percussion, with other notable acts including Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977, Weston participated in FESTAC, the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, held in Lagos, Nigeria; other artists appearing there included Osibisa, Miriam Makeba, Bembeya Jazz, (14/37)
Weston's FESTAC appearance truly showcased the rich tapestry of Black artistic excellence—a momentous cultural confluence.
Louis Moholo, Dudu Pukwana, Donald Byrd, Stevie Wonder and Sun Ra. Later career For a long stretch Weston recorded infrequently on smaller record labels. He also made a two-CD recording The Spirits of Our Ancestors (recorded 1991, released 1992), which featured arrangements by (15/37)
his long-time collaborator Melba Liston. The album contained new, expanded versions of many of his well-known pieces and featured an ensemble including some African musicians, with guests such as Dizzy Gillespie and Pharoah Sanders also contributing. (16/37)
The music director was saxophonist Talib Kibwe... who subsequently continued in that role. The Spirits of Our Ancestors has been described as "one of the most imaginative explorations of 'world jazz' ever recorded." ...A five-night celebration of (17/37)
Weston's music took place at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1995, featuring gnawa musicians and a duet with saxophonist David Murray. ...An African Nubian Suite (2017) is a recording of a concert at the Institute of African American Affairs of New York University on (18/37)
April 8, 2012, Easter Sunday, with Cecil Bridgewater, Robert Trowers, Howard Johnson, T. K. Blue, Billy Harper, Alex Blake, Lewis Nash, Candido, Ayodele Maakheru, Lhoussine Bouhamidy, Saliou Souso, Martin Kwaku Obeng, Min Xiao-Fen, Tanpani Demda Cissoko, Neil Clarke and (19/37)
Ayanda Clarke, and the poet Jayne Cortez. Describing it as an "epic work", the Black Grooves reviewer wrote that The African Nubian Suite "traces the history of the human race through music, with a narration by inspirational speaker Wayne B. Chandler, and introductions and (20/37)
stories by Weston in his role as griot.... Stressing the unity of humankind, Weston incorporates music that 'stretches across millennia'—from the Nubian region along the Nile Delta, to the holy city of Touba in Senegal, to China's Shang dynasty, as well as African folk music and (21/37)
African American blues.... In these troubling times when our nation is divided by politics, race and religion, Weston uses The African Nubian Suite as a vehicle to remind us of our common heritage: 'We all come from the same place – we all come from Africa.'" (22/37)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_W... (23/23)