81st birthday of Booker Little

(Born 2 April 1938, Memphis, US)

PRODIGIOUSLY creative trumpeter and composer who, whilst still in his teens/early 20s, records critically acclaimed albums with masters Roach, Coltrane, and Dolphy, with whom he co-leads a 3-volume classic recording of music their quintet (Little, trumpet; Dolphy, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Mal Waldron, piano; Richard Davis, bass; Ed Blackwell, drums) plays during a 2-week residency at New York’s (US) Five Spot Café in July 1961

(Booker Little Sextet, “Moods in free time” [personnel: Little, trumpet; Julian Priester, trombone; Dolphy, alto saxophone; Don Friedman, piano; Art Davis, bass; Roach, drums; recorded: Nola’s Penthouse Studios, New York, US, 17 March 1961])

(Booker Little Quartet, “Minor sweet” [personnel: Little, trumpet; Tommy Flanagan, piano; Scott LaFaro, bass; Roy Haynes, drums; recorded: Time Label, New York, US, 13 April 1960])

*****Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe is the author of The longest genocide – since 29 May 1966 (2019) and co-author, with Lakeson Okwuonicha, of Why #DonaldTrump is #great for #Africa (2018)

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

82nd birthday of Michael Echeruo

(Born 14 March 1937, Umunumo, Biafra)

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe

POET, literary critic, academic, university vice chancellor (president/rector),  offers selfless and distinguished service as head of the Biafra resistance government’s communication directorate during phases I-III of the Igbo genocide, 29 May 1966-12 January 1970, foundational genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa, carried out by Fulani islamist/jihadist-led Nigeria and its suzerain state Britain who murder 3.1 million Igbo people or 25 per cent of this nation’s population; in phase-IV of the genocide, 13 January 1970-present day, the dual genocidists have murdered an additional tally of tens of thousands of Igbo people – including the 3000 murdered by the Muhammadu Buhari regime and its adjunct Fulani militia since November 2015, following Buhari’s imposition in power in March 2015 by ex-US President Barack Obama and ex-British Prime Minister David Cameron

(Booker Little Sextet, “We speak” [personnel: Little, trumpet; Julian Priester, trombone; Eric Dolphy, alto saxophone; Don Friedman, piano; Art Davis, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Nola’s Penthouse Studios, New York, US, 17 March 1961])

*****Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe is author of the recently published The longest genocide – since 29 May 1966 (2019)  (https://re-thinkingafrica.blogspot.com/2019/01/published-longest-genocide-since-29-may.html)

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

80th birthday of Booker Little

(Born 2 April 1938, Memphis, US)

PRODIGIOUSLY creative trumpeter and composer who, whilst still in his teens/early 20s, records critically acclaimed albums with masters Roach, Coltrane, and Dolphy, with whom he co-leads a 3-volume classic recording of music their quintet (Little, trumpet; Dolphy, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Mal Waldron, piano; Richard Davis, bass; Ed Blackwell, drums) plays during a 2-week residency at New York’s (US) Five Spot Café in July 1961

(Booker Little Sextet, “We speak” [personnel: Little, trumpet; Julian Priester, trombone; Dolphy, alto saxophone; Don Friedman, piano; Art Davis, bass; Roach, drums; recorded: Nola’s Penthouse Studios, New York, US, 17 March 1961])

(Booker Little Sextet, “Moods in free time” [personnel and recording details as in above])

(Booker Little Quartet, “Minor sweet” [personnel: Little, trumpet; Tommy Flanagan, piano; Scott LaFaro, bass; Roy Haynes, drums; recorded: Time Label, New York, US, 13 April 1960])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

79th birthday of Booker Little

(Born 2 April 1938, Memphis, US)

Prodigiously creative trumpeter and composer who, whilst still in his teens/early 20s, records critically acclaimed albums with masters Roach, Coltrane, and Dolphy, with whom he co-leads a 3-volume classic recording of music their quintet (Little, trumpet; Dolphy, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Mal Waldron, piano; Richard Davis, bass; Ed Blackwell, drums) plays during a 2-week residency at New York’s (US) Five Spot Café in July 1961

(Booker Little Sextet, “We speak” [personnel: Little, trumpet; Julian Priester, trombone; Dolphy, alto saxophone; Don Friedman, piano; Art Davis, bass; Roach, drums; recorded: Nola’s Penthouse Studios, New York, US, 17 March 1961])

(Booker Little Sextet, “Moods in free time” [personnel and recording details as in above])

(Booker Little Quartet, “Minor sweet” [personnel: Little, trumpet; Tommy Flanagan, piano; Scott LaFaro, bass; Roy Haynes, drums; recorded: Time Label, New York, US, 13 April 1960])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe

96th birthday of Michael Okpara

(Born 25 December 1920, Umuahia, Biafra)

Physician and irrepressible advocate of harnessing Africa’s vast agricultural resource potential as launch base to embark on far-reaching societal transformation, head of pre-military junta 15 January 1966 east region Nigeria government, then home to Africa’s most resourceful and dynamic economy en route to emerging as a major manufacturing and industrial power, in its own right, but for the catastrophe of the Igbo genocide, 29 May 1966-12 January, when Nigeria and its suzerain state Britain murdered 3.1 million Igbo people in this foundational genocide of post-(European)conquest Africa; 50 years on, the Biafra freedom movement, on the cusp of the restoration of Biafra sovereignty, can’t wait to resume the construction of the state and societal transformative project of the Michael Okpara legacy and its consequential impact on the African World and the rest of the globe

(Booker Little Sextet, “We speak” [personnel: Little, trumpet; Julian Priester, trombone; Eric Dolphy, alto saxophone; Don Friedman, piano; Art Davis, bass; Max Roach, drums; recorded: Nola’s Penthouse Studios, New York, 17 March 1961])

Twitter @HerbertEkweEkwe