Afro Blue

"Afro Blue" is a jazz standard composed by Mongo Santamaría, perhaps best known in its arrangement by John Coltrane.

Santamaria version

Mongo Santamaria first recorded his composition "Afro Blue" in 1959, when playing with Cal Tjader's band, Cal Tjader Sextet - Concert by the Sea, Part 1 (Fantasy). The first recorded performance of the piece, recorded live on April 20, 1959, at the Sunset Auditorium in Carmel, California, with composer Mongo Santamaría on percussion.

In 1960, lyrics were added by prolific songwriter Oscar Brown.

Rhythm

"Afro Blue" was the first jazz standard built upon a typical African 3:2 cross-rhythm, or hemiola. The song begins with the bass repeatedly playing 6 cross-beats per each measure of 12/8, or 6 cross-beats per 4 main beats—6:4 (two cells of 3:2). The following example shows the original ostinato "Afro Blue" bass line. The slashed noteheads indicate the main beats (not bass notes), where you would normally tap your foot to "keep time."

While the bass sounds the six secondary beats, Paul Horn's flute solo and Emil Richards' marimba solo emphasize the four primary beats. Francisco Aguabella takes the conga drum solo on the first recording, quoting phrases from the vocabulary of the abakuá bonkó drum.

Afro Blue (album)

Afro Blue is a jazz album by musician McCoy Tyner, released on November 13, 2007. It compiles recordings from his albums on Telarc Records, documenting his eight-year tenure with the label.

Track listing

1 & 7 from McCoy Tyner and the Latin All-Stars (1999)

6 & 8 from McCoy Tyner with Stanley Clarke and Al Foster (2000)

3 & 5 from Jazz Roots (2000)

4 from Land of Giants (2003)

2 from Illuminations (2004)

Personnel

Afro Blue (choir)

Afro Blue is an a cappella jazz ensemble at Howard University, directed by Connaitre Miller. They have released 4 albums.

Sing-Off

The version of Afro Blue that performed on The Sing-Off Season 3 went on to create the group Traces of Blue.

References