Loxodonta Africana (album)

Loxodonta Africana is the debut album by saxophonist Ricky Ford, recorded in 1977 and released on the New World label.^[1][2][3]

Loxodonta Africana
Studio album by Ricky Ford
Released	1977
Recorded	June 1977
Studio	Columbia Recording Studios, NYC
Genre	Jazz
Length	36:38
Label	New World NW 204
Producer	Michael Cuscuna
Ricky Ford chronology
Loxodonta Africana (1977) Manhattan Plaza (1979)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
DownBeat	[5]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[6]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[7]

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford's first record as a leader preceded the beginning of his highly rated string of Muse albums by a year. 23 at the time, Ford already had a recognizable sound that was influenced by Dexter Gordon. For this ambitious effort (which displayed the impact of his stint with Charles Mingus), Ford performs five of his original".^[4] Reviewing the reissued album in JazzTimes, Willard Jenkins wrote: "While there is ample evidence that Ricky Ford’s palette has broadened, and his sound has ripened notably over these twenty years, he has yet to craft a recording that tops this one".^[8]

Track listing

All compositions by Ricky Ford except where noted

1. "Loxodonta Africana" – 4:42
2. "Ucil" – 5:13
3. "Blues Peru" – 5:00
4. "Dexter" – 5:43
5. "My Romance" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) – 8:30
6. "One Up, One Down" (John Coltrane) – 4:24
7. "Aerolinos" – 6:54

Personnel

• Ricky Ford - tenor saxophone
• Oliver Breener, Charles Sullivan – trumpet (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7)
• Janice Robinson – trombone (tracks 2 & 6)
• Jonathan Dorn – tuba (tracks 2 & 6)
• James Spaulding - alto saxophone (tracks 2 & 6)
• Bob Neloms – piano
• Richard Davis – bass
• Dannie Richmond – drums