Sorry my posts are so few and between, it's been a crazy summer. I'm still managing one post a month which will have to do for now.
"Yasmina, A Black Woman" is a wild ride of session recorded in Paris by Shepp. Yasmina is