Tony Allen & Afrika 70 - Jealousy (1975) / Progress (1977)

«Tony Allen first gained prominence as the drummer for Fela Kuti's Afrika 70, and his technical proficiency and musical versatility were key components in the creation of Afrobeat. Allen shared Kuti's spirit of musical restlessness, and was continually exploring ways to graft funk, jazz and R&B onto traditional African music. Allen has often claimed that the Afrobeat rhythm is "one drummer playing like four" and this pair of records from the late '70s finds him doing just that. But while the percussion is constant, it's never overbearing; Allen is the master of the steady, easy roll, and his gently pulsing patterns serve to support his songs rather than dominate them. He demonstrates equal acuity as a bandleader: "Africa Disco Beat" is peppered with jubilant bursts of brass and is grounded in a burbling, liquid bass line while a thrilling, knotty sax solo dominates "Progress." Allen is not just a celebrated collaborator – he's an innovator in his own right.» (J.Edward Keyes, eMusic)

«[…] Imagine a Nigerian version of James Brown's band with Art Blakey's finesse and Max Roach's jazzy complexity and you'll understand the groove signature of the extended tracks. With Allen's drumming driving the gut-level bass lines, down-home horns, spacy keyboards, and spicy vocals, cuts like the nearly 12-minute "Jealousy" and "Afro Disco Beat" will drive today's kids into Afro-diasporic dervishes that only a groove master like Tony Allen can conjure. (Eugene Holley, Jr., Amazon)

Read the interview.

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