Afro-Cuban (album)

Afro-Cuban is an album by American jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham, recorded for Blue Note on March 29, 1955 and released later that year on the Blue Note Modern Jazz Series, shortly before the label discontinued the format. It was soon reissued on the new 1500 series, recompiled with a session by an early incarnation of the ensemble, with new cover art.^[2]

Afro-Cuban
Studio album by Kenny Dorham
Released	End of October 1955 (10")[1] End of May 1957 (12")[2]
Recorded	January 30 and March 29, 1955
Studio	Van Gelder Studio Hackensack, NJ
Genre	Jazz
Length	18:53 (10") 35:08 (12") 45:44 (CD)
Label	Blue Note BLP 5065 (10") BLP 1535 (12")
Producer	Alfred Lion
Kenny Dorham chronology
Kenny Dorham Quintet (1953) Afro-Cuban (1955) 'Round About Midnight at the Cafe Bohemia (1956)
Alternative cover
10" Vinyl (1955) artwork

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[4]

The AllMusic review by Michael G. Nastos states, "A first-rate recording for the under-appreciated Dorham, this one should be in every collection of all true music lovers."^[3]

Track listing

10" LP, BLP 5065

Side 1

No.	Title	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Afrodisia"	March 29, 1955	5:06
2.	"Lotus Flower"	March 29, 1955	4:17

All tracks are written by Kenny Dorham, except as noted.

Side 2

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Minor's Holiday"		March 29, 1955	4:27
2.	"Basheer's Dream"	Gigi Gryce	March 29, 1955	5:03

LP, BLP 1535

Side 1

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Afrodisia"		March 29, 1955	5:06
2.	"Lotus Flower"		March 29, 1955	4:17
3.	"Minor's Holiday"		March 29, 1955	4:27
4.	"Basheer's Dream"	Gigi Gryce	March 29, 1955	5:03

All tracks are written by Kenny Dorham, except as noted.

Side 2

No.	Title	Date recorded	Length
1.	"K.D.'s Motion"	January 30, 1955	5:29
2.	"La Villa"	January 30, 1955	5:24
3.	"Venita's Dance"	January 30, 1955	5:22

CD reissues

1987 reissue

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Date recorded	Length
1.	"Afrodisia"		March 29, 1955	5:02
2.	"Lotus Flower"		March 29, 1955	4:15
3.	"Minor's Holiday"		March 29, 1955	4:25
4.	"Minor's Holiday" (alternate take)		March 29, 1955	4:21
5.	"Basheer's Dream"	Gigi Gryce	March 29, 1955	5:00
6.	"K.D.'s Motion"		January 30, 1955	5:25
7.	"La Villa"		January 30, 1955	5:20
8.	"Venita's Dance"		January 30, 1955	5:18
9.	"K.D.'s Cab Ride"		January 30, 1955	6:06

• The 2007 RVG edition restores the original track order, placing the alternate take of "Minor's Holiday" at the end, and retitles "K.D.'s Cab Ride" to "Echo of Spring".

Personnel

Musicians

January 30, 1955

• Kenny Dorham – trumpet
• Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
• Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
• Horace Silver – piano
• Percy Heath – bass
• Art Blakey – drums

March 29, 1955

• Kenny Dorham – trumpet
• J. J. Johnson – trombone
• Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
• Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
• Horace Silver – piano
• Oscar Pettiford – bass
• Art Blakey – drums
• Carlos "Patato" Valdes – conga
• Richie Goldberg – cowbell

Technical personnel

Original

• Alfred Lion – producer
• Rudy Van Gelder – recording engineer
• Reid Miles – design
• Francis Wolff – photography
• Leonard Feather – liner notes

Reissue

• Michael Cuscuna – producer
• Ron McMaster – digital transfer

References

1. Billboard Nov 5, 1955
2. Billboard May 20, 1957
3. Nastos, M. G. Allmusic Review accessed September 28, 2010
4. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 392. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.