Afrique (album)

Afrique is a 1971 studio album by Count Basie and his orchestra, arranged & conducted by Oliver Nelson released by the Flying Dutchman label

Reception
AllMusic reviewer Bruce Eder stated: "In late 1970, more than 35 years into his career as a bandleader, Count Basie, working with producer Bob Thiele and arranger/conductor/saxman Oliver Nelson, went into the studio and cut this album of big band blues built on recent compositions -- and they made it sound cutting-edge and as urgent as anything the man had ever turned his talent toward. ... Afrique is one of a handful of absolutely essential post-big band-era albums by him".

Track listing
All compositions by Oliver Nelson except where noted
 * 1) "Step Right Up" – 4:15
 * 2) "Hobo Flats" – 6:13
 * 3) "Gypsy Queen" – 4:00 (Gabor Szabo)
 * 4) "Love Flower" – 2:53 (Albert Ayler)
 * 5) "Afrique" – 3:06
 * 6) "Kilimanjaro" – 6:52
 * 7) "African Sunrise" – 5:11
 * 8) "Japan" – 5:05 (Pharoah Sanders)

Personnel

 * The Count Basie Orchestra:
 * Bill Adkins - alto sax
 * Bob Ashton - alto, baritone & tenor sax, flute
 * Count Basie - organ, piano
 * Paul Cohen - trumpet, flugelhorn
 * George Cohn - trumpet, flugelhorn
 * Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - tenor sax
 * Eric Dixon - flute, tenor sax
 * Steven Galloway - trombone
 * Freddie Green - guitar
 * Bill Hughes - trombone
 * Harold Jones - drums
 * Norman Keenan - bass
 * Richard Landrum - percussion
 * Hubert Laws - flute
 * Buddy Lucas - harmonica
 * Pete Minger - trumpet, flugelhorn
 * Sonny Morgan - bongos
 * Oliver Nelson - arranger, conductor, tenor sax
 * Bobby Plater - alto sax, flute
 * Cecil Payne - baritone sax, flute
 * Waymon Reed - trumpet, flugelhorn
 * Warren Smith, Jr. - drums, percussion, vibes
 * Mel Wanzo - trombone
 * John Watson - trombone
 * John Williams - bass