Diaspora, the actual transfer of slaves from Africa to the middle islands was endemic of the cut throat policies that empires had and still have.
What kept the slaves together spirituality was the drum and the rhythms that came from the drum...let the body dance the mambo or the bolero or Afro Cuban or bebop.
My guest today is one of the most rhythmic percussive pianists in the world. His sound is unique and has been for the last 70 years. He came of age with Bird and Duke Basie and Ellington before cutting albums as a leader.
What does it take to be a good leader? Knowing the history of the music your playing and creating is being a good leader and my guest has always had major threads of his homeland in his music.
He has been traveling to Africa to listen and hear the chants of the natives along with the elephants and lions and scorched earth where all of man originated.
He plays the Niger Mambo with Big Black in the loft downtown along with Thelonious and Barry Harris and Ray Bryant. Catch up on some sleep, shake off the demons and get back on the bandstand.