African High Life
Encyclopedia
African High Life is the debut album by Nigerian drummer and percussionist Solomon Ilori
recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note
label. The album was reissued on CD in 2006 with three bonus tracks recorded at a later session.
review by Chris May called the original album "pleasant, if unspectacular, palm-wine highlife outings from the West African tradition, distinguished by some masterful drumming, but diminished by strangely inept alto saxophone contributions" but stated the bonus tracks "anticipate—with great brio and deep grooves—the astral jazz of the late '60s and early '70s, and the world jazz which has in turn followed".
Solomon Ilori
Solomon Gbadegesin Ilori is an Nigerian drummer and percussionist who moved to New York City in the late 1950s and collaborated with jazz artists such as Art Blakey before recording his debut album for Blue Note Records in 1963.-References:...
recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
label. The album was reissued on CD in 2006 with three bonus tracks recorded at a later session.
Reception
Allmusic awarded the album 4 stars and reviewer Brandon Burke stated "this is a very enjoyable if not essential album of traditional African highlife music set to dance tempos". The All About JazzAll About Jazz
All About Jazz is a leading jazz music website for enthusiasts and industry professionals based in Philadelphia in the United States.Founded by Michael Ricci in 1995, the Web-Site is maintained by a volunteer staff of writers, editors, and musicians, and provides coverage of all genres of jazz from...
review by Chris May called the original album "pleasant, if unspectacular, palm-wine highlife outings from the West African tradition, distinguished by some masterful drumming, but diminished by strangely inept alto saxophone contributions" but stated the bonus tracks "anticipate—with great brio and deep grooves—the astral jazz of the late '60s and early '70s, and the world jazz which has in turn followed".
Track listing
- All compositions by Solomon Ilori
- "Tolani (African Love Song)" – 7:44
- "Ise Oluwa (God's Work Is Indestructable)" – 5:39
- "Follow Me to Africa" – 5:29
- "Yaba E (Farewell)" – 5:30
- "Jojolo (Look at This Beautiful Girl)" – 7:17
- "Aiye Le (The Troubled World)" – 3:25
- "Gbogbo Omo Ibile (Going Home)" – 11:47 Bonus track on CD reissue
- "Agbamurero (Rhino)" – 13:54 Bonus track on CD reissue
- "Igbesi Aiye (Song of Praise to God)" – 13:22 Bonus track on CD reissue
- Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on April 25, 1963 (tracks 1-6) and October 30, 1964 (tracks 7-9)
Personnel
- Solomon IloriSolomon IloriSolomon Gbadegesin Ilori is an Nigerian drummer and percussionist who moved to New York City in the late 1950s and collaborated with jazz artists such as Art Blakey before recording his debut album for Blue Note Records in 1963.-References:...
– vocal, pennywhistle, talking drum, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Chief BeyChief BeyChief Bey, born James Hawthorne Bey, was an American jazz percussionist and African folklorist.Born in Yamassee, South Carolina, he moved with his family to Brooklyn and then to Harlem, where he began playing drums and singing in church choirs...
, Roger Sanders (tracks 7-9), Ladji Camara (tracks 7-9), Sonny Morgan (tracks 7-9) – congaCongaThe conga, or more properly the tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed Cuban drum with African antecedents. It is thought to be derived from the Makuta drums or similar drums associated with Afro-Cubans of Central African descent. A person who plays conga is called a conguero...
, hand drumHand drumA hand drum is any type of drum that is typically played with the bare hand rather than a stick, mallet, hammer, or other type of beater. The simplest type of hand drum is the frame drum, which consists of a shallow, cylindrical shell with a drumhead attached to one of the open ends.-Types:The...
, percussion - Josiah Ilori – sakara drumSakara drumThe Sakara drum is one of the four major families of Yoruba drums of Nigeria. The other families are the Dundun/Gangan or talking drum, the Batá drum and the Gbedu drum....
, cowbellCowbellThe cowbell is an idiophone hand percussion instrument used in various styles of music including salsa and infrequently in popular music. It is named after the similar bell historically used by herdsmen to keep track of the whereabouts of cows.- Origins :...
(tracks 1-6) - Robert Crowder – conga, shekereShekereThis article is about the musical instrument. for the musical genre, see Sekere.The shekere is an instrument from West Africa consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd. Throughout the continent there are similar gourd/bead or gourd/seed percussion instruments. Some...
, cowbell (tracks 1-6) - Montego Joe – conga (tracks 1-6)
- Garvin Masseaux – conga, xylophoneXylophoneThe xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets...
, cowbell (tracks 1-6) - Jay BerlinerJay BerlinerJay Berliner is an American guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. Starting with his first television experience at age 7 on NBC’s The Children’s Hour with sister Eve, his career has spanned the globe: from the Metropolitan Opera house , where he was house guitarist and mandolinist; to...
– guitar (tracks 1-6) - Hosea Taylor – alto saxophoneAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
, fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
(tracks 1-6) - Donald ByrdDonald ByrdDonaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II, is an American jazz and rhythm and blues trumpeter. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd is best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a...
– trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
(tracks 7-9) - Hubert LawsHubert LawsHubert Laws is an American flutist and saxophonist with a 40+ year career in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Alongside Herbie Mann, Laws is probably the most recognized and respected jazz flutist...
– tenor saxophoneTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
, flute (tracks 7-9) - Elvin JonesElvin JonesElvin Ray Jones was a jazz drummer of the post-bop era. He showed interest in drums at a young age, watching the circus bands march by his family's home in Pontiac, Michigan....
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(tracks 7-9) - Ahmed Abdul-MalikAhmed Abdul-MalikAhmed Abdul-Malik was a jazz double bassist and oud player of Sudanese descent....
(tracks 1-6), Bob CranshawBob CranshawMelbourne R. "Bob" Cranshaw is an American jazz bassist. His career spans the heyday of Blue Note Records to his recent involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known for his long association with Sonny Rollins...
(tracks 7-9) – bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2... - Coleridge Perkinson – pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, musical director