Mr. Big Mouth cover

Mr. Big Mouth

Released

In the mid-1970s Fela Kuti became embroiled in a bitter battle over unpaid advances with Decca West Africa, and although he kept releasing albums on Afrodisia many of them didn’t get much promotion or attention. Mr. Big Mouth is one of these: co-produced by Kuti, it is fronted by Afrika 70 trumpet player and soloist par excellence Tunde Williams, and its two extended tracks are a prime example of the brooding, dramatic Afrobeat that Kuti and his band were producing at this time. Williams sings the catchy refrain on “Mr Big Mouth,” where a restless sounding Kuti plays saxophone and organ, and picks up his trumpet for a spirited solo on “The Beginning.”

Megan Iacobini de Fazio

Recommended by

Suggestions
Cubafrobeat cover

Cubafrobeat

Dele Sosimi, Lokkhi Terra
Fyfya Woto cover

Fyfya Woto

Jojo Abot
Wo! Man cover

Wo! Man

Archie Shepp, Joachim Kühn
Compass cover

Compass

Joshua Redman
African Voodoo cover

African Voodoo

Manu Dibango
Na Zala Zala cover

Na Zala Zala

The Congo Techno Ensemble, Rey Sapienz
In the World cover

In the World

Clifford Jordan
Renewal cover

Renewal

Jim Black, Tony Marino, Ellery Eskelin, David Liebman
Ride cover

Ride

Thomas Chapin Trio