Randy Weston - African Rhythms [Blue] (1984) [vinyl]

Mr. Weston is a descendant of two strong musical personalities, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk; but far from being absorbed by these influences, he has built a strong identity of his own... music filled with melody, rhythm and a dramatic flair that distinguishes him from any other contemporary pianist. ~ John S. Wilson, New York Times. 

His music is beyond category - not jazz, third stream, nor European classic - it is totally unique, serious, dramatic, infectious, delightful. ~ Duke Ellington. 

Randy Weston is a virtuoso, terribly sincere as an artist whose music reveals a fascinating mood. ~ Le Monde, Paris. 

Weston's ringing overtones in the extremes of the keyboard, his Middle Eastern melodies and stirring rhythms, and his lucid, nonlinear improvisation make for a mesmerizing set. ~ Village Voice. 

1750 Arch Records, S-1802, 1984
Recorded March, 1983 at Northwest Recording Studio, Seattle, Washington, DC 

Randy Weston - Piano [9 Foot Steinway Concert Grand Piano] 

Tracks:
A1. Penny Packer Blues {Randy Weston} (7:16)
A2. Earth Birth {Randy Weston} (4:34)
A3. The Last Day {Randy Weston} (4:45)
A4. Lagos {Randy Weston} (5:13)
B1. Blue In Tunisia {Randy Weston} (7:04)
B2. Mystery Of Love {Guy Warren} (5:07)
B3. Ellington Tusk {Randy Weston} (7:32) 

Total Time: 41:31 

Credits:
Producer - Tom Buckner
Production Assistant - Teo Sutton
Recording Engineer - Gerald Oshita
Cover Concept - Wm. Tony Gable
Front Illustration, Album Design - F. Glen Jones
Photography [Back Cover] - Preston M. Wadley
Sleeve Notes - Randy Weston 

Earth Birth

Randy Weston Sextet - Monterey '66

Recorded in Monterey, California. The Monterey Jazz Festival of 1966. "I think this is the best band I've ever had. We were together almost 3 years. It was Booker Ervin on tenor saxophone, Ray Copeland on trumpet; Bill Wood was on bass; Lenny McBrowne on drums, and Big Black on congas. It was very difficult for us to be recorded because it was a very strong African message. I'm talking about around maybe 1963, '64, '65 during that period. So it was hard for us to get gigs, you know. And so finally, our last appearance together was at the Monterey Jazz Festival, the same night as Duke Ellington, the same night as Carmen McRae. So you know we had to play strong. And it was an incredible band because number one, we had Booker Ervin. Booker Ervin, for me, was on the same level as John Coltrane. He was a completely original saxophonist. I don't know anybody who played like Booker. But Booker, he was very sensitive, very quiet-not the sort of guy to push himself or talk about himself. You know what happens with Black artists-they (the industry) can never let too many come out at the same time. There was a big emphasis on Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane. And everybody was into Coltrane but meanwhile Booker Ervin was kind of left out. He was a master saxophonist, and the song I wrote for my mother, Portrait of Vivian, only he could play it; nobody else could play that song.

In fact, the African Cookbook, which I composed back in the early 60's, was partly named after Booker because we (musicians) used to call him "Book," and we would say, "Cook, Book." Sometimes when he was playing we'd shout, "Cook, Book, cook." And the melody of African Cookbook was based upon Booker Ervin's sound, a sound like the north of Africa. He would kind of take those notes and make them weave hypnotically. So, actually the African Cookbook was influenced by Booker Ervin. By the way. Ervin was from Texas and he had the typical big sound from Texas. I don't know why, but for some reason many great tenor saxophonists come from Texas and they have all got this big sound. For instance, Billy Harper is from Texas, Dexter Gordon, Frank Haynes. I could go on and on and on....Randy Weston