Tag Archives: Babatunde Olatunji

Nina Simone: Nina Simone At The Village Gate

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On January 15, 1952, “Colpix” label released “Nina Simone at the Village Gate”, the sixth Nina Simone album. It was recorded in March 1961, at “The Village Gate” in Greenwich Village in New York, and was produced by Cal Lampey.

Personnel:

  • Nina Simone – vocals, piano
  • Al Schackman – guitar
  • Chris White – bass
  • Bobby Hamilton – drums
  • Richard Alderson – recording

Track listing:

  1. Just in Time – Adolph Gree, Betty Comden, Jule Styne
  2. He Was Too Good to Me – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  3. House of the Rising Sun – Josh White, Libby Reynolds Holmes, Nicholas Ray
  4. Bye Bye Blackbird – Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
  5. Brown Baby – Oscar Brown
  6. Zungo – Babatunde Olatunji
  7. If He Changed My Name – Robert MacGinsey
  8. Children Go Where I Send You – traditional, arranged by Nina Simone

Mickey Hart: RAMU

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On November 10, 2017, “Verve Forecast” label released “RAMU”, the 16th Mickey Hart album. It was recorded in 2017, and was produced by Mickey Hart.

Personnel:

  • Mickey Hart – traps, RAMU (Random Access Musical Universe), beam, percussions, arrangements, sound design, mixing
  • Tarriona “Tank” Ball – vocals
  • Babatunde Olatunji – vocals
  • Avey Tare – vocals
  • Peter Coyote – spoken word
  • Jerry Garcia – guitar, synth guitar
  • Steve Kimock – guitar, lap guitar
  • Oteil Burbridge – bass guitar
  • Sikiru Adepoju – talking drum
  • Samuel Goodman – strings
  • Jason Hann – additional traps
  • Giovanni Hidalgo – vocals, bata, congas
  • Zakir Hussein – tabla, madal, arrangements, mixing
  • Sabir Khan – sarangi
  • Niladri Kumar – sitar, zitar
  • Sekaa Jegog Yuskumara – gamelan
  • Charles Lloyd – saxophone
  • Michal Menert – arrangements, sound design, mixing
  • Adam Tenenbaum, Boris Gladkihl – sound design
  • Nic Pope – recording, mixing
  • Tom Flye, Adam Tenenbaum, Boris Gladkihl, John-Paul McLean, Jason Mills – recording
  • Bassy Bob – additional recording, mixing and production
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering
  • Stanley Mouse – cover illustration
  • Jacob Lerman – package design
  • Jay Blakesberg, Atiba Jefferson, Camille Lenain, Susana Millman, John Werner – photography
  • Michal Menert – co-producer
  • Reya Hart – associate producer
  • “Decibel” Dave Dennison – archival

Track listing:

All tracks by Mickey Hart, except where noted.

  1. Auctioneers
  2. Wayward Son – Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter
  3. Big Bad Wolf – Mickey Hart, Tarriona “Tank” Ball
  4. The Lost Coast
  5. Who Do You Think You Are? – Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter
  6. You Remind Me – Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter
  7. When the Morning Comes – Mickey Hart, Tarriona “Tank” Ball
  8. Jerry – Mickey Hart, Jerry Garcia
  9. Wine Wine Wine
  10. Nacare
  11. Spreading the News – Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter
  12. Time Beyond Reason – Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia

Mickey Hart: Planet Drum

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On September 24, 1991, “Rykodisc” label released “Planet Drum”, the eight Mickey Hart album. It was recorded in 1991, and was produced by Mickey Hart.

