One
of the grooviest albums from Archie Shepp's post-new thing years for
Impulse - a nicely grooving session that mixes soul-based tracks with
more righteous spiritual jazz moments! The approach here is a nicely
varied - a laidback, collaborative spirit that's even quite different
from Shepp's work in France at the time, or even from some of his
other sessions for Impulse. At one moment, Archie's playing in a
gently spare and soulful mode - foreshadowing his late 70s sides -
but at another, he'll be opening up with intensity, egged on by a
group of well-matched players who include Woody Shaw, Grachan Moncur
III, James Spaulding, and Cedar Walton. Side 2 features the extended
"Un Croque Monsieur" - a modally building number with some
free post-Coltrane energy, and a righteous poem from Chinalin Sharpe.
Sharpe returns in a completely different spirit on "I Got It
Bad" - singing the lyrics in a Billie Holiday mode alongside
Shepp's solo - and Leon Thomas sings on the soul-based number "Stick
Em Up", again very different than usual! Titles also include a
great version of Cal Massey's "What Would It Be Without You"
and the funky groover "Abstract". © Dusty
Groove, Inc.
Impulse!
Records, AS-9188, 1970
Recorded
9th September, 1968 (#A1) at RCA Studios, New York City
Recorded
17th February, 1969 (#A2) at RCA Studios, New York City
Recorded
26th August, 1969 (#A3,A4,B) at RCA Studios, New York City
Personnel:
A1.
Stick 'Em Up {Archie Shepp} (2:05)
Archie
Shepp - Tenor Saxophone
Robin
Kenyatta - Alto Saxophone
Grachan
Moncur III - Trombone
Martin
Banks - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Andrew
Bey - Piano
Mel
Brown - Organ, Guitar
Bert
Payne - Guitar
Albert
Winston - Fender Bass
Wilton
Felder - Fender Bass
Beaver
Harris - Drums
Doris
Troy - Vocals
Leon
Thomas - Vocals
Tasha
Thomas - Vocals
A2.
Abstract {Archie Shepp} (4:21)
Archie
Shepp - Tenor Saxophone
James
Spaulding - Alto Saxophone
Charles
Davis - Baritone Saxophone
Grachan
Moncur III - Trombone
Jimmy
Owens - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Wally
Richardson - Guitar
Dave
Burrell - Organ
Bob
Bushnell - Fender Bass
Bernard
Purdie - Drums
A3.
I Got It Bad [And That Ain't Good] {Duke Ellington, Paul Webster}
(5:15)
Archie
Shepp - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone
Clarence
Sharpe - Alto Saxophone
Cedar
Walton - Piano
Wilbur
Sharpe - Bass
Joe
Chambers - Drums
Chinalin
Sharpe - Vocals
A4.
What Would It Be Without You {Cal Massey} (4:05)
Archie
Shepp - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone
Cecil
Payne - Baritone Saxophone, Flute
Cedar
Walton - Piano
Wilbur
Sharpe - Bass
Joe
Chambers - Drums
B.
Un Croque Monsieur [Poem: For Losers] {Archie Shepp} (21:47)
Archie
Shepp - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone
Cecil
Payne - Baritone Saxophone
Clarence
Sharpe - Alto Saxophone
Woody
Shaw - Trumpet
Matthew
Gee - Trombone
Cedar
Walton - Piano
Wilbur
Sharpe - Bass
Joe
Chambers - Drums
Chinalin
Sharpe - Vocals
Credits:
Producer
- Ed Michel
Supervision
- Bob Thiele (#A1,A2), Ed Michel (#A4,A4,B)
Artwork
Design - George Whiteman
Photography
- Chuck Stewart
Liner
Notes - Archie Shepp
Tracklist:
A1.
Stick 'Em Up {Archie Shepp} (2:05)
A2.
Abstract {Archie Shepp} (4:21)
A3.
I Got It Bad [And That Ain't Good] {Duke Ellington, Paul Webster}
(5:15)
A4.
What Would It Be Without You {Cal Massey} (4:06)
B.
Un Croque Monsieur [Poem: For Losers] {Archie Shepp} (21:47)
At
the time this record was recorded, Shepp was bouncing back and forth
between Paris and New York. He also bounced between the Impulse! and
BYG labels. He also bounced between styles. For BYG, his music
reached to grasp the bare beginnings of black music, back to Africa
and the blues. His music for Impulse! tried to embrace the
contemporary sounds of R&B, with very mixed results that to this
day divide his fans. This record is a transitional one. For the
traditionalists, there's his shattering and amusing cover of "I've
Got It Bad" performed by the usual suspects one would think to
find on an Archie Shepp record, including Cecil Payne and Joe
Chambers. For those enraptured by albums like Attica Blues, songs
like "Stick 'Em Up" will fascinate, as Shepp's raspy tenor
is joined not only by a legion of avant-garde brethren (including
names like Beaver Harris and Grachan Moncur), but also by the funky
wood of electric bass, guitar, and organ. Some will find those later
tracks a bit hard to take. Some will even find themselves snickering.
But for anyone wishing to understand the music and career of this
brilliant musician, this is an undervalued piece of the puzzle. ~ Rob
Ferrier, AMG.
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