Shawn Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 LOVE Archie Shepp! He was one of the first "avante-garde" musicians that I really got into heavily (this was prior to my becoming a fan of Ornette, late period Trane, etc.) At the time I think what connected me to his playing was the tone. I loved the whole Ben Webster meets gutbucket aspect of his sound, that helped give me an immediate appreciation of what he was doing, even before I had really digested his conception. Then his writing & arranging skills began to sink in and I've been hooked ever since. Faves include: The Way Ahead For Losers Magic Of Juju Yasmina The House I Live In Blue Ballads True Ballads Four for Trane Quote
David Ayers Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 I'd say Fire Music is the essential Impulse, followed perhaps (and for different reasons) by Three for a Quarter One for A Dime (which is included as a bonus on the euro/US CD issue of Live in SF (but not on the successive Japanese versions). The most essential Shepp in my book is also, I am sorry to say, the hardest to find - the two Fontanas: Rufus with John Tchicai and Consequence with the NY Contemporary 5. Easier to find and also essential are the two Sonet/Delmark LPS with the NYC5. The CD of this music is missing one track. Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 Here is a nice review of the Dixon/Shepp disc: http://www.jazzweekly.com/reviews/bdixon_savoy.htm They do NOT appear together, by the way, in case this was misunderstood. First side is Bill Dixon (with Ken McIntyre, George Barrow, Howard Johnson a.o.), second side is Archie Shepp (with Don Cherry or Ted Curson). The CD has some good liners, too. JohnS and Lazaro were talking about a different Savoy Shepp/Dixon. It was a quartet date form late '62 with Don Moore/Reggie Workman - bass and Paul Cohen/Howard McRae - drums. The Workman/McRae tandem play on one of the four tracks. Wonderful date never on cd 'cause Dixon owns the masters. Quote
J.A.W. Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 Storyville will reissue The New York Contemporary Five as a 24-bit remastered CD on July 8 (Storyville 101 8385) Quote
brownie Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 JohnS and Lazaro were talking about a different Savoy Shepp/Dixon. It was a quartet date form late '62 with Don Moore/Reggie Workman - bass and Paul Cohen/Howard McRae - drums. The Workman/McRae tandem play on one of the four tracks. Wonderful date never on cd 'cause Dixon owns the masters. The copy of that Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon Quartet Savoy LP I have lists Shepp/Dixon as producer. Surprised that Shepp could not prevail on Dixon to reissue this! Quote
danasgoodstuff Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 I read on the web recently (sorry, I forget where) that Mr. Shepp's embachour probs are the result of the lingering effects of an operation of some sort. Anyone know anything more about this? As an amateur sax player it hurts my mouth to even think about this. Quote
king ubu Posted July 6, 2004 Report Posted July 6, 2004 Here is a nice review of the Dixon/Shepp disc: http://www.jazzweekly.com/reviews/bdixon_savoy.htm They do NOT appear together, by the way, in case this was misunderstood. First side is Bill Dixon (with Ken McIntyre, George Barrow, Howard Johnson a.o.), second side is Archie Shepp (with Don Cherry or Ted Curson). The CD has some good liners, too. JohnS and Lazaro were talking about a different Savoy Shepp/Dixon. It was a quartet date form late '62 with Don Moore/Reggie Workman - bass and Paul Cohen/Howard McRae - drums. The Workman/McRae tandem play on one of the four tracks. Wonderful date never on cd 'cause Dixon owns the masters. I stand corrected. Sounds like something that I'd love to hear! But the other one is not bad, either. ubu Quote
clifford_thornton Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 That is a great record... but just because Dixon owns the tape doesn't mean someone can't bootleg it! After all, there was a BYG pressing done ostensibly off a copy of the Savoy LP. Still, the NYCF take it for me any day: that version of "Trio" on Volume 2 of the Sonet(/Delmark/Storyville/whatever else) set is really amazing. Quote
Guest youmustbe Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 Archie had a great career with very little talent. Saw him last year, looks great, still has that swagger. Quote
Nate Dorward Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 Incidentally Shepp is a featured musician & keynote speaker at this year's Guelph Jazz Festival. I don't know his work well & don't have a great inclination to do so--I remember liking Four for Trane, which I used to have on cassette, but I recently picked up the Impulse! Live in San Francisco/Three for a Quarter One for a Dime reissue & found it very poor. Quote
