This 1998 studio recording by tenor sax legend
Archie Shepp is a study in
blues and
ballads as the title might suggest, but it also marks the return of
Shepp as a true bandleader. With pianist
John Hicks, drummer
Billy Drummond, and bassist
George Mraz,
Shepp sounds more inspired here than he has in literally decades. There is no crutch-like reliance on
hard bop and
blues stylings, nor is there any over-the-shoulder tosses at being the king of the
avant-garde. Instead
Shepp focuses on what he does best: being a fine stylist and one of the great
blues phraseologists in the business. Opening with
Coltrane's
"Lonnie's Lament," Shepp goes one better than just saluting his old boss -- he reharmonizes the tune and slows it down, making it a true elegy. On
Cole Porter's tunes,
Shepp looks to the deep lyricism in
Hicks' playing to bring out his best
ballad style. The two of them interact so warmly and intimately here, it could have easily been a duet. On
Jimmy van Heusen's
"But Beautiful," it's
Hicks who leads off the tune, but it's
Shepp who gives it its body and soul. Beginning to play the melody from deep in the lower register,
Shepp traces the harmony out to the edges and coaxes
Hicks to follow him; he simultaneously scales back just enough to open him up to fill that space with wonderful flowering chords against his warmer-than-July tone.
Shepp offers one original to the mix,
"A Little Surprise for the Lady," which is refreshing among all these covers for its shimmering, funky groove and slithering solo; he offers a stunning rendition of
"Blue Train" and ends the program with another of the
Coltrane book standards,
Billy Eckstine's
"I Want to Talk About You." But instead of going for
Coltrane's leaping and loping harmony in the bridge,
Shepp creates a new one based on the bassline instead of the lyric phrase, which adds a certain depth and dimension not heard before, no matter how many times this tune has been interpreted. The only weak spot on the whole date comes from
Mraz. His lack of wood in his tone makes all of his fluidity for naught because, as with most of the sessions he plays on, he becomes too limpid to hear. But it's a small complaint for a gorgeous session. ~ Thom Jurek