Archie Shepp

[martini]

One of my favorite albums that Shepp ever made is Tray of Silver on Denon. I have the LP and it sounds great on the "table." It was out on CD for awhile (now OOP), but pick up the LP if you can. Count me in as a big admirer of I Know About the Life as well. I love it front to back. The mid to late '70s and early '80s are my favorite periods of him, though I like the '60s stuff too. His playing always surprises me in the directions he takes the music ("inside-outside").

Edit: For those who are into video, I'd also recommend Shepp's DVD The Geneva Concert, which features a show from 1994. There are also some great interviews tacked onto the DVD. It is worth picking up.

Edited May 28, 2010 by martini

[Pete C]

Speaking of video...

I assume this Sun Ra video has been discussed here at some time...

[coolman]

holy crap the attica blues live set arrived today and has blown me away. it's great!!!

does anyone know of anything with a similar sound?

[Pete C]

holy crap the attica blues live set arrived today and has blown me away. it's great!!!

does anyone know of anything with a similar sound?

Do you have "The Cry of My People."

By similar sound do you mean outward-leaning all-star big band with deep blues roots? Maybe some of Muhal Richard Abrams' albums? 8 Bold Souls? For me, the AACM guys tend to capture that mix well.

[Niko]

now The Cry of My People is an album i would definitely sample before buying (spotify...)

since it has Ray Draper on it i've been wondering: How is "Trumpet in My Soul"?

[coolman]

By similar sound do you mean outward-leaning all-star big band with deep blues roots?

that's exactly what I mean

Do you have "The Cry of My People."

Of course! Although I prefer the songs on Attica Blues... I'll give Muhal Richard Abrams a try thanks

[JSngry]

holy crap the attica blues live set arrived today and has blown me away. it's great!!!

does anyone know of anything with a similar sound?

Do you have the original Attica Blues on impulse!

[mjazzg]

By similar sound do you mean outward-leaning all-star big band with deep blues roots?

You might enjoy Horace Tapscott and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra - Live at I.U.C.C. [Nimbus West]

and the original Attica Blues is a killer indeed. Along the same lines, to my ears, is Shepp's "Things have got to change"

Edited June 2, 2010 by mjazzg

[clifford_thornton]

Tapscott - Flight 17

[ep1str0phy]

Tapscott - Flight 17

Hell yes. The more I go back to this one, the more I think it's the best of the PAPA albums.

--although the big band cuts from the CD that comes with Isoardi's The Dark Tree are stellar.

I'll second the Abrams rec--particularly Blu Blu Blu.

[Pete C]

Though more inside, Down Through the Years by the Clifford Jordan Big Band has some overlap in mood and is a great album. If I were Pandora I'd throw it at ya.

And speaking of Tapscott, Sonny Criss's Sonny's Dream for good measure.

[ep1str0phy]

And speaking of Tapscott, Sonny Criss's Sonny's Dream for good measure.

Yes! Not quite the same thing, but blues drenched, consummately played, and very punchy. It's a somewhat-lost gem, for sure.

[AllenLowe]

did anyone mention the duo record who need with Niel Orsted P. from years ago? Basically inside stuff, excellent, as I recall.

Edited June 4, 2010 by AllenLowe

[BeBop]

did anyone mention the duo record who need with Niel Orsted P. from years ago? Basically inside stuff, excellent, as I recall.

"Looking at Bird" was the album that made me an unabashed Shepp-o-phile. It's clser to inside than out, to be sure - rooted in Parker tunes and some related to him. Still my favorite Shepp.

The duos with Richard Davis are good, but not as good.

[dsbinsp]

Remember this album?

The photo was taken in a window that gave me a view up and down West 82nd Street when this was where I lived. My friend Ole Brask took over the place in '63, when I moved to my present apartment. He also moved in when I moved out, and took the cover photo of Archie. More recently, I took my camera to 81st Street and captured a current view of my old lookout spot (the top window:

Just a little Shepp aside.

Nice digs!

Thanks!

[dsbinsp]

Remember this album?

The photo was taken in a window that gave me a view up and down West 82nd Street when this was where I lived. My friend Ole Brask took over the place in '63, when I moved to my present apartment. He also moved in when I moved out, and took the cover photo of Archie. More recently, I took my camera to 81st Street and captured a current view of my old lookout spot (the top window:

Just a little Shepp aside.

Nice digs!

Thanks!

If you are referring to "Archie Shepp Live in San Francisco" my father, Fred Seligo, took the cover photo-- not your friend Ole Brask.

Delia Seligo Boehle

[clifford_thornton]

Nice!

Our occasional contributor Brandon Burke found the SF house, still standing, and photographed it recently. I'll try to get him to repost that shot here.

[Jim Duckworth]

So, I've been listening to these three records as a trilogy as suggested by Bill Shoemaker in his Jazz in the 1970's book.  As a youngster, I didn't full appreciate the range of styles that Mr. Shepp employs on these records.  I love gospel and R and B but wanted Fire Music from Archie.  I now find these records engaging and very timely.

[felser]

6 minutes ago, Jim Duckworth said:

So, I've been listening to these three records as a trilogy as suggested by Bill Shoemaker in his Jazz in the 1970's book.  As a youngster, I didn't full appreciate the range of styles that Mr. Shepp employs on these records.  I love gospel and R and B but wanted Fire Music from Archie.  I now find these records engaging and very timely.

  

If you like those, I can wholeheartedly recommend this one:

[clifford_thornton]

That Impulse! triumvirate is great. I like Things Have Got To Change a lot, but Attica Blues is really special indeed, and Cry of My People ain't no slouch either.

[Jim Duckworth]

 

1 hour ago, felser said:

If you like those, I can wholeheartedly recommend this one:

Thank you, Mr. Felser, I'm in.  While I find the combination of Calvin Massey, Joe Lee Wilson, and Mr. Shepp very powerful on the trilogy-this later edition retains Joe Lee Wilson and Charles Greenlee and adds Malachi Thompson, Marion Brown, Steve Turre, and Shorty Jarvis's son Clifford on drums.  

[mjazzg]

Another vote for all of those Shepps. 

Edited July 17, 2020 by mjazzg

[JSngry]

7 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

That Impulse! triumvirate is great. I like Things Have Got To Change a lot, but Attica Blues is really special indeed, and Cry of My People ain't no slouch either.

Add this and you got four!

 

[felser]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

Add this and you got four!

 

That's actually my favorite of the bunch, though I do appreciate the Impulse titles also.  You could make a decent argument that this one made it five, complete with another compelling Semenya McCord vocal.

 

[bertrand]

4 hours ago, JSngry said:

Add this and you got four!

 

Does Ray Draper get any solo space on this one?