Personnel:

  • Mickey Hart – vocals, drums, percussion, balafon, bombo, bones, bass drum, snare, tambourine, triangle, body percussion, goblet drum, whistle, nose flute
  • Sikiru Adepoju – percussion, talking drum, cow bell, bells, djembe, dunun
  • Molonga Casquelord – vocals
  • Frank Colón – shekere
  • Giovanni Hidalgo – bata, shekere, congas
  • Zakir Hussain – tabla, percussion, madal, dunun, shaker, bells, udu, balafon, bass drum, dholak, tarang, conch shell
  • Bruce Langhorne – vocals, body percussion
  • Airto Moreira – vocals, voice, tambourine, berimbau, chimes, percussion, conch, whistle, handclaps, caxixi, rattle, cymbal, shaker, wood block, tom tom, rainstick, Earth drum, clackers, duggi tarang, body shaker, conch, gong
  • Caryl Ohrbach – shaker
  • Babatunde Olatunji – vocals, shaker, bells, congas, djembe, handclaps, body percussion, ashiko
  • Flora Purim – vocals, voice, wind chimes, shaker
  • Gordy Ryan – vocals, body percussion
  • Jeff Sterling – udu
  • T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram – ghatam, Jew’s harp
  • Sikiru Adepoju, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji, Flora Purim, T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram – co-producers
  • Tom Flye, Jeff Sterling – recording, mixing
  • Paul Stubblebine – digital mastering
  • Howard Jacobsen – art direction
  • Nancy Nimoy – cover illustration
  • Howard Cohen – production manager
  • Ram Rod, Rudson Shurtliff – equipment manager
  • Jack Crymes – technical support

Track listing:

  1. Udu Chant – Sikiru Adepoju, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira
  2. Island Groove – Sikiru Adepoju, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji
  3. Light Over Shadow – Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji, Flora Purim
  4. Dance of the Hunter’s Fire – Sikiru Adepoju, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji, Frank Colón, Airto Purim, Giovanni Hidalgo, T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram
  5. Jewe (You are the One) – Babatunde Olatunji
  6. The Hunt – Sikiru Adepoju, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji, T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram
  7. Temple Caves – Sikiru Adepoju, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji
  8. The Dancing Sorcerer – Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira
  9. Bones – Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Babatunde Olatunji, Flora Purim
  10. Lost River – Sikiru Adepoju, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Babatunde Olatunji, Flora Purim
  11. Evening Samba – Sikiru Adepoju, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Airto Moreira, Olatunji, T. H. “Vikku” Vinayakram
  12. Iyanu (Surprises) – Babatunde Olatunji
  13. Mysterious Island – Mickey Hart, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Jeff Sterling

Mickey Hart: At The Edge

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On September 18, 1990, “Rykodisc” label released “At the Edge”, the seventh Mickey Hart album. It was recorded in 1990, and was produced by Mickey Hart.

Personnel:

  • Mickey Hart – drums, percussion
  • Airto Moreira – vocals, drums, percussion
  • Zakir Hussain – drums, percussion
  • Sikiru Adepoju – drums, percussion
  • Babatunde Olatunji – drums, percussion
  • Jerry Garcia – electric guitar, guitar synthesizer, forest zone
  • Joze Lorenzo – berimbau
  • Creek Hart – drum samples
  • Taro S. Hart – electronic drums
  • Tom Flye – engineer, mixing
  • Jeff Sterling – engineer, mixing, computer processing
  • Phil Kaffel – additional engineering
  • Tom Size – additional engineering
  • Joe Gastwirt – CD mastering
  • Jack Crymes – technical support
  • Jay Stevens – liner notes
  • Nancy Nimoy – cover art
  • Howard Jacobsen – art direction
  • Steven Jurgensmeyer – package design

Track listing:

  1. #4 for Gaia – Mickey Hart
  2. Sky Water – Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain
  3. Slow Sailing – Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain
  4. Lonesome Hero – Mickey Hart
  5. Fast Sailing – Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain
  6. Cougar Run – Mickey Hart
  7. The Eliminators – Creek Hart, Mickey Hart, Taro S. Hart, Jerry Garcia
  8. Brainstorm – Mickey Hart, Babatunde Olatunji
  9. Pigs in Space – Airto Moreira

Mickey Hart Planet Drum: Superlingua

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On August 4, 1998, “Rykodisc” label released “Supralingua”, album by Mickey Hart Planet Drum (tenth Mickey Hart album overall). It was recorded in 1998, and was produced by Mickey Hart.

