The African Beat

The African Beat
Studio album by Art Blakey and The Afro-Drum Ensemble
Released	November 1962[1]
Recorded	January 24, 1962 Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:15
Label	Blue Note BST 84097
Producer	Alfred Lion
Art Blakey chronology
Buhaina's Delight (1961) The African Beat (1962) Three Blind Mice (1962)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[3]

The African Beat is a jazz album released by Art Blakey and The Afro-Drum Ensemble in November 1962 on Blue Note Records.^[4] 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.^[5]

Track listing

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

Personnel

• Art Blakey — drums, timpani, telegraph drum, gong
• Ahmed Abdul-Malik — bass
• Chief Bey — double gong, conga, telegraph drum
• Robert Crowder — Batá drum, conga
• James Ola. Folami — conga
• Curtis Fuller — timpani
• Solomon G. Ilori — vocals, talking drum, pennywhistle
• Montego Joe — corboro drum, log drum, bambara drum, double gong
• Yusef Lateef — cow horn, flute, tenor saxophone, mbira, oboe
• Garvin Masseaux — shekere, African maracas, conga

References

1. Billboard Dec 1, 1962
2. Allmusic review
3. Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 25. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
4. Billboard, 1 Dec 1962, p. 20.
5. Original liner notes by Nat Hentoff