Nigerian drummer/composer Tony Allen passed away on April 30, aged 79. He was also known as one of the founders of Afrobeat and from 1968 to 1979, he was drummer and musical director of Fela Kuti’s band, Africa ’70. A master of the groove, Allen was influenced by the virtuosity of American drummers and the vibrant pulse of his native land’s popular and traditional music. This stylistic union can be heard on his version of Bobby Timmons’ 1958 landmark “Moanin’,” reimagined in honor of one of his heroes, Art Blakey.
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