Robin Kenyatta -

Robin Kenyatta (March 6, 1942 — Oct. 26, 2004) was an American jazz-funk saxophonist who emerged as a Bill Dixon sideman, graduating to bandleader status with the 1968 Vortex release Unity. In 1970, he teamed with Et Cetera personnel on the ECM title Girl From Martinique. On Atlantic, he cut the 1973/74 albums Gypsy Man, Terra Nova, and Stompin’ at the Savoy, recorded with large electric casts that included Billy Cobham, Larry Willis, Pat Rebillot, and Billy Harper.

Background

Robin Kenyatta was born Robert Prince Haynes on March 6, 1942, in Moncks Corner, South Carolina. As a child, he moved with his family to New York City, where a neighbor’s saxophone practice exposed him to the instrument. Kenyatta obtained an alto saxophone in his teens and played in a school marching band. He studied early under John Handy but developed his technique through self-directed practice.

In 1960, Kenyatta enrolled in the U.S. Army and played in the military band, where he mastered the alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones and flute. Post-service, he adopted the stage name Robin Kenyatta in tribute to Kenyan leader Jomo Kenyatta.

In late 1964, trumpeter Bill Dixon included Kenyatta in the October Revolution in Jazz, a four-day even of music and discussions at the Cellar Café in Manhattan. Kenyatta joined the Jazz Composers Guild and appeared with Dixon at Judson Hall and the Contemporary Center, where JCO recorded the 1965 Fontana release Communication, composed of pieces by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler.

Kenyatta played on 1966/67 albums by singer Valerie Capers (Portrait in Soul), trombonist Roswell Rudd (Everywhere), and saxist Sonny Stitt (Deuces Wild). Along with clarinetist Byard Lancaster and bassist Reggie Workman, Kenyatta played on the classic 1967 RCA Victor release Intents and Purposes: The Jazz Artistry of Bill Dixon. He also backed pianist Andrew Hill on 1967 Blue Note sessions that remained unreleased until the 2005 triple-disc Mosaic Select 16: Andrew Hill.

Kenyatta reached bandleader status through Vortex, the Atlantic subsidiary that paired him with producer Joel Dorn. He assembled small groups around trumpeter Mike Lawrence, pianist Fred Simmons, drummer Horacee Arnold, percussionist Archie Lee, and bassists Walter Booker and Lewis Worrell.

Until

Robin Kenyatta released his debut album, Until, in 1968 on Vortex.

Until presents post-bop and free-jazz forms through four extended cuts, including one by Mike Lawrence and the title piece by Barry Miles. Kenyatta and Lawrence trade solos in the octet along with Simmons and Roswell Rudd.

“You Know How We Do” expands into a pianoless septet, where a stark gospel-style theme yields to paired-bass drive and brass replies. “Until” settles into a tender straight-ahead setting, with Kenyatta’s alto tracing lyrical phrases over piano, bass, and kit support.

“This Year” veers through a pianoless quartet, where Mike Lawrence’s horn line binds open phrasing to hard-swinging practice. “Little Blue Devil” digs into a firmer swing track, with Fred Simmons’s keys tightening the quintet line.

A1. “You Know How We Do” (11:06) – Kenyatta
A2. “Until” (6:27) – Miles

B1. “This Year” (10:41) – Lawrence
B2. “Little Blue Devil” (7:05) – Kenyatta

Kenyatta recorded Until on February 4, 1967, in New York with producer Joel Dorn and engineer Phil Iehle. Angela Arnet designed the purple tiger-stripe sleeve with photography by Ray Gibson.

After Until, Kenyatta remained active in the new-jazz and large-ensemble field. Andrew Hill used him on unissued-at-the-time Blue Note sessions at Van Gelder Studio. Archie Shepp included him on Impulse material, and Alan Silva placed him in the Celestrial Communication Orchestra for Seasons.

Girl From Martinique

Robin Kenyatta released his second album, Girl From Martinique, in March 1971 on ECM.

Girl From Martinique contains four Kenyatta originals performed in a transatlantic quartet with Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen and two Et Cetera members: German pianist/Clavinetist Wolfgang Dauner and American expat drummer Fred Braceful.

“Girl From Martinique” drifts through reverb and electronics, then lets Kenyatta’s flute claim a wider late section. “Blues For Your Mama” digs into a heavy clavinet figure before a saxophone solo breaks into rougher improvisation. “Thank You Jesus” darkens gospel-coded material into a turbulent fade. “We’ll Be So Happy” saunters through Caribbean-leaning rhythm, then exits on echoing clavinet lead.

