Archie Shepp
Fire Music

★★½

A really sort of sluggish album for the most part, almost makes me tired listening to it (and I just took a nap). Shepp has not only served as a great sideman but also as a memorable and commendable conductor on many of his albums. Here I think he's stretched himself too thin; there's not much innovation or variation and Shepp traps himself in a corner. 

"Hambone" is not a great starting piece, it's repetitive and tiresome. There's not much going on and the interplay feels weak, but when you get to "Los Olvidados" there are some things to note. That's probably the most lively and enjoyable Shepp original on here, and that's really kind of sad because if this was on any other album of his it probably wouldn't hold that position. 

Then Shepp performs a small, mournful piece and poem for Malcolm X. It's heartfelt but out of place and a buzzkill. I will say that it does a good job at transitioning to "Prelude to a Kiss" which is also one of the better songs on here. As a standard it hasn't changed much, but it's beautiful and as pensive and dreary as jazz can get. 

"The Girl From Ipanema" is long and arduous, it's not something I can really get behind. There's not a lot of creativity put in and it doesn't keep my attention. Shepp still performs well on this, no doubt. I just don't think this sextet was the wisest option, or more specifically that these pieces were that great in the first place. I need something to forget this tonight, sorry Shepp. 

Favorite Song: Prelude to a Kiss

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Jo David Meyer Lysne & Mats Eilertsen Kroksjø     ★★★½   Jo David Meyer Lysne and Mats Eilertsen are two Norwegian musicians who have come together once more, on the Hubro music label (also originating from Norway). This encounter seems to place focus on the textural environment and less so on the improvisation techniques of Lysne (on acoustic guitar) and Eilertsen (on bass). The title Kroksjø is the Norwegian word for an oxbow lake, in which a "U" shaped lake is formed after being cut off from a river. Lysne has stated that these geological formations helped inspire this endeavor and that he views them as a symbol of the artistic effort, being impermanent and forever changing. Hypnotic motifs are lost and found on this record, and with the help of a turntable, the comfort of physical home audio is brought forward. Sounds from the natural world and folk musings seep through to the heart of this record, providing points of focus that solidify t...
Read more
Image
Jason Lescalleet The Pilgrim ★ ★ ★★ Everything I've been listening to has been really great recently. This is a very heavy and somber record by Jason Lescalleet. Part of the newer cohort of abstract electronic music, he's known for working with people like Graham Lambkin and Kevin Drumm. This class of individuals have been creating intense and vivid textures in their music with the help of outside sources, mostly field recordings. That concept is also utilized here but not in the usual manner.  Summed up, this album is about the relationship Jason had with his father, and a sort of memorial in remembrance of his passing. It's not easy to create an artistic project like this for anyone, in any medium or platform. Especially not in the niche and sometimes conceptual subgenre that Lescalleet resides in. But he does it beautifully and in great effect. The album starts off with a spoken introduction bye Lescalleet describing how his father felt about his mus...
Read more
Image
Fred Frith Guitar Solos ★★★½ When done right, guitar improvisations can be among my favorite form of music and sound. A key player in that field is Derek Bailey; his music has transformed the way I've understood improvised music especially that of the guitar. Now I haven't gotten around to listening to Fred Frith's music under his own name, but now is the time with his solo debut. I've known about Frith through his work in Art Bears and Zorn's group years later, but I didn't find him very memorable or outstanding. So I went into this album without a clear idea or bias regarding his music, though the album cover really did grab my attention. I heard that Frith was a classically trained violinist before beginning to play the guitar, and I think he brings in some of that 20th century theme regarding sound on this record. Frith is diverse, and it shows with the techniques he uses here as well as the instruments he plays on other projects. Each piece s...
Read more