5 stars for Yasmina alone.
Gerrit R. Hatcher | 01/04/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Archie Shepp is in the running as one of my favorite jazz recording artists, due to his creative control and his strong easily discernable political message, not to mention his deeply emotive and not-yet-successfully-emulated tone. It's very easy to get what's left in print of Shepp's Impulse catalogue and call it a day, and although not all of his efforts on other labels are necessities, this is.
These obscure French sessions feature some of the very best Shepp has ever played with, a bold statement considering previous company like Ron Carter, Roy Haynes, Reggie Workman, Cedar Walton, Woody Shaw, Marion Brow, Grachan Moncur, and his other impulse fellows. For example the first track features Phillie Joe Jones on set, Arthur Taylor on Rhythm Logs, and Sunny Murray on African Percussion. Three of the best drummers of the era are all playing at once. Needless to say it's a monster of a groove, with a proto-hip hop baseline, and some avant-funky soloing from Shepp who blasts into the song just befor the 4 minute mark with a tone that sounds like its electrically distorted, but it's all acoustic here, no worries. Some of the sections where the band drops out leaving Archie with just the rhythm section sound about 20 years ahead of their time in funkiness, just listen at 9:50. Dave Burrell also does some killer piano work. I have yet to hear improvisation from Shepp this crazy, intense, funky, and varied anywhere else.
The second track is a wonderfully unique occurrence. Shepp has what amounts to a Sonny Rollins style piano-less blues duel with hard bop giant Hank Mobley. You will never hear this meeting anywhere else, and while this 14 minute blues out is less varied than the first track, at his heart, Shepp says he's a bluesman and it shows here. The composition incidentally is one of Grachan Moncur's first, making its first appearance on record here. Phillie is still on set here, and this track could easily be issued under his name too, absolutely insane drumming.
The last track on the first LP reissued here is a great and highly emotive reading of Body and Soul by Shepp, and this track really rounds out the album with a bit of Shepp's Ben Webster balladry, making these three tracks a great summation of Shepp's best skills- afro percussive jazz and funk, expressionist blues, and new twists on old standards/ballads.
The second LP here, A Poem For Malcolm, although full of freedom and anger, is less well rounded and memorable than the first. Archie's best political discourse is in the Impulse catalogue, but Rain Forest/Oleo offers some great totally free playing from Shepp, rare coming from one of the Avant Garde's most down-to-earth players.
At this price I can fully recommend this disc for the first LP alone, as Yasmina a Black Woman is an absolute 5 star album from Shepp. Poem for Malcolm is a nice bonus, and you are really getting two records for the price of one.
Last Note- Audiophiles keep in mend that the sound quality here is not stellar. Its not a bad reissue as far as I can tell, I'm sure the masters have the same slight muddiness. The mix is well balanced all around, just not the best overall sound quality."
Track Listings (3) - Disc #1