Who wrote Afro Blue?

Yuval Shay-El

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Feb 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/2/98

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Who wrote "Afro Blue"?
I thought it was by Mongo Santamaria, but lately
I noticed on an Abbey Lincoln record from 1959 that it is
attributed to Herbie Mann. so, what's the story?

Yuval

HakuMurr

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Feb 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/2/98

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Look in the REAL BOOK: John Coltrane

Hans Kumpf

MARCANE

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Feb 2, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/2/98

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There is no doubt that the composer of Afro-Blue is Ramón "Mongo" Santamaría,
however there is also no doubt that is was John W. Coltrane who immortalized
the song and made it the standard it is today with over 200 recorded versions
of it.
Any others composer(s) listed is a error.....

Skip Elliott Bowman

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Feb 3, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/3/98

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HakuMurr <haku...@aol.com> wrote:
: >Who wrote "Afro Blue"?

Look again, Hans. Mongo bought him a house off the royalties from that
tune. It's painfully obvious that you have a copy of the Berkelee Real
Book, which is internationally notorious for containing a multitude of
errors. There are many jazz real books or "fake" books available that are
easy to read, are correct with melodies and chord changes, and most
importantly pay sheet music royalties to the composers. The Berkelee real
Book has been found wanting in all these (and more) areas.

Red beans and ricely yours,
Skip "El Fume"

skips...@XXteleport.com
Skip Elliott Bowman, Music & Travel
to reply, remove "X"s from address

"If music be the food of love, play on! Give me excess of it!"
Orsinio, "Twelfth Night"

Marc Sabatella

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Feb 3, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/3/98

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Skip Elliott Bowman <skips...@XXteleport.com> wrote:

>HakuMurr <haku...@aol.com> wrote:
>
>: Look in the REAL BOOK: John Coltrane
>: Hans Kumpf
>
>Look again, Hans. Mongo bought him a house off the royalties from that
>tune. It's painfully obvious that you have a copy of the Berkelee Real
>Book

For what it's worth, my copy says "M. Santamaria". I have no idea what
Hans was looking at it, but it wasn't the Real Book.

--------------
Marc Sabatella
ma...@outsideshore.com

"The Outside Shore"
A Jazz Improvisation Primer, Scores, Sounds, & More:
http://www.outsideshore.com/

HakuMurr

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Feb 4, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/4/98

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>Skip Elliott Bowman <skips...@XXteleport.com> wrote:
>
>>HakuMurr <haku...@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>: Look in the REAL BOOK: John Coltrane
>>: Hans Kumpf
>>
>>Look again, Hans. Mongo bought him a house off the royalties from that
>>tune. It's painfully obvious that you have a copy of the Berkelee Real
>>Book
>
>For what it's worth, my copy says "M. Santamaria". I have no idea what
>Hans was looking at it, but it wasn't the Real Book.
>
>--------------
>Marc Sabatella
>ma...@outsideshore.com
>
>

I've got "The Ral Book", green sleeve, no ISBN-datas.., an USa production,
bought in Germany in the 70ies...
Hans

Marc, thanks for the Chopin jazz support some months ago...

Yuval Shay-El

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Feb 4, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/4/98

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I got 4 replies to this question which I posted, some sounded like
an insult (either that I'm insulting Mongo, or Coltrane,
or maybe I'm starting to lose my sanity?) But, there is something
very simple:

I'm holding right now in my hand Abbey Lincoln's
"Abbey is Blue" (Recorded in New
York; Spring and Fall, 1959, now manufactured by Riverside
OJCCD-069-2, 1987) Afro-Blue by Brown and Mann is the first
track. The liner notes
says that it was recorded previously as instrumental
by Herbie Mann. (It is the same
known Afro Blue, not another one.. that I can say).

I have seen different other recordings with Mongo Santamaria
(such as "Tito Puente's Golden Latin All Stars, Sony, CDZ 90979)
in which it is attributed to Mongo Santamaria. And I know
that Coltrane recorded it many times, so that's why I was
so curious about it. So, anybody KNOWS what's going on?

Kenz William

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Feb 4, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/4/98

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Yuval Shay-El (yu...@cyclone.tau.ac.il) wrote:

: I got 4 replies to this question which I posted, some sounded like

: an insult (either that I'm insulting Mongo, or Coltrane,
: or maybe I'm starting to lose my sanity?) But, there is something
: very simple:

: I'm holding right now in my hand Abbey Lincoln's
: "Abbey is Blue" (Recorded in New
: York; Spring and Fall, 1959, now manufactured by Riverside
: OJCCD-069-2, 1987) Afro-Blue by Brown and Mann is the first
: track. The liner notes
: says that it was recorded previously as instrumental
: by Herbie Mann. (It is the same
: known Afro Blue, not another one.. that I can say).

: that Coltrane recorded it many times, so that's why I was

: so curious about it. So, anybody KNOWS what's going on?

--Obviously, Herbie Mann and Mongo Santamaria are one and the same!!!

Bill

--
William G. Kenz
Library - Documents Dept.
1104 S. 7th. Ave.
Moorhead State University
Moorhead, MN 56563
ke...@mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu

Chris DuPre

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Feb 4, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/4/98

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Yuval Shay-El wrote:
>i'm holding right now in my hand Abbey Lincoln's
> : "Abbey is Blue" (snip) Afro-Blue by Brown and Mann is the first
> : track.
I noticed that, too, when I got the "Abbey Is Blue" CD. The info in
those nores is wrong. I know a lot of people unnecessarily jumped down
your throat, but Mongo is the composer.

