ARCHIE SHEPP Vinilo y CD

Review: Archie Shepp and Jason Moran masterfully blended jazz tradition with contemporary innovation when they came together on their Let My People Go album back in 2021. It is now served up on gatefold via Archiball and is a poignant exploration of African American history and identity. Shepp's emotive saxophone performances resonate with raw intensity, while Moran's piano accompaniment adds depth and nuance to each composition. Together, they navigate a musical landscape that spans spirituals, blues, and avant-garde jazz to deliver a powerful sonic narrative that both preserves and celebrates the cultural heritage of their ancestors.

Review: Archie Shepp is an accomplished jazz cat best known for works like the highly touted Attica Blues album which is also being reissued right now. While that was a response to Attica prison riots in which 43 men were killed, this album from 1992 finds the civil rights activist, saxophonist and playwright serve up 11 lovely jazz ballads with support from pianist Horace Parlan, bassist Wayne Dockery and drummer Steve McRaven. Classics included in this most mellifluous and relaxing of albums are 'Embraceable You' and 'Georgia On My Mind' which show the unique skills of the great tenor saxophonist.

Review: Jazz saxophonist and playwright Archie Shepp was a cornerstone of what was considered 'avant-garde' jazz in his day. He was also a civil rights activist of implied yet huge proportions, having once accused the establishment of creating a "plantation of the mind". This also reflected in his music. Vocally critical of genre boundaries, 'Kwanza' exemplifies his stance, with the music contained on the record an upbeat and joyous yet foray through a kind of party jazz that, though it is fun, doesn't simply encourage you not to think about your predicament. Released five years after its original recording sessions, this is an important slice of history, well deserving of its reissue.

Review: Most experts agree that Archie Shepp's 1972 album "Attica Blues" is one of the finest soul-jazz LPs ever made - a politically-charged affair that just gets better with every listen. This tidy seven-inch single from Mr Bongo offers up two of the album's standout moments. On the A-side you'll find the title track, a swirling, down-low mixture of belted-out female chorus vocals, surging orchestration, Blaxploitation style bottom end and an impassioned lead vocal from Henry Hull. Flipside cut "Quiet Dawn" sees Waheeda Massey take lead vocals over a more obviously jazz-centric backing track rich in wild sax solos from the effervescent Shepp. Like the A-side, it's simply essential.