Tony Allen

Southbank Centre, LondonThe opening night of Ornette Coleman's Meltdown festival featured drummer Tony Allen and his band. The music of Nigerian-Ghanaian Allen may seem an odd choice for a festival curated by the godfather of free jazz, but in the event it was perfect. After all, the Afrobeat pioneers of Allen's generation (including his former boss, Fela Kuti) cut their teeth on jazz. And freedom is encoded in the fabric of the music: a quest for openness and tolerance that chimes with Coleman'...

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