Tom Walls

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Feb 4, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/4/98

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In article <6babta$egb$2...@Urvile.MSUS.EDU>, ke...@news.msus.edu (Kenz
William) wrote:

> Yuval Shay-El (yu...@cyclone.tau.ac.il) wrote:
>
> : I got 4 replies to this question which I posted, some sounded like
> : an insult (either that I'm insulting Mongo, or Coltrane,
> : or maybe I'm starting to lose my sanity?) But, there is something
> : very simple:
>
> : I'm holding right now in my hand Abbey Lincoln's
> : "Abbey is Blue" (Recorded in New
> : York; Spring and Fall, 1959, now manufactured by Riverside
> : OJCCD-069-2, 1987) Afro-Blue by Brown and Mann is the first
> : track. The liner notes
> : says that it was recorded previously as instrumental
> : by Herbie Mann. (It is the same
> : known Afro Blue, not another one.. that I can say).
>
> : that Coltrane recorded it many times, so that's why I was
> : so curious about it. So, anybody KNOWS what's going on?
>
> --Obviously, Herbie Mann and Mongo Santamaria are one and the same!!!
>
> Bill
>

I say, Holmes -- you've done it again!

--
Tom Walls
Psycho-Chromatic Zen Nabob
http://www.arts.cornell.edu/zeus/index.html

Yuval Shay-El

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Feb 5, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/5/98

to dup...@gbms01.uwgb.edu

Chris DuPre wrote:
>
> Yuval Shay-El wrote:
> >i'm holding right now in my hand Abbey Lincoln's
> > : "Abbey is Blue" (snip) Afro-Blue by Brown and Mann is the first
> > : track.

> I noticed that, too, when I got the "Abbey Is Blue" CD. The info in
> those nores is wrong. I know a lot of people unnecessarily jumped down
> your throat, but Mongo is the composer.

Thanks for encouragement...
Do you know when he wrote it? Is it possible that it was
as early as 1959? (I don't know a lot about him)
Maybe he played with Herbie Mann?

Anybody has Herbie Mann's so called original recording
of Afro Blue?

(Some pieces of information which might clear the
pazzle)

Yuval

--

Ron Gonzalez

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Feb 6, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/6/98

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This is all very surprising, because I could have sworn that Mongo
Santamaria wrote "Afro Blue". Herbie Mann...? are you sure??

-------------------------------------------------------

JFR

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Feb 7, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/7/98

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In <19980202204...@ladder02.news.aol.com> mar...@aol.com

(MARCANE) writes:
>
>There is no doubt that the composer of Afro-Blue is Ramón "Mongo"
Santamaría,
>however there is also no doubt that is was John W. Coltrane who
immortalized
>the song and made it the standard it is today with over 200 recorded
versions
>of it.
>Any others composer(s) listed is a error.....
>
>

I think this is correct. Also, this is a good example of a very simple
tune that shows how simplicity can still translate to beauty.....

John R>

Edward-Yemíl Rosario

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Feb 7, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/7/98

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On Thu, 05 Feb 1998 12:50:35 +0200, Yuval Shay-El
<yu...@cyclone.tau.ac.il> wrote:

>Thanks for encouragement...Do you know when he wrote it? Is it possible that it was
>as early as 1959? (I don't know a lot about him). Maybe he played with Herbie Mann?
<snip>

Mongo Santamaria is one of the great legendary Cuban drummers who
played a significant role in bridging Jazz/Latino idioms. Mann has a
little recognized record date called (I believe) "Crossroads" in which
many great Latino artists (Corea, Charlie Palmieri, Mongo and Patato,
among others) figured prominently. Mann was very much influenced by
the Latino strains, hence his familiarity with Mongo's "Afro-Blue."

Mongo had been playing since the early 50's w/the likes of Puente et
al. His vast body of work ranges from Afro-Cuban/Yoruban culture to a
more accessible synthesization of pop hits (Watermelon Man comes to
mind) with Latino rhythms and Jazz progessions to work that manages to
create a wonderful and refreshing vitality within the Latino/Jazz
context. Check out his "Sofrito" date or his profound drum work on
"Afro-Roots."
Paz,
Eddie

Joe Castleman

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Feb 8, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/8/98

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I have a CD called "Afro Roots" by Mongo Santamaria (Prestige
PRCD-24018-2) which not only credits Mongo as the composer of "Afro Blue,"
but in fact discusses it a little on the back cover. The CD is comprised
of two older albums, "Mongo" and "Yambu." I bought it just recently (wish
I had done so sooner).

"Afro Blue" is from "Mongo" which was recorded in May 1959. Although it
is the more recent of the two ("Yambu" having been recorded in Dec. '58),
it is the *first* 12 tracks of the CD, presumably so they could lead it
right off with "Afro Blue."

I've found that if you listen to a substantial amount of jazz on the radio
(or elsewhere) then you will probably recognize this song right off the
bat. I had previously read that "Afro Blue" is very widely covered, but I
wasn't sure whether I'd actually heard it or not (whatever the version).
So I brought this Mongo CD home, cued up "Afro Blue" and just about
smacked my forehead: "Yeah, I've heard this!"

The only other Mongo I've heard (to my knowledge) is the "Sabroso" CD
which I bought a couple of years ago. Everything I've heard by him is
very enjoyable.

In article <6bi0ha$k...@sjx-ixn4.ix.netcom.com>, jre...@ix.netcom.com(JFR)
wrote:

--
Joe Castleman (to reply, remove "ANTISPAM" from my address)
Gyrofrog Communications http://www.eden.com/~jcastle
Austin, Texas U.S.A.
"I was always frightened of strange people" --Andy Warhol

Aquimees

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Feb 10, 1998, 3:00:00 AM2/10/98

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I believe, Afro Blue (the music) was written by John Coltrane. Later, Oscar
Brown jr. wrote lyrics to it.
aqui...@aol.com (quirijn mees)