mailman Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 Others have written here about Attica Blues so I'll just say that I totally agree. A great recording and now that it's been released on CD everyone should pick it up if they don't have it on LP. I have the Attica Blues Band live 2 LP set recorded in France. Has this been released on CD? It is an absolutely phenomonal concert. In the early 1970s Shepp appeared in a play at the Brooklyn Academy of Music about the life of Billie Holiday. I think he wrote the book and Cal Massey wrote the music. Clifford Jordan played Lester Young. I remember it fondly and wondered if anyone else here saw it. Quote
JSngry Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 FOR LOSERS is one of the most accurately named albums of all time, a heartbreaking, poignantly unflinching (sic) musical portrayal of its title, specifically as it relates to "the jazz life". It's my favorite Shepp impulse!, bar none, and quite possibly my favorite of his, period. If and when it gets reissued on CD, people will either love it totally or hate it without reservation. Given the concept, could it be any other way? Quote
jazzbo Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 (edited) I'm in the camp that LOVES it (though I like a few other Impulses a bit more). Has that famous Coltrane tune "Un Croque Monsieur"! Edited July 7, 2004 by jazzbo Quote
jazzbo Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 And Joe Lee. . . and Woody. . . there are a lot of good reasons to enjoy this one! COME ON VERVE! Quote
David Ayers Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 (edited) JohnS and Lazaro were talking about a different Savoy Shepp/Dixon. It was a quartet date form late '62 with Don Moore/Reggie Workman - bass and Paul Cohen/Howard McRae - drums. The Workman/McRae tandem play on one of the four tracks. Wonderful date never on cd 'cause Dixon owns the masters. The copy of that Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon Quartet Savoy LP I have lists Shepp/Dixon as producer. Surprised that Shepp could not prevail on Dixon to reissue this! Dixon is bitter about it. They sold a ten year lease to Savoy for one dollar when nobody was interested. In an interview Dixon remarks ominously that he will be publishing his side of the story one day. Maybe Chuck has the skinny on this? Or maybe its all there in that one dollar fee. So, uh, I won't be bootlegging this one, it would just add insult to injury... Maybe this is one for UMS...? Edited July 7, 2004 by David Ayers Quote
ralphie_boy Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 I picked up The Cry of My People recently and I highly recommend it. Nice mix of jazz, gospel, soul and blues. Quote
jazzbo Posted July 7, 2004 Report Posted July 7, 2004 I agree, one of my favorite Impulses by Shepp. . . seems to me that it is sort of an updated answer to Ellington's "My People"--hard to know though if that is me reading into it or an intention of Shepp's. . . either way I enjoy both works in similar ways and levels! Quote
clifford_thornton Posted July 9, 2004 Report Posted July 9, 2004 Maybe this is one for UMS...? Nah, they've got better things to do, like "Funky Donkey vol. 16" or reissue a marginal late FMP... Quote
EKE BBB Posted July 15, 2004 Author Report Posted July 15, 2004 Just picked the above mentioned Live in San Francisco (Impulse, 1966) ...and I do like it! Quote
king ubu Posted July 15, 2004 Report Posted July 15, 2004 Just picked the above mentioned Live in San Francisco (Impulse, 1966) ...and I do like it! Methinks this one's FANTASTIC at least! Maybe my favourite Shepp! Quote
ralphie_boy Posted July 15, 2004 Report Posted July 15, 2004 Just picked the above mentioned Live in San Francisco (Impulse, 1966) ...and I do like it! Methinks this one's FANTASTIC at least! Maybe my favourite Shepp! I dig this one too! Roswell Rudd puts down some nice lines throughout. Quote
king ubu Posted July 15, 2004 Report Posted July 15, 2004 (edited) And I dig the shit out of the cover photo! If I could get the LP cheaper then for around 30-35 bucks (that's the prize these Shepp Impulses go in the one jazz second hand vinyl store in Zurich), I'd get it just for that photo! Edited July 15, 2004 by king ubu Quote
brownie Posted July 15, 2004 Report Posted July 15, 2004 And I dig the shit out of the cover photo! If I could get the LP cheaper then for around 30-35 bucks (that's the prize these Shepp Impulses go in the one jazz second hand vinyl store in Zurich), I'd get it just for that photo! Great cover photo by Fred Seligo! Quote
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