TONY ALLEN Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Even after his death, Tony Allen is still delivering ground-breaking and genre-bending releases. There is No End, a posthumous album largely recorded in 2019 but finished (with Allen's blessing) following his death by co-producers Vincent Taeger and Vincent Taurelle, veers away from the Nigerian drummer's Afro-beat, Afro-jazz and Afro-disco roots, instead combing his brilliant polyrhythms with elements of grime, dubstep, hip-hop, soul and funk, plus vocals from a veritable who's who of MCs, spoken word artists and singers. The results are hugely impressive and forward-thinking, offering a fittingly on-point post-script to Allen's exceptional career.

Review: Arriving sometime after the passing of legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, and utilising some of the final recordings he made during his lifetime, the latest edition of Adrian Younge's Jazz Is Dead series is naturally tinged with melancholy. Yet Younge refuses to succumb to emotion, and instead uses Allen's impeccable grooves and polyrhythmic patterns as the basis of tracks that blend jazz, Afrobeat, Afro-funk and soul. There's a classic Fela Kuti feel to opener 'Ebun', where sax lines reminiscent of the Nigerian musical icon rise above a typically crunchy Allen groove, pots and pans percussion and ear-catching bass, while the flute-sporting 'Don't Believe The Dancers' adds a little more jazziness into its righteous blend of heavy Afrobeat horns, meandering solos and loose-limbed grooves. In other words, it's a spot-on tribute to a genuine musical legend.

Review: This remix magnificently crosses the afrobeat of Fela Kuti with the reggae tradition of Count Ossie.

Review: "Wouldn't That Be Fun" is a smashing Ajabu release. This 12" is from Sofi Hellborg and the afrobeat legend Tony Allen! This features remixes and the original version of the track which is also excellent for the dancefloor.

Review: Finnish lounge lizard-turned-jazzman Jimi Tenor first joined forces with legendary Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen for a joint album on Strut in 2009. In January 2016, they reunited for two nights of performance at Cafe Oto in London, making use of a range of prototype and experimental analogue synthesizers loaned by the Moog Sound Lab. It must have been a terrific couple of days, because the live recordings showcased here are superb. As you'd expect, Allen's distinctive drumming provides the backbone, while Tenor variously delivers mazy Moog synth solos, trippy electronics, bittersweet lounge vocals (reminiscent of his late '90s albums on Warp) and occasional flute and sax solos. The results are decidedly intergalactic and out-there: wayward Afro-jazz for analogue astronauts.