Dakar (album)

Dakar is a jazz album by saxophonist John Coltrane. It was released in 1963 on Prestige Records.

Dakar is a reissue of one side of the $16 2/3$ rpm LP Baritones and French Horns (released in 1958), a portion of which was recorded on April 20, 1957 (the same day Dakar was recorded), and which was a session led by Pepper Adams and Cecil Payne on which Coltrane was a sideman.

Dakar was one of several 1960s Prestige reissues featuring Coltrane to take advantage of his growing stardom in the 1960s.

Reception
In a review for AllMusic, Lindsay Planer wrote: "Although at the time these were considered 'leaderless' units, upon hearing the interaction of the participants, modern ears might desire to qualify that statement" given the nature of Coltrane's contribution.

Chris May of All About Jazz commented: "It's rough and ready music, almost certainly rehearsed for the first time in the studio... but it sure is ready... A minor chapter in the Coltrane canon it may be, but Dakar is a characterful set of propulsive, pre-codification hard bop and still a delight over half a century later."

Track listing

 * 1) "Dakar" (Teddy Charles) — 7:09
 * 2) "Mary's Blues" (Pepper Adams) — 6:47
 * 3) "Route 4" (Charles) — 6:55
 * 4) "Velvet Scene" (Waldron) — 4:53
 * 5) "Witches Pit" (Adams) — 6:42
 * 6) "Catwalk" (Charles) — 7:11

Personnel

 * John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
 * Cecil Payne - baritone saxophone
 * Pepper Adams - baritone saxophone
 * Mal Waldron - piano
 * Doug Watkins - bass
 * Art Taylor - drums