Africaine is a collection of 1959 recordings by jazz artist Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. The collection was not released until over 20 years after it was recorded. The album features tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter in his first recording with The Jazz Messengers, trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Walter Davis, Jr. and bassist Jymie Merritt.[1]

Africaine
Studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Released	1981
Recorded	November 10, 1959
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs
Genre	Jazz
Length	45:25
Label	Blue Note LT 1088
Producer	Alfred Lion
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers chronology
Les Liaisons Dangereuses 1960 (1959) Africaine (1981) Art Blakey et les Jazz Messengers au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1959)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[3]

Michael G. Nastos of Allmusic called it, "a recording that shows a band fully able to fuse many exotically attractive elements into a unified whole of creative jazz music ecstasy".[2]

Track listing

1. "Africaine" (Shorter) – 7:57
2. "Lester Left Town" (Shorter) – 8:35
3. "Splendid" (Davis) – 7:46
4. "Haina" (Morgan) – 10:17
5. "The Midget" (Morgan) – 6:00
6. "Celine" (Morgan) – 4:50

Personnel

• Art Blakey – drums
• Lee Morgan – trumpet
• Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
• Walter Davis, Jr. – piano
• Jymie Merritt – acoustic bass
• Dizzy Reece – conga drums (on tracks 1 & 4)

References