Afro-Harping
Her Cadet debut, with Richard Evans's orchestra and the break that hip-hop producers kept returning to.
Dorothy Ashby, 1968
- Released
- 1968
- Recorded
- February 1968
- Studio
- Ter Mar Studios, Chicago
- Label
- Cadet
- Producer
- Richard Evans
- Length
- 35:56
Evans produced and arranged it and conducted an unidentified orchestra. AllMusic's Ron Wynn called it the best and most complete album by Ashby, and Thom Jurek placed it at a crossroads of soul, blues, funk, pop, hard bop and crossover classical. Far Out calls it her magnum opus and Mojo gave it four stars in October 2024. All About Jazz's Joshua Weiner called it a fun, somewhat cheesy late-60s lounge artifact in 2003. Red Bull Music Academy marked its 50th anniversary on May 22, 2018.
Track listing
- Soul Vibrations3:22
- Games3:57
- Action Line3:43
- Lonely Girl3:15
- Life Has Its Trials4:31
- Afro-Harping3:01
- Little Sunflower3:47
- (Theme from) Valley of the Dolls3:35
- Come Live with Me2:39
- The Look of Love4:06
Personnel
- Dorothy Ashby harp
- Richard Evans producer, arranger, conductor
More from Dorothy Ashby
The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby (1965)
Where to go next
Reference
- Afro-Harping on Wikipedia Recording date, studio and tracklist.
Writing and criticism
- Far Out on Afro-Harping An essay with her 1983 interview quotes.
Interviews
- Red Bull Music Academy: remembering Dorothy Ashby Brandee Younger and Zeena Parkins.
Sources
- Afro-Harping, Wikipedia
- Remembering Dorothy Ashby, Red Bull Music Academy (2018-05-22)
- Afro-Harping, Far Out