The Source cover

The Source

Released

Tony Allen, the legendary drummer who invented Afrobeat, traveled in many different directions after leaving Fela Kuti’s band. He embraced funk, electronic dance music, and even hip-hop, but in 2017, he made one of his greatest records. The Source features a five-piece horn section, guitar, keyboards, and upright bass, playing funky, polyrhythmic jazz compositions written by Allen and saxophonist Yann Jankielewicz. The drumming is incredible, of course; Allen’s ability to combine rhythmic complexity and skull-thumping power (brought to the fore on “Cruising,” to pick just one example) makes this a ridiculously head-nodding, neck-snapping disc, but the band arrangements are tight and high-energy, too, combining bebop fluidity with the gutsy blare of classic soul.

Phil Freeman

Suggestions
Enlightenment cover

Enlightenment

McCoy Tyner
At Basin Street cover

At Basin Street

Max Roach, Clifford Brown
Ikhambi cover

Ikhambi

Nduduzo Makhathini
MoodSwing cover

MoodSwing

Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Brian Blade
Emergency Exit cover

Emergency Exit

Throttle Elevator Music
Compass cover

Compass

Joshua Redman
The Vagabond cover

The Vagabond

Aaron Diehl
The Black Peril cover

The Black Peril

Soweto Kinch
Blues & Roots cover

Blues & Roots

Charles Mingus
The Black Ark cover

The Black Ark

Noah Howard