Music Monday: Hannibal Lokumbe

Traveling is either really good for music or really bad. I have to admit that I did take some time off during 2024 ASOR to recalibrate a bit. With each passing year, the meeting has become more and more busy with panels, business, and socializing.

That all said, I did find time to listen to some Hannibal Lokumbe (formerly known as Marvin Peterson) and his Sunrise Orchestra. I wasn’t very familiar with this guy, but while I was listening to a good bit of Roy Haynes, I was struck by his trumpet on Haynes’ 1971 album Hip Ensemble. So I decided to check out some of his mid-1970s output. It’s not entirely easy to find his stuff on streaming services, but there’s a good bit of it on YouTube. Most of it is very solid post-bop with a healthy dose of bluesy spiritual jazz.

Here’s his 1975 album Hannibal. 

His album Hannibal in Antibes (1977) has an amazing version of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot”:

The next year, he released Naima which features, as you’d expect, an impressive and bluesy version of the great Coltrane tune on the A side and “In a Sentimental Mood” on the B side.

I suppose his best known work is his 1980 release The Angels of Atlanta, which I’ve not dug into much, but after a listen, it is really quite grandiose:

All these albums remind me a bit of Charles Tolliver’s mid-1970s output with his Music Inc. ensemble. Since Tolliver is scheduled to release a new mid-1970s recording, Live at the Captain’s Cabin, playing some Hannibal Lokumbe seemed like a good way to get into the mood.