The African Beat

The African Beat
Studio album by
Art Blakey and the Afro-Drum Ensemble
ReleasedNovember 1962[1]
RecordedJanuary 24, 1962
StudioVan Gelder Studio
Englewood Cliffs
GenreJazz
Length40:15
LabelBlue Note
BLP 4097
ProducerAlfred Lion
Art Blakey chronology
Buhaina's Delight
(1961) 		The African Beat
(1962) 		Three Blind Mice
(1962)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[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]

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

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