clifford_thornton Posted February 17, 2004 Report Posted February 17, 2004 OK, maybe this should be in the "Vinyl Frontier," but here goes... I should know this by now, but how is this LP? I saw one sitting in a local shop, cover in good shape with the LP (original DG mono) still sealed in its plastic baggie for $15. Is this one of those 'exotica'-marketed slabs or is it a record worthy of merit outside the party scenario? I know he and Coltrane were tight, so... Quote
jazzbo Posted February 17, 2004 Report Posted February 17, 2004 I haven't heard this in a while, but I'd say it's in between those two. . . it's not to my ears a dead serious true African recording, and it's not a stereo spectacular let's wake up the Amerikans jive recording either. . . . Quote
mikeweil Posted February 17, 2004 Report Posted February 17, 2004 This was the first non-field recording of African music released in the US. African Drums and bells, shekerés, and vocals in the Yoruba language - Olatunji came to the US from Nigeria to study economics and ended up founding his African cultural center. It is not hardcore African, but there sin't any trace of jazz either. If you are a vinyl freak .... you can get an excellent sounding CD reissue in stereo with bonus tracks from Columbia Legacy for around $ 10 ..... that nonwithstanding, it is a classic in its field. Quote
chris olivarez Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 Damn I have this cd at home and I haven't listened to it in ages. Now I'll have to revisit it. Quote
Rimshot Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 I knew Michael "Babatunde" Olatunj very well and along with many other percussionists throughout the world had the pleasure of playing music with he and his group in performances. We lost Baba last April to kidney failure, he was only 74. This was his first recording and it was done while he was still a student at NYU and he was playing congas in a jazz combo in the Village and he was approached by an agent to produce an album of West African Percussion and songs. Although he was a very talented musician, he was not regarded as a musician in his native Nigeria, he was here studying political science and econmics in the hopes of becomng a political figure and helping the standard of living in his homeland. Most of the songs on "Drums of Passion" were presented as traditional West African songs, but they are all mostly compositions of Baba's. This IS the one recording that introduced America to the poly rhythms of West African music and it was a major hit. Baba performed with and influenced generations of American jazz and rock musicians, notably Coltrane, Dizzy, Santana and The Grateful Dead. He wrote the musical score for "Raisin in the Sun",as well as Spike Lee's "She's Gotta Have It". Santana's hit song from the 60's "Chingo Ba" was also written by Baba. I own my first copy of Drums of Passion that was on vinyl, a copy on cassette and of course the cd. It's well worth having. The night before Baba passed, I and a group of other musician friends were performing a benefit concert for him to raise money to get him a dialysis machine. We did pretty well and when the news came to us that he passed away at his room in the Eiselin Institute in CA we were of course devastated, but the money we raised went to a good cause. It helped to fund one of Baba's last wishes; that he could be buried in his beloved home, Nigeria. He was a genuinely dear man. Quote
JSngry Posted February 18, 2004 Report Posted February 18, 2004 What's up w/this Roulette side he did w/Marshall allen & Pat Patrick on board? http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Axvev97ejkr0t Quote
clifford_thornton Posted February 18, 2004 Author Report Posted February 18, 2004 What's up w/this Roulette side he did w/Marshall allen & Pat Patrick on board? http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Axvev97ejkr0t Hmm... that does look interesting too. I guess it's worth picking up that "Drums of Passion" LP; the price and interest sound matched. Nice story, Rimshot. Thanks. Quote
mikeweil Posted February 20, 2004 Report Posted February 20, 2004 What's up w/this Roulette side he did w/Marshall allen & Pat Patrick on board? http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Axvev97ejkr0t I have that one, Allen and Patrick play nice, spirited solos over a lively percussion background. The vocals are there, I find them a trifle obtrusive on the classic Drums of passion, but not here. I guess it's pretty rare, If you can get it, go for it. Quote
JSngry Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 (edited) What's up w/this Roulette side he did w/Marshall allen & Pat Patrick on board? http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Axvev97ejkr0t I JUST GOT AN E-MAIL FROM MICHAEL CUSCUNA!!!!!!!!!!! Jim, I didn't know about this one. Will check it out! MC I'm influencing reissue policy!!!!!! Edited February 28, 2004 by JSngry Quote
mikeweil Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 What's up w/this Roulette side he did w/Marshall Allen & Pat Patrick on board? http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Axvev97ejkr0t I JUST GOT AN E-MAIL FROM MICHAEL CUSCUNA!!!!!!!!!!! Jim, I didn't know about this one. Will check it out! MC I'm influencing reissue policy!!!!!! Good work, Jim!!! Would be a nice item for that Afro-Latin series. Can you PM me his e-mail, I have a discographical question about the circumstances of the early Thad Jones & Kenny Burrell Blue Note sessions that only he can probably answer, I posted it here to no effect. Thanks! Quote
JSngry Posted February 28, 2004 Report Posted February 28, 2004 I just contacted him through the Mosaic site. Anybody can do it! It's a small operation, staffwise, so just specify in the body of your message that it's for Mike. Odds are pretty godd that he'll be the one to read it first anyway. I've sent occasional mail, postal and e-, for about 20 years now and have never failed to get a response in kind. Quote
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