Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s.
I didn't go to Africa to study drums – somebody wrote that – I went to Africa because there wasn't anything else for me to do. I couldn't get any gigs, and I had to work my way over on a boat. I went over there to study religion and philosophy. I didn't bother with the drums, I wasn't after that. I went over there to see what I could do about religion. When I was growing up I had no choice, I was just thrown into a church and told this is what I was going to be. I didn't want to be their Christian. I didn't like it. You could study politics in this country, but I didn't have access to the religions of the world. That's why I went to Africa. When I got back people got the idea I went there to learn about music.
Track Listing
- A Night in Tunisia -Dizzy Gillespie / Frank Paparelli, 12:50
- Off the Wall -Johnny Griffin, 07:11
- Couldn't It Be You? -Art Blakey / Jackie McLean,08:06
- Theory of Art -Bill Hardman,09:40
- Evans- Sonny Rollins, 05:46
- A Night at Tony's- Gigi Gryce, 04:19
- Social Call- Gigi Gryce / Jon Hendricks, 05:16