Highlife (Randy Weston album)

Highlife (full title Music from the New African Nations featuring the Highlife) is an album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston recorded in 1963 and originally released on the Colpix label. Weston had traveled to Africa for the first time in 1961 for a series of concerts in Lagos, Nigeria, sponsored by the American Society of African Culture, and the album is inspired by the music of the African continent, in particular the highlife genre of West Africa.

Reception

Allmusic awarded the album 5 stars, with its reviewer Scott Yanow stating: "Highly recommended, these sessions are among the recorded highpoints of Randy Weston's productive career."

Track listing

''All compositions by Randy Weston except as indicated

"Caban Bamboo Highlife" - 2:46

"Niger Mambo" (Bobby Benson) - 5:03

"Zulu" - 4:42

"In Memory Of" - 7:46

"Congolese Children" - 2:34

"Blues to Africa" - 6:23

"Mystery of Love" (Guy Warren) - 7:41

Personnel

Randy Weston - piano

Ray Copeland - trumpet, flugelhorn

Jimmy Cleveland, Quentin Jackson - trombone

Julius Watkins - French horn

Aaron Bell - tuba

Budd Johnson - soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone

Booker Ervin - tenor saxophone

Peck Morrison - bass

Charlie Persip - drums

Frankie Dunlop - drums, percussion

Archie Lee - congas, percussion

George Young - percussion

Melba Liston - arranger

References

Randy Weston albums

1963 albums

Colpix Records albums

Albums arranged by Melba Liston