Search - Archie Shepp :: Black Ballad

Archie Shepp In A Sentimental Mood

Ron Frankl | Hendersonville, NC | 02/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In a nutshell, this recording is a treasure. Tenor sax legend Archie Shepp is joined by one of his favorite collaborators, pianist Horace Parlan, in an terrific set of classic jazz ballads, plus two well-chosen Shepp compositions.



Shepp has been a major figure in the jazz world for over 45 years. He appears on John Coltrane's Ascension (1965), and recorded an astonishing series of albums under his own name for Impulse in the Sixties and early Seventies. He was an avant gardist who created some of the most adventurous jazz of the post-Coltrane era, music that remains challenging and progressive today.



On Black Ballads, Shepp finds new meaning in these old standards, and he hasn't sounded this inspired in years. The sometimes sour, disengaged playing that marred some of Shepp's Eighties recordings is not in evidence. His tone is as beautiful as it has ever been, and his abilities as an improviser are undiminished.



The contribution of Horace Parlan cannot be overlooked. An underrated and often overlooked pianist, who has lived in Europe for over thirty years, Parlan is a sympathetic accompaniest with strong gospel and r&b roots, and he demonstrates an uncanny ability to listen closely to Shepp and offer the perfect support and counterpoint to the saxophonist.



Recorded in 1992, Black Ballads is a pleasant surprise that shows the 64-year-old Archie Shepp in full command of his abilities. Highly recommended.



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