Loxodonta Africana is the debut album by saxophonist Ricky Ford, recorded in 1977 and released on the New World label.

[1][2][3] The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "Tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford's first record as a leader preceded the beginning of his highly rated string of Muse albums by a year.

23 at the time, Ford already had a recognizable sound that was influenced by Dexter Gordon.

For this ambitious effort (which displayed the impact of his stint with Charles Mingus), Ford performs five of his original".

[4] Reviewing the reissued album in JazzTimes, Willard Jenkins wrote: "While there is ample evidence that Ricky Ford’s palette has broadened, and his sound has ripened notably over these twenty years, he has yet to craft a recording that tops this one".