Personnel:

  • Mickey Hart – vocals, drums, percussion, RAMU, liner notes
  • Zakir Hussain – vocals, drums, percussion, pre-production
  • Sikiru Adepoju – vocals, drums, percussion
  • David Garibaldi – drum kit, percussion
  • Giovanni Hidalgo – vocals, drums, percussion
  • Jorgé Bermudez – drums, percussion
  • Chalo Eduardo – drums, percussion
  • Bakithi Kumalo – vocals, electric bass, drums, percussion
  • Airto Moreira – drums, percussion
  • Mimi Spencer – drums, percussion
  • Graham Wiggins – didgeridoo sample
  • Raz Kennedy – vocals
  • Alan Kushan – vocals
  • Rebeca Mauleón – vocals
  • Joey Blake – vocals
  • Bobi Céspedes – vocals
  • Jesus Diaz – vocals
  • Reya Hart – vocal sample
  • Babatunde Olatunji – vocal sample
  • Gyüto Monks Tantric Choir – vocal sample
  • Candice Pacheco – engineer, associate producer
  • Tom Flye – engineer, recording
  • Zac Allentuck – engineer assistant
  • Kevin Sellers – Pro Tools editor
  • Mark Jeffrey – additional editing
  • Joe Gastwirt – mastering
  • Steven Jurgensmeyer – illustration, design
  • Stevee Postman – illustration, design
  • John Werner – photography
  • Fredric Lieberman – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Angola – Sikiru Adepoju, David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Bakithi Kumalo
  2. Yabu – David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Bakithi Kumalo, Babatunde Olatunji
  3. Endless River – Sikiru Adepoju, David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Bakithi Kumalo, Rebeca Mauleón
  4. Umayeyo – Sikiru Adepoju, David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Bakithi Kumalo
  5. Secret Meeting Place – Sakiru Adepoju, David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Bakithi Kumalo
  6. Tall Grass – Sikiru Adepoju, David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Bakithi Kumalo
  7. Umasha – David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Bakithi Kumalo
  8. Frog Dance – Sikiru Adepoju, David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain
  9. Damawoo – Sikiru Adepoju, David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain
  10. Indoscrub – David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Bakithi Kumalo
  11. Wheel of Time – Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain
  12. Space Dust – Sikiru Adepoju, David Garibaldi, Mickey Hart, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Nakithi Kumalo

Randy Weston: Uhuru Afrika

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In April 1961, “Roulette” label released “Uhuru Afrika”, the thirteenth Randy Weston album. It was recorded in November 1960, at “Bell Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Teddy Reig. The album features lyrics and liner notes by the poet Langston Hughes and was banned in South Africa in 1964.

Personnel:

  • Randy Weston – piano
  • Clark Terry – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Benny Bailey, Richard Williams, Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Slide Hampton, Jimmy Cleveland, Quentin Jackson – trombone
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone, flute
  • Yusef Lateef – tenor saxophone, flute, oboe
  • Sahib Shihab – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
  • Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Jerome Richardson – baritone saxophone, piccolo
  • Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
  • Les Spann – guitar, flute
  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • George Duvivier, Ron Carter – bass
  • Max Roach, Charlie Persip – drums, percussion
  • Wilbert Hogan – drums
  • Babatunde Olatunji – percussion
  • Armando Peraza – bongos
  • Candido Camero – congas
  • Martha Flowers, Brock Peters – vocals
  • Tuntemeke Sanga – narrator
  • Melba Liston – arranger

Track listing:

All tracks by Randy Weston, except where noted.

