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.Billboard, 1 Dec 1962, p. 20.
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.Original liner notes by Nat Hentoff
Track listing
Side 1 "Prayer by Solomon G. Ilori" – 0:55 "Ife L'ayo (There Is Happiness in Love)" (Solomon G. Ilori) – 5:31 "Obirin African (Woman of Africa)" (Garvin Masseaux) – 3:45 "Love, The Mystery of" (Guy Warren) – 9:22
Side 2 "Ero Ti Nr'Ojeje" (Ilori) – 7:33 "Ayiko, Ayiko (Welcome, Welcome, My Darling)" (Ilori) – 7:13 "Tobi Ilu" (James H. Bey) – 5:56
Personnel
The Afro-Drum Ensemble Art Blakey – drums, timpani, telegraph drum, gong Ahmed Abdul-Malik – bass Yusef Lateef – cow horn, flute, tenor saxophone, mbira, oboe Curtis Fuller – timpani Chief Bey – double gong, conga, telegraph drum Robert Crowder – Batá drum, conga James Ola. Folami – conga Solomon G. Ilori – vocals, talking drum, pennywhistle Montego Joe – corboro drum, log drum, bambara drum, double gong Garvin Masseaux – shekere, African maracas, conga
Technical personnel
Alfred Lion – producer Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer Reid Miles – design Francis Wolff – photography Nat Hentoff – liner notes
References