by Reggie Workman.

<i>Pisces</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Pisces is a jazz album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. It was recorded between 1961 and 1964, but not issued on Blue Note Records until 1979. More a compilation than an album, all the tracks, except for "It's A Long Way Down", may be found on the Mosaic compilation The Complete Blue Note Recordings of Art Blakey's 1960 Jazz Messengers. Moreover, "Uptight", and "Pisces" are included on the CD reissue of The Freedom Rider, whilst "It's a Long Way Down" is featured on the CD reissue of Indestructible. Ultimately, "United" and "Ping Pong" may be found on Roots & Herbs.

<i>Art Blakey!!!!! Jazz Messengers!!!!!</i> 1961 studio album by Art Blakey

Jazz Messengers!!!!! is a 1961 jazz album released by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers for Impulse! Records. Expanding to a sextet for the first time, it was the group's final recording with Bobby Timmons, who would be replaced by Cedar Walton.

<i>The Last Session</i> (Lee Morgan album) 1972 studio album by Lee Morgan

Lee Morgan is the final studio album by jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, released only after his death in 1972. It was originally released on the Blue Note label in 1972 as a double LP, and features performances by Morgan, Grachan Moncur III, Bobbi Humphrey, Billy Harper, Harold Mabern, Reggie Workman, Jymie Merritt and Freddie Waits.

<i>The Witch Doctor</i> (album) 1969 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

The Witch Doctor is an album by American jazz drummer and bandleader Art Blakey and his group The Jazz Messengers recorded on March 14, 1961 and released on the Blue Note label. It features performances by Blakey with Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, and Jymie Merritt.

<i>Like Someone in Love</i> (Art Blakey album) 1967 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Like Someone in Love is an album by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. It was recorded in August 1960, at the same sessions which produced A Night in Tunisia, but was released on Blue Note only in August 1967. It features performances by Blakey with Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, and Jymie Merritt.

<i>The Big Beat</i> (Art Blakey album) 1960 studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

The Big Beat is an album by Art Blakey and his group The Jazz Messengers recorded on March 6, 1960 and released on the Blue Note label. It features performances by Blakey with Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, and Jymie Merritt.

<i>Paris Jam Session</i> 1961 live album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Paris Jam Session is a live album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers with guest appearances by Bud Powell and Barney Wilen, recorded at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris on 18 December 1959. It was released by Fontana (France) originally, by EmArcy in 1961, and subsequently by Verve on CD as part of their Jazz in Paris series.

<i>Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World</i> 1960 live album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World is two Blue Note live albums featuring the Jazz Messengers with the leader/drummer Art Blakey, trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons and bassist Jymie Merritt. The albums were recorded on September 14, 1960 at Birdland, a jazz club in New York City. In 2002, the two LPs were reissued as a double-CD set.

<i>At the Jazz Corner of the World</i> 1959 live album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

At the Jazz Corner of the World is a two-volume live album by American jazz drummer Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, featuring performances recorded in 1959 at Birdland and released on the Blue Note label. The album was originally issued as 12-inch LPs in two volumes and later re-released as a two-CD set.

The Jazz Messengers American jazz band

The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the outset. "Art Blakey" and "Jazz Messengers" became synonymous over the years, though Blakey did lead non-Messenger recording sessions and played as a sideman for other groups throughout his career.

"Yes sir, I'm gonna to stay with the youngsters. When these get too old, I'm gonna get some younger ones. Keeps the mind active."

<i>Art Blakey et les Jazz Messengers au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées</i> 1960 live album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers

Art Blakey et les Jazz Messengers au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is a live album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers recorded at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris on November 15, 1959, and originally released on the French RCA Records label. The first official release of this material on CD was in the 2015 Sony box set, The Complete Columbia and RCA Albums Collection, with three bonus tracks.

References

  1. Nichael G. Nastos. "Africaine" . Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  2. 1 2 Nastos, Michael G.. Africaine – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  3. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 26. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.