BLP 4136

Solomon Ilori - African High Life

Released - August 1963

Recording and Session Information

Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, April 25, 1963
Hosea Taylor, alto sax; Jay Berliner, guitar; Ahmed Abdul-Malik, bass; Josian Ilori, sakara drums, cowbell; Chief Bay, Montego Joe, congas; Garvin Masseaux, congas, xylophone, cowbell; Robert Crowder, congas, chekere, cowbell; Solomon Ilori, vocals, penny whistle, talking drum, guitar; Coleridge Perkinson, director.

tk.8 Yaba E (Farewell)
tk.15 Ise Oluwa (God's Work Is Indestructible)
tk.17 Jojolo (Look At This Beautiful Girl)
tk.25 Follow Me To Africa
tk.32 Aiye Le (The Troubled World)
tk.43 Tolani (African Love Song)

Session Photos

Photos: © Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images 
https://www.mosaicrecordsimages.com/

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Tolani (African Love Song)	Solomon Ilori	25 April 1963
Ise Oluwa (God's Work Is Indestructable)	Solomon Ilori	25 April 1963
Follow Me to Africa	Solomon Ilori	25 April 1963
Side Two
Yaba E (Farewell)	Solomon Ilori	25 April 1963
Jojolo (Look at This Beautiful Girl)	Solomon Ilori	25 April 1963
Aiye Le (The Troubled World)	Solomon Ilori	25 April 1963

Liner Notes

When Solomon Gbadegesin Ilori set out from Nigeria for the United States five years ago, it was with a noble ambition. He was determined to popularize African music and songs on this side of the Atlantic, and, by gradual progression, to make their appeal universal. This idea had fascinated him many years before. And although he had also planned to enter the Juilliard School of Music, he was, nevertheless, convinced that he had acquired the basic experience in music needed to start him on the uphill road to recognition.

As a matter of fact, Gbadegesin was born into a musically sensitive family — his father was a celebrated dancer and singer — and as a youngster, he had started to learn to be a singer, drummer, dancer, guitarist, and flutist. These talents later served him in good stead in his performances over the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation with a group of other up-and-coming musicians. They also contributed to his award-winning medal at the Nigerian Festival of the Arts in 1955.

But in spite of these impressive credentials, Solomon Ilori soon discovered on his arrival in this country that his self-appointed but patriotic task was too formidable to be easily accomplished. He had underestimated the implications of his mission not because of any miscalculation as to his professional readiness, but because of the rather dismal discovery that African music in America had been ill-conceived, ill-presented, and ill-appreciated. Many people had come to think of it as a wildly pulsating and uncoordinated agglomeration of sound beats and rhythms meant only to reveal sheer primitive delight. This kind of music was, in turn, supposed to provoke the dancer into acts of exhibitionism and meaningless convulsive gyrations.

Of course, this is unlike the inspiring direct communication of experience which the genuine African dancer naturally and intimately bestows on his audience. But I have seen this kind of misrepresentation in the unmeasured and raw shouting indulged in by some "African" singers who were, to say the least, mere impersonators. I have also watched with disappointment some so-called African dancers jump aimlessly into the air with a kind of martial impulse and jab their fingers into space as if ill-possessed or heading for the war path. Although many people had been enthralled or, rather, entertained by these kinds of theatrics, it has been painful to African music lovers to see the purity of the continent's heritage so ignorantly and, in some cases, knowingly adulterated.

This was the state of African music which Solomon Ilori set about to correct when he arrived here. He had to use his talents to help demolish the false musical edifice already presented to the American audience as truly African in originality and authenticity. Solomon does not deny the fact that vigor and intensity are hallmarks of African music. But he insists, quite rightly, that these qualities are assets which, if properly employed, can best show the richness of expression inherent in African music. He also believes that spontaneity of expression which characterizes African music does not imply lack of coherence and coordination on the part of its performers.

In order to illustrate his programme he painstakingly organized a company of singers, drummers, and dancers, who, for the most part, performed at benefit shows. But success and recognition were not quick to come. The programme was too expensive and time-consuming for a young student-musician. Moreover, the smallness of the stage added its own problems. It restricted some vital movements necessary for certain traditional dances while the formal setting of the theatre inhibited the dancer-audience participation which is one of the delightful and spectacular aspects of African music.

