The Source (Tony Allen album)

The Source is an album by Nigerian drummer Tony Allen recorded in 2017 and released on the Blue Note label.[1]

The Source
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 8, 2017
Recorded2017
StudioMidilive Studio, Villetaneuse, France
GenreJazz, Afrobeat
Length64:13
LabelBlue Note
B002721402
ProducerBertrand Fresel, Vincent Taurelle
Tony Allen chronology
A Tribute to Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers
(2017)
The Source
(2017)
Merrie Land
(2018)

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[2]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]
All About Jazz     [4]
The Guardian     [5]
Pitchfork7.7/10[6]

Response was positive, with Metacritic assigning the album an aggregate score of 83 out of 100 based on 9 critical reviews indicating "Universal acclaim".[2] The AllMusic review by Matt Collar called it "an earthy, majestic, endlessly inventive album that caps both his own storied career and points the way toward the future" observing that "On The Source, he balances both his jazz and Afrobeat sides, delivering buoyant songs that are equal parts funky jams, harmonic engagements, and modal workouts".[3] On All About Jazz, Mark Sullivan noted "African and French musicians playing American jazz, recorded on analog tape: this is fusion of a special kind".[4] In The Guardian, John Lewis said "The Source builds on Allen’s recent mini-LP of Art Blakey covers, but this time he and musical director Yann Jankielewicz invoke other jazz legends".[5] Pitchfork's, Ben Cardew stated "On this hybrid album of jazz and Afrobeat, long-time Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen makes the complex sound effortless. Rarely has percussive innovation sounded this downright satisfying".[6]

Track listing edit

All compositions by Tony Allen and Yann Jankielewicz except where noted

  1. "Moody Boy" – 6:33
  2. "Bad Roads" – 5:48
  3. "Cruising" – 6:01
  4. "On Fire" (Allen, Jankielewicz, Jean Phillippe Dury) – 6:17
  5. "Woro Dance" – 6:39
  6. "Tony's Blues" – 5:00
  7. "Wolf Eats Wolf" – 5:37
  8. "Cool Cats" – 4:22
  9. "Push and Pull" (Allen, Jankielewicz, Indy Dibongue) – 5:56
  10. "Ewajo" – 5:34
  11. "Life Is Beautiful" – 6:26

Personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ Blue Note Records catalog accessed November 20, 2017
  2. ^ a b "The Source by Tony Allen - Reviews". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
  3. ^ a b Collar, Mat. Tony Allen: The Source – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved November 20, 2017.
  4. ^ a b All About Jazz Review, accessed November 20, 2017
  5. ^ a b Lewis, J. The Guardian Review, September 8, 2017
  6. ^ a b Cardew, B. Pitchfork Review September 6, 2017