A1. “Girl From Martinique” (11:35)
A2. “Blues For Your Mama” (4:15)

B1. “Thank You Jesus” (9:55)
B2. “We’ll Be So Happy” (5:50)

Sessions occurred on October 30, 1970, at Tonstudio Bauer in Ludwigsburg with producer Manfred Eicher and engineers Kurt Rapp and Karl-Hermann Hinderer.

Kenyatta extended his European activity through large-ensemble appearances and leader work. The America label then issued his next group record under the Free State Band name.

Robin Kenyatta’s Free State Band

Robin Kenyatta released his third album, Robin Kenyatta’s Free State Band, in 1972 on America, a French jazz-specialty label.

Free State Band contains six Kenyatta originals performed in a quintet with guitarist François Nyombo, bassist Kent Carter, conguero Keino Spellar, and drummer Aldo Romano.

“Angela” circles around Kenyatta’s flute and propulsive rhythms, with contoured figures across its extended run.

A1. “Angela” (6:33)
A2. “Zulu Princess” (6:42)
A3. “Gun the Honeydripper” (4:00)

B1. “If She Can’t Do It – Part 1” (6:30)
B2. “If She Can’t Do It – Part 2” (8:30)
B3. “Calling On You” (3:00)

Sessions occurred in 1972 in New York and appeared on the French label amid titles by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Frank Wright Quartet, and the Lafayette Afro Rock Band.

Gypsy Man

Robin Kenyatta released his fourth album, Gypsy Man, in 1973 on Atlantic.

Gypsy Man features a large electric ensemble with bassist Stanley Clarke, percussionist Ralph MacDonald, and drummers Billy Cobham and Rick Marotta. Guitarists David Spinozza, Keith Loving, and Skip Pitts join keyboardists Larry Willis, George Butcher, and Pat Rebillot. They mix four originals with tunes by Gato Barbieri, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding, and Robert W. McPherson.

“Last Tango in Paris” smolders through wah-wah guitar, strings, and hushed sung backing before Kenyatta’s alto enters on rough-edged breaks. “Another Freight Train” leans into Latin percussion and a knotty vamp, with Kenyatta cutting straight into the theme. “Werewolf” grinds through an electric-bass figure and power-chord pressure before a flute break cuts through the track. “Reflective Silence” thins to layered Afro-Cuban hand patterns under soprano lines.

“Seems So Long” softens Wonder’s tune into sweet, unhurried phrasing. “Gypsy Man” bounces on Northern-soul inflection and Kenyatta/Washburn sung exchange. “Melodie Chinoise” circles South African-leaning patterns. “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” darkens Redding’s material into Southern-soul phrasing.

A1. “Last Tango in Paris” (4:50) – Barbieri
A2. “Another Freight Train” (3:36) – Kenyatta
A3. “Werewolf” (4:27) – McPherson
A4. “Reflective Silence” (5:20) – Kenyatta

B1. “Seems So Long” (3:53) – Wonder
B2. “Gypsy Man” (5:23) – Kenyatta
B3. “Melodie Chinoise” (5:46) – Kenyatta
B4. “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember” (6:15) – Redding–Redding

Kenyatta recorded Gypsy Man at The Hit Factory in New York with producer Michael Cuscuna and engineer Harry Maslin. Sessions spanned August, October, and November 1972, with additional work in February 1973 as Cuscuna oversaw contemporary tiles by Catalyst, Chris Hinze Combination, Pat Martino, and Randy Weston. Haig Adishian designed the sleeve with photography by Joel Brodsky.

Atlantic lifted “Last Tango in Paris” as a 1973 single. The UK issue paired the track with “Werewolf.”

Terra Nova

Robin Kenyatta released his fifth album, Terra Nova, in 1973 on Atlantic.

Terra Nova retains Rebillot and MacDonald among a large cast with trumpeter Enrico Rava, saxophonist Carlos Garnett, and trombonist/arranger Jonas Gwangwa; underpinned by drummers Winston Grennan and Ray Lucas amid three guitarists (Hux Brown, Dougie Bryan, Rad Bryan), bassists (Ron Carter, Boris Gardiner, Jackie Jackson), and a keyboard roster with Gladstone Anderson, Neville Hinds, Sonny Burke, and Winston Wright.