That Solomon Ilori has been successful, under these circumstances, in adapting African dances to the stage without any loss of originality of expression is a tribute to his talent as a traditional musician. His use of African and European musical instruments in this album and the achievement of a perfect balance between them also point to his success in fusing together two diverse cultural elements without doing any professional injustice to either of them.

This album can be regarded as Solomon Ilori's modest contribution to the appreciation of African music in this country. It is also the beginning of what I see to be a brilliant career as his fans, particularly, at the Village Gate and at Birdland, will readily agree. Moreover, those who are familiar with the importance of talking drums in the life of African people will applaud the prominence which they have been given throughout the album. Ilori's colleagues are also an impressive array. They include such versatile drummers as Chief Bey, Robert Crowder, Josiah Ilori, Montego Joe, and Garvin Masseaux. Jay Berliner's guitar accompaniment is as irresistible as the stimulating performances of Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Hosea Taylor on alto sax and flute.

Most of the numbers on the album are Solomon Ilori's fashion of African highlife. To listen to them is to go through a relaxed period of pleasure and delight. I can conclude by saying that although African diplomatic parties have helped put highlife music in the public eye, especially in New York City, this album will, I hope, help to give it a more widespread appeal in the U.S.A.

SIDE 1

1. "Tolani Re O": A Nigerian love song woven into a scintillating highlife tempo. The drum "talks" lucidly but allows the alto sax to take over with a rather passionate wailful tone that suits the lyrical mood of the song. At the background is the sustained rhythm provided by the chekere, guitar, and the gong. The number is unusually long. This is probably intended to give ample time to introduce Tolani, who may be Ilori's wife!
2. "Ise Oluwa"...meaning, "God's work is indestructible." It is a slow solemn piece asking for renewed dedication on the part of African compatriots in order to achieve solidarity on the continent. The song is given a sentimental touch by the nostalgic theme introduced and maintained throughout by the flutist.
3. "Follow Me to Africa": The dramatic effect produced at the beginning by the rhythm section is calculated to draw attention as well as to invite, even, the foot-weary to dance. The penny whistle dominates the piece with an air of professional versatility, but Chief Bey, on the drum, seemingly refuses to be outdone. The result is a lively duet between the drum and the whistle in a musical "battle" which does not abate until time calls an end to it.

SIDE 2

1. "Yaba E": A farewell song set to dance tempo and once very popular in the throbbing night spots of West African cities. The xylophone effectively sets the dancing mood with quick thin drops of melodious notes and, together with the guitar, it keeps on encouraging the voices and drums to fresh heights of expressiveness. Towards the end, the alto sax does a solo that builds up the song to a musical peak of stimulating intensity.
2. "E Wa Wo Joiolo O": The words of this song are seductive and the rhythm accompaniment by the drums, chekere, and guitar is captivating. An impressive alto sax solo leads into an exciting drum and guitar passage. The piece is in a medium slow dance tempo.
3. "Aiye Le": This is a song warning a friend of the dangerous slippery world. In spite of the ominous note, the background rhythm provided by the drums, guitar, flute, chekere, and bass makes the number impressively lighthearted.

Oladeio Okediii

Addendum to Liner Notes

African High Life was certainly not your typical 1963 Blue Note session. Solomon Ilori had come to Blue Note's attention through his participation as vocalist/ drummer, and composer on Art Blakey's final drum ensemble album a year earlier, The African Beat. But it was the unexpected success of Drums of Passion and More Drums of Passion by fellow Nigerian Michael Babatunde Olatunii a few years earlier that made a project such as this feasible.

A year and a half later, Ilori made a second Blue Note session that was never released. The music on this date was decidedly different from the first. The quintet of Byrd, Laws, Perkinson, Cranshaw, and Jones maintains its own identity and cohesion throughout the musical performances. The African musical elements open and close each piece and Ilori's melodies are clearly Nigerian in character and rhythmic movement, but the center of each track features the quintet, engulfed and influenced by the percussionists but stretching out on its own terms. The material here is much longer in duration, but because only three of the five tunes achieved releasable final takes, no album was forthcoming.

That material is issued here for the first time.

Ilori went on to work with Harry Belafonte, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, and others. 

— Michael Cuscuna, 2006