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Afro/African Jazz Selections/Suggestions

Sun_FortuneSun_Fortune 1,374 Posts
edited June 2005 in Strut Central
Allright, bit of an embarassing request but I missed the boat on Afro Jazz somewhere along the line and have recently been listening to Hugh Maskella's "I am Not Afraid" on repeat for the past two weeks. (Is it just me or is that a beautiful album? The orange one with the elephant on the cover.) I've been picking things up, pretty much randomly, and have gotten all duds so far. So Im looking for some beginner Afro(African?) Jazz selections to get me started, just so I dont spend the next six months and 500 dollars on trial and error.Ive included an Mp3 from said album for your time and patience.http://s37.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=2FB5MLUU23J8413SGJSTRZNMNE

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  • Options
    Unknown
    Ask around Brooklyn for a gentleman named Alioune - he should be able to set you straight.

    K.

  • parsecparsec 5,087 Posts
    Thats my fave Hugh track, cool ish. You have Manu Dibango "soul makossa"? Dope rekkid.
  • hcrinkhcrink 8,729 Posts
    Someone had to...

  • aleitaleit 1,915 Posts
    i always liked that hugh record but this one really hit me the first time i heard it. i jammed it for an entire summer out in south africa, makes me think of that every time i hear. absolutely beautiful and deep afro jazz. if you're interested pm me. gotta go to sleep now.

  • aleitaleit 1,915 Posts
    which one's were the duds out of curiousity? always interested in differing tastes.
  • Sun_FortuneSun_Fortune 1,374 Posts
    i always liked that hugh record but this one really hit me the first time i heard it. i jammed it for an entire summer out in south africa, makes me think of that every time i hear. absolutely beautiful and deep afro jazz. if you're interested pm me. gotta go to sleep now.


    I was acutally gonna talk about that one too cause I love that as well, but somehow I decided not to. Thanks for the tips so far, gang. I like soulfrier's cryptic advice....
  • aleitaleit 1,915 Posts
    it's not that cryptic. go to the Sound Library, A1 or wherever, and you can just ask for Ali.
  • Sun_FortuneSun_Fortune 1,374 Posts
    which one's were the duds out of curiousity? always interested in differing tastes.

    Oh, its straight random ish, like crap Ghana stuff from 1987 and shit. I'll make my reject afro"jazz" trade post at some point, dont worry. You wont be missing out on anything.
  • aleitaleit 1,915 Posts
    i like straight random ish.

    maybe not ghana 1987 but try me.
  • Sun_FortuneSun_Fortune 1,374 Posts
    it's not that cryptic. go to the Sound Library, A1 or wherever, and you can just ask for Ali.

    Oh well. I was aready feeling cool to be on this mission to track down this dude somewhere in Brookyln with Afro Jazz knowledge.
  • Options
    Unknown
    I got his phone number around here somewhere - I think it's on my rotary phone with print-out display 4 or 5 times in the last week. We cool.



    K.

  • Sun_FortuneSun_Fortune 1,374 Posts
    i like straight random ish.

    maybe not ghana 1987 but try me.



    Hey aleit, if you want any of these, PM your address and Ill send em over tomorrow. As you can see, for my African records, Im still in the "just pick up stuff that has a black dude on the cover phase," which is probably not the best m.o. when it comes to the Motherland.
  • aleitaleit 1,915 Posts
    keep king sunny ade- common but excellent. that era is good stuff- ja funmi is such a killer tune. check out Aura too for an electro feel, should be easy to track down for $5 or less. Of course anything from the 60's through the 70's is guaranteed to be a great listen- nice trippy juju will get you every time.

    Thanks for posting photos. I don't really need any of those, but good luck on your hunting.

    that thomas frempong the 87 ghana thing you refer to? He was in some good earlier ensembles late 70's, early 80's.



  • kidinquisitivekidinquisitive 1,627 Posts


    I've been picking things up, pretty much randomly, and have gotten all duds so far. So Im looking for some beginner Afro(African?) Jazz selections to get me started, just so I dont spend the next six months and 500 dollars on trial and error.


    If you're not picky about format then make Ethiopiques Vol. 4 on CD your next purchase (it's also been reissued on two LPs). I've had that one on steady rotation for approaching 10 years and I'm constantly in awe of it. It's basically a compilation of Mulatu Astatke songs from the early 70's. There are a number of other excellent volumes in that series but I would start with that one for sure.
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