Solomon Gbadegesin Ilori (born c. 1934) is a

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

drummer and percussionist who moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

in 1958 and collaborated with jazz artists such as

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the ...

and

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an internat ...

before recording his debut album for

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Or ...

in 1963.May, C
''African High Life'' All About Jazz Review
accessed January 31, 2011

Biography

Solomon Gbadegesin Ilori was born in Nigeria into a musical family, and as a child learned to play the drums, guitar and flute.
Keep (It) Swinging, July 19, 2007. He moved to the US in 1958.

Discography

As leader

*'' African High Life'' (Blue Note, 1963)

As sideman

With

*''

The African Beat ''The African Beat'' is a jazz album released by Art Blakey and The Afro-Drum Ensemble in November 1962 on Blue Note Records. He described it as the first opportunity he had to work with drummers from Africa; as a blend of American jazz with the ...

'' (Blue Note, 1962)

References

Nigerian male musicians Nigerian songwriters World music musicians Blue Note Records artists 1930s births Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Musicians from New York City Nigerian emigrants to the United States Male jazz musicians {{jazz-musician-stub