Okyerema Asante

Drum Message

Strut

Strut return to the rich archives of Black Fire Records for the “Drum Message” album by Ghanaian master percussionist Okyerema Asante from 1977.
Tracklisting
A1 Drum Message 3.25
A2 Asante Sana 6.39
A3 Follow Me 5.36
B1 Sabi 6.32
B2 Mother Africa 5.02
B3 Never Fly Away From The Funk 5.07
C1 Play A Sweet Rhythm On Them Drums 6.36
C2 Adowa 3.20
C3 Sabi (Black Fire Mix) 6.27
D1 Kazi’S Awakening 6.07
D2 To The Ancestors 12.15
Streaming link:

Strut return to the rich archives of Black Fire Records for the Drum Message album by Ghanaian master percussionist Okyerema Asante from 1977. After playing a short spell early in his career with Ebo Taylor’s Blue Monks band at Tip Toe’s in Accra, Asante joined the fledgling Hedzoleh Soundz during the early ‘70s at their Napoleon Club residency in the city. After playing Fela’s Shrine, Fela recommended them to Hugh Masekela as an ideal backing band and Hedzoleh joined Masekela on a US tour in December 1973. Sharing the same management company, Charisma, Asante first met Plunky and Oneness Of Juju during an East coast tour with Masekela, starting a relationship with the band that has endured until today. Recorded at Arrest Studios in Washington D.C. in October 1977 and featuring musicians from Oneness alongside Gil Scott Heron cohort Brian Jackson on piano, Drum Message represents an important milestone for Asante: “This album really came from my heart. I wanted to project the African spirit in the music and come out with some unique African jazz. To be able to record it on Black Fire was extra special.” The album also involved some serious physical graft: “The studio was up on the 14th Floor and the elevator was often broken down. I showed up with a van full of African drums and Jimmy Gray from Black Fire and myself had to carry them all the way up there, each day!” The resultant album was well worth the sweat. ‘Adowa’ adds jazz arrangements to a traditional Asante rhythm and Oneness classic ‘Follow Me’ is skilfully re-worked (“I used the bass drum in place of the bass guitar so it was all based on rhythms.”). New versions of Asante dancefloor favourite ‘Sabi’ sit alongside the mellow groove of ‘Asante Sana’ (“I wanted something cool like reggae or highlife on that track, a similar vibe. So, I went inbetween.”). Drum Message only previously surfaced on a Black Fire CD in 1993. Now receiving its first full international release and its first ever vinyl issue, the album has been fully remastered by The Carvery. Package features unseen photos and a brand new interview with Okyerema Asante tracing the ups and downs of his career in music.
Key Points
1977 album recorded by Ghanaian master percussionist Okyerema Asante for Black Fire
Features members of Oneness Of Juju and Brian Jackson on piano
Package features unseen photos and new interview with Asante. Remastered from original tapes by The Carvery Part of Strut’s ongoing work reissuing the complete Black Fire independent jazz and R&B catalogue

FOR FANS OF:
Ebo Taylor, Oneness of Juju, Brian Jackson, Gil Scott Heron, Hedzoleh Soundz, Hugh Masekela, New Rotary Connection, Roy Ayers, Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids, Fela Kuti, Orlando Julius, Osibisa, Kabbala, Lonnie Liston Smith
www.black-fire-records.com

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