The African Beat

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The African Beat
The African Beat cover.jpg
Studio album by
Art Blakey and the Afro-Drum Ensemble
ReleasedNovember 1962 [1]
RecordedJanuary 24, 1962
Studio Van Gelder Studio
Englewood Cliffs
Genre Jazz
Length40:15
Label Blue Note
BLP 4097
Producer Alfred Lion
Art Blakey chronology
Buhaina's Delight
(1961)
The African Beat
(1962)
Three Blind Mice
(1962)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]

The African Beat is a jazz album by Art Blakey and the Afro-Drum Ensemble recorded for Blue Note on January 24, 1962 and released later that year. [5]

Contents

Background

He described it as the first opportunity he had to work with drummers from Africa; as a blend of American jazz with the traditional rhythms and tonal colors in the percussion of that continent. The album features compositions by African and American musicians, all based on aspects of West African (especially Nigerian) music. [6]

Track listing

Side 1

  1. "Prayer by Solomon G. Ilori" – 0:55
  2. "Ife L'ayo (There Is Happiness in Love)" (Solomon G. Ilori) – 5:31
  3. "Obirin African (Woman of Africa)" (Garvin Masseaux) – 3:45
  4. "Love, The Mystery of" (Guy Warren) – 9:22

Side 2

  1. "Ero Ti Nr'Ojeje" (Ilori) – 7:33
  2. "Ayiko, Ayiko (Welcome, Welcome, My Darling)" (Ilori) – 7:13
  3. "Tobi Ilu" (James H. Bey) – 5:56

Personnel

The Afro-Drum Ensemble

Technical personnel

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References

  1. Billboard Dec 1, 1962
  2. Allmusic review
  3. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 25. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
  4. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 135. ISBN   978-0-14-103401-0.
  5. Billboard, 1 Dec 1962, p. 20.
  6. Original liner notes by Nat Hentoff