St. Louis Blues

Performer: Archie Shepp
Artist: Richard Davis; Sunny Murray
Engineer: Uli Gobel
Producer: Paul Zauner
Distributor: City Hall

Notes: Personnel: Archie Shepp (tenor saxophone); Richard Davis (bass); Sunny Murray (drums); Leopoldo Fleming (percussion). Recorded on June 1, 1998. Includes liner notes by John Swenson. Personnel: Archie Shepp (vocals, tenor saxophone); Sunny Murray (drums); Leopoldo Fleming (percussion). Audio Mixer: John Purcell. Liner Note Author: John Swenson. Recording information: Schlob Sigharting (06/01/1998). By the late '90s, Archie Shepp was no longer the revolutionary he once was, but he had established himself as a fine performer of blues, standards, and original pieces. For this release, he takes his woozy, sometimes breathy tenor in front of an outstanding piano-less rhythm section of bassist Richard Davis and drummer Sunny Murray, with "guest" percussionist Leopoldo Fleming. All the characteristic Shepp elements are here: the vibrato, the slightly over-emotional renderings of standards ("St. Louis Blues" and "God Bless the Child"), his deep, poignant vocals ("St. Louis Blues"), and the somewhat overextended improvisations. Still, Shepp is a master, and one of the great tenor saxophonists of the 20th century. While there is little here to distinguish this recording from others on which the saxophonist appears (except for some great bass work by Davis, particularly on "Total Package," and some equally fine contributions throughout from Murray), the overall feel is one of someone who has absorbed many years of tradition. Shepp is not quite up to his playing from years ago, and sounds a little tired. His version of "Steam," for example, while perfectly adequate, has better antecedents. While there are superior examples of his playing elsewhere, this recording is nonetheless highly enjoyable. Too, the saxophonist's deep, baritone voice is heard to good effect on "St. Louis Blues," and never fails to impress. ~ Steven Loewy

Down Beat (8/01, p.68) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...Shepp's tenor saxophone is still an imposing and volatile expressionist medium....he takes loose, broad strokes and always sounds just on the verge of blowing them apart..."

Saxophonist Archie Shepp was one of the key figures in the free-jazz movement of the 1960s. A follower of John Coltrane, Shepp paid tribute to his mentor on 1964's FOUR FOR TRANE. Shepp's approach was marked by fiery improvisations, the incorporation of a diverse array of black musical forms (from gospel to R&B), and an ideological focus on revolutionary politics and themes of black power and identity. Shepp continued to record and perform into the 2000s.

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