  1. Introduction: Uhuru Kwanza – Langston Hughes
  2. First Movement: Uhuru Kwanza
  3. Second Movement: African Lady – Randy Weston, Langston Hughes
  4. Third Movement: Bantu
  5. Fourth Movement: Kucheza Blues

Reginald Lucas

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On May 19, 2018, Reginald Grant Lucas died aged 65. He was musician (guitar), songwriter and producer, started his career performing and recording with Billy Paul and Miles Davis. As producer, composer and sideman he worked with Madonna, Models, The Four Tops, Randy Crawford, Rebbie Jackson, Bunny DeBarge, John Adams, Elisa Fiorillo, The Weather Girls, Nick Scott, Stephanie Mills, Gary Bartz, The Spinners, Lou Rawls, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, James Mtume, Carlos Garnett, Norman Connors, Babatunde Olatunji, Flora Purim, Lonnie Liston Smith, Zbigniew Seifert, Masabumi Kikuchi and Shunzo Ohno. As leader Lucas released two albums.

John Hammond

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On July 10, 1987, John Henry Hammond II died aged 76. He was record producer, music critics, civil rights activist, and music scout, one of the most influential figures in 20th-century modern music. As “Columbia Records” company executive and as a record producer, he supported numerous musical careers, including those of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Benny Goodman, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Freddie Green, Leonard Cohen, Arthur Russell, Harry James, Charlie Christian, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Teddy Wilson, Big Joe Turner, Pete Seeger, Babatunde Olatunji, Jim Copp, Asha Puthli, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Mike Bloomfield. He also initiated the revival of delta blues legend Robert Johnson’s music. He is the father of blues musician John P. Hammond.

Reggie Lucas

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On May 19, 2018, Reginald Grant Lucas aka Reggie Lucas died aged 65. He was songwriter, musician (guitar) and record producer. As musician he has recorded and performed with Miles Davis, Carlos Garnett, Babatunde Olatunji, Norman Connors, Flora Purim, Lonnie Liston Smith, Hubert Eaves, Roberta Flack, Urszula Dudziak, James Mtume, Gary Bartz, Zbigniew Seifert, John Lee, Gerry Brown and Masabumi Kikuchi. As producer Lucas worked with Madonna, Mtume, Models, Randy Crawford, Rebbie Jackson, Bunny DeBarge, The Four Tops, John Adams, The Weather Girls, Elisa Fiorillo and Nick Scotti. In 1981, Lucas and James Mtume won a “Grammy Award” for “Best R&B Song” for their composition “Never Knew Love Like This Before”, which was performed by Stephanie Mills. As leader, Lucas has recorded two albums.

Pierre Moerlen’s Gong: Downwind

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On February 9, 1979, “Arista” label released “Downwind”, the third Pierre Moerlen’s Gong album (it was the first to be released under that name, the previous two having been released as Gong albums for contractual reasons). It was recorded June – September 1978, and was produced by Pierre Moerlen.

Personnel:

  • Pierre Moerlen– lead vocals, drums, vibraphone, marimba, concert toms, timpani, organ, synthesizer, electric piano, assorted percussion
  • Mike Oldfield- guitar, solina strings, bass, Irish drum
  • Mick Taylor- guitar
  • Ross Record – vocals, guitar
  • Steve Winwood– synthesizer
  • Hansford Rowe– bass
  • Benoît Moerlen– vibraphon
  • François Causse – percussion
  • Didier Malherbe– saxophone
  • Terry Oldfield– flute
  • Didier Lockwood– violin

Track listing:

All tracks by Pierre Moerlen, except where noted.

  1. Aeroplane – Pierre Moerlen, Ruan O’Lochlain
  2. Crosscurrents
  3. Downwind
  4. Jin-Go-Lo-Ba – Babatunde Olatunji
  5. What You Know – Pierre Moerlen, Ruan O’Lochlain
  6. Emotions
  7. Xtasea