Abdul-Rahim, Emmanuel [Juan Amalbert] (b. 1934)
Master percussionist and recording engineer; son of Annie Swinton Johnson and Juan Amalbert, his mother was part of the Mt. Pleasant (SC), east of the Cooper River families of Swintons and Ascues – his father was Puerto Rican; born Emmanuel Amalbert, Abdul-Rahim later began recording under his father’s name, Juan Amalbert, in reverence to him; grew up and lived in New York and Copenhagen, and has recently reconnected with his “ancestral” home (Charleston); played with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and recorded “Jaywalker” with the group highlighting his exquisite African rhythmic playing on conga drums; also played with Sarah Vaughan (his role model), Josephine Baker, Aretha Franklin, Ahmad Jamal, Nancy Wilson, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the Thad Jones Orchestra, and bands led by James Moody and John Coltrane; percussionist for Katherine Dunham; he has produced or engineered recordings for James Moody, Clark Terry, Eric Dolphy and Jimmy Cliff; he left the U.S. in 1956 and toured Europe, Africa and Asia; his Copenhagen-based Latin Jazz Quintet swings with Yambu and Yoruba clave rhythms.
Image Gallery
Selected Albums
