Jazz artists that visited/studied in Africa

[Pim]

Two weeks ago I was in Ghana with a group of 18 of my high school students. I'm in special needs education so while there intelligence is normal most of them have autism, adhd, anxiety disorders etc. The whole experience was indescribable... I'll never forget and I think most of my students won't either. Part of the trip was staying three nights with the local people in a very small village near Tamale in the north. Three days without running water, wifi, phone etc. was a learning experience for all of us and a huge confirmation that we really have nothing to complain about in the Netherlands. We did not do any development aid that is mostly profitable for the Instagram stories of western people that are doing those kind of things for their own good feelings about themselves. Our students we're all linked to somebody of their age and the goal was just to live together and learn from each other. So we went to church together, to school together, cooked, get water from the source outside the village and played soccer together. It was magic and so much fun. What a wonderful people.

So the last night in the village they performed local dances and music as a farewell to us. I hadn't listened any jazz music since our arrival but it was there within seconds! Those rhythms: I closed my eyes and just pretended it was the Art Ensemble of Chicago I was listening to. I was sitting next to the local pastor who was the only one in the village that really spoke English and told him all their rythms reminded me so much of the jazz and particularaly freejazz I listened to. He did not know any jazz or jazz artists but smiled friendly back at me.

Of course I know many jazz artists and especially among the freejazz musicians we're heavily influenced by African music and that jazz music itself has its roots in it. But who of them have actually studied there or visited to learn? Any interesting stories about their trips?

[Milestones]

Randy Weston lived in Morocco for at least 5 years.  Talk about immersion.  He also ran a night club, so you could say that while he was bringing even more of Africa into his music, he was also bringing American jazz to Africa.  

Edited 1 hour ago by Milestones

[clifford_thornton]

Yusef Lateef taught in Nigeria in the early 80s, resulting in two albums' worth of material.

Barney Wilen documented and made field recordings while traveling in north central Africa in 1969-70, also resulting in two albums of material.

Lester Bowie lived in Nigeria with Fela Kuti and performed in Fela's band.

Sun Ra and his band were at FESTAC 1977 (Lagos) and also performed in Egypt. Max Roach was at FESTAC too, I believe.

Archie Shepp and his band were at the Pan-African Cultural Festival in 1969, and I know that was very important for him, Burrell, Moncur, Thornton, Silva, and Murray.

[paulfromcamden]

Not really in the spirit of this thread but I noticed a copy of this unlikely LP browsing in Rays Jazz this afternoon - 'Bud Shank in Africa' from 1958.

https://electricjive.blogspot.com/2010/11/bud-shank-in-africa-1958.html

Released by Pacific Jazz in South Africa only and reissued a few years later in the UK as simply 'Bud Shank Quartet'. It doesn't appear to have ever had a US release.

[ejp626]

I guess it depends if you count Ginger Baker as a jazz-rock drummer, but he collaborated with Fela Kuti both in Africa and Europe.  https://www.openculture.com/2020/06/when-afrobeat-legend-fela-kuti-collaborated-with-cream-drummer-ginger-baker.html

 

[Milestones]

On the basis of making records with Bill Frisell and Charlie Haden, Ginger is OK in my book.