“Temptation Took Control of Me (and I Fell)” lopes through reggae and calypso accents, with electric keys and horn entries folding into Kenyatta’s alto line. “Need Your Love So Bad” stretches Little Willie John’s blues material into a tough soul-jazz reading. “Terra Nova” alternates a soft reggae rhythm with free-form riffs and a driving R&B saxophone lead. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” settles into the Kingston-bred lilt.

“Freedom Jazz Dance” rides a bubbling Caribbean accent pattern. “Mother Earth (Provides for Me)” rolls through the same island rhythm under electric ensemble underlay. “Touch” glides through lighter electric-jazz phrasing. “Island Shakedown” works the Caribbean rhythm with added brass lines and Betty Davis’s brief sung entry.

A1. “Temptation Took Control of Me (And I Fell)” (3:22) – Kaz
A2. “Need Your Love So Bad” (8:58) – John
A3. “Terra Nova” (4:55) – Kenyatta
A4. “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (3:44) – Wonder

B1. “Freedom Jazz Dance” (3:50) – Harris
B2. “Mother Earth (Provides For Me)” (4:05) – Kaz
B3. “Touch” (3:23)
B4. “Island Shakedown” (3:30)

Sessions occurred in April 1973 in New York with producer Michael Cuscuna. Haig Adishian handled the album design for Atlantic.

Stompin’ at the Savoy

Robin Kenyatta released his sixth album, Stompin’ at the Savoy, in 1974 on Atlantic.

Stompin’ at the Savoy mixes Kenyatta originals with swing-era material, soul ballads, and Southern tunes, including pieces associated with Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Arnett Cobb, Gladys Knight & the Pips, and the Allman Brothers Band. The sessions retain Atlantic-period players Carter, Hinds, Brown, Bryan, Grennan, Jackson, MacDonald, and Rebillot, with added trombonist Jimmy Knepper, reedist Billy Harper, keyboardist Dr. John, and singers Carl Hall and Robin Clark.

“Stompin’ at the Savoy” struts through sung backing parts, four-piece brass, electric-bass figure, and Rhodes accents. “Smooth Sailing” saunters on a fingerpopping R&B stroll, with electric guitars and congas marking the curve. “The Need to Smile” glides from Rhodes, acoustic piano, and soprano into a broader post-bop passage. “Mellow in the Park” softens around Kenyatta’s flute.

“Neither One of Us…” lopes through a reggae recast of the pop hit. “Jessica” locks an Afro-Cuban montuno to Rhodes figures and breakbeats. “River Boat” recasts Toussaint in reggae motion while Ralph MacDonald evokes the New Orleans second-line pattern.

A1. “Stompin’ at the Savoy” (2:27) – Goodman–Razaf–Sampson–Webb
A2. “Smooth Sailing” (3:04) – Cobb
A3. “The Need to Smile” (10:00) – Smith
A4. “Two Bass Blues” (2:27) – Kenyatta

B1. “Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)” (5:26) – Weatherly
B2. “Mellow in the Park” (4:32)
B3. “Jessica” (4:00) – Betts
B4. “River Boat” (5:39)

Sessions occurred in January 1974 in New York with producer Michael Cuscuna.

During the same Atlantic/Impulse window, Kenyatta appeared on albums by Oscar Brown Jr. (Brother Where Are You), Sam Rivers (Crystals), Archie Shepp (Kwanza), and Ted Curson (Quicksand). Those credits placed him beside singers, large-ensemble brass, avant-garde reed sections, and electric rhythm groups.

Nomusa

Robin Kenyatta released his seventh album, Nomusa, in 1975 on Muse.

Nomusa returns Kenyatta to a quartet format across three originals and standards by Duke Ellington and Frank Loesser, performed with pianist/organist Dom Salvador, bassist Stafford James, and drummer Joe Chambers.

“Nomusa” unspools a rolling, long-form line, Dom Salvador’s organ-piano hybrid tethering Kenyatta’s expansive alto explorations. That small-group architecture loosens for “Afternoon Outing,” settling into a sustained, open-road stride, while “Prettyside Avenue” navigates similar terrain with a steady, expansive gait.

The momentum shifts as “Warm Valley” settles into a languid, drift-heavy cadence, mirrored by “Slow Boat to China,” which treats standard material with that same measured, atmospheric repose.

A1. “Nomusa” (9:34) – Kenyatta
A2. “Warm Valley” (7:36) – Ellington

B1. “Slow Boat to China” (6:29) – Loesser
B2. “Afternoon Outing” (5:37) – Kenyatta
B3. “Prettyside Avenue” (6:18) – Kenyatta

Sessions occurred on January 28, 1975, at Blue Rock Studios in New York with producer Michael Cuscuna and engineer Eddie Korvin.

After Nomusa, Kenyatta crossed into blues, soul, and studio-vocal settings with credits on albums by Luther Allison (Night Life), Ruth Copeland (Take Me to Baltimore), and the 1976 self-titled release by Hidden Strength, a Moog-heavy funk septet.

Encourage the People

Robin Kenyatta released his eighth album, Encourage the People, in 1976 on Wolf.

Encourage the People pairs Kenyatta with arranger/keyboardist Arthur Jenkins and an eleven-member vocal ensemble. Guitarists Hugh McCracken and Keith Loving join bassist William Salter, keyboardist Richard Tee, and drummers Andy Newmark and John Sussewell. The singers comprise Debbie McDuffie, Frank Floyd, Gwen Guthrie, Hilda Harris, Patti Austin, Raymond Simpson, Stuart Ockman, Vivian Cherry, William Eaton, Zachary Sanders, and Yolanda McCullough.

“Bluebird” pivot-turns Leon Russell’s composition toward the dance floor, just as “Give It Time” steers Patti Austin’s contribution into a sleek, smooth-listening channel.

A1. “Encourage the People” (5:15)
A2. “Love Me” (4:41)
A3. “Give It Time” (4:56)

B1. “You” (5:23)
B2. “Bluebird” (5:00)
B3. “Oh Oh Oh” (5:14)
B4. “Of Life and Love” (4:21)

Sessions occurred in 1976 at The Hit Factory in New York with producer Joel Dorn and engineer Joe Ferla. Robert Liftin handled additional recording and mixing. Howard Smiley and Richard Roth handled art direction for the Wolf issue.

Beggars and Stealers

Robin Kenyatta released the archival live-and-studio album Beggars and Stealers in 1977 on Muse.

Beggars and Stealers gathers 1969 material from Kenyatta’s earlier New York period. The album features Kenyatta with pianist Larry Willis, bassist Walter Booker, and drummer Alphonse Mouzon. Three Kenyatta originals occupy the first side and the opening of side two, followed by a reading of Thelonious Monk’s “Ruby My Dear.”

“Nairobi Hot” rides live modal/free tenor work from the Columbia University concert, with Alphonse Mouzon prominent inside the ensemble drive.

A1. “Nairobi Hot 5” (11:30) – Kenyatta
A2. “Dream Bug” (10:15) – Kenyatta

B1. “Beggars and Stealers” (13:30) – Kenyatta
B2. “Ruby My Dear” (5:55) – Monk

Kenyatta and Michael Cuscuna produced the Muse issue from Columbia University and Generation Sound Studios material. Tony May engineered the Generation Sound portion. Price Givens supplied the cover design and photography.

During the late Seventies, Kenyatta also worked in Lausanne, where he taught at the Ecole de Jazz Musique Actuelle and founded the Hello Jazz Music School and shop. His next album returned him to New York studio personnel and dance-jazz presentation.

Take the Heat Off Me

Robin Kenyatta released his ninth album, Take the Heat Off Me, in 1979 on Jazz Dance.

Take the Heat Off Me presents six pieces with electric rhythm sections, reeds, brass, strings, and voices. Trumpeter Lew Soloff joins Kenyatta in the front-line group.

The studio pool includes singer Chuck Hudson, accordionist-singer Ed Monteiro, two percussionists (Mike Pomier, Crusher Bennett), three bassists (John Lee, David Eubanks, Sal Cuevas), three guitarists (Cornell Dupree, Darryl Thompson, Marcus Fiorillo), three drummers (John Sussewell, Leroy Clouden, Brian Janszen), and five keyboardists (Pat Coil, Masao Nakajima, Dom Salvador, Peter Solomon, Mike Nock).

A1. “Bad Boy” (3:22)
A2. “Sheik of Araby” (3:18) – Smith–Wheeler–Snyder
A3. “Everybody’s Talkin’” (4:40) – Neil

B1. “Take the Heat Off Me” (9:04) – Coil–Kenyatta
B2. “Inscrutable Miss O’” (5:35)
B3. “Jazz Dance” (5:28)

Sessions occurred in 1979 at East Coast Studios in New York. The album features string arrangements by Pat Coil and tap dance by Chuck Green on “Jazz Dance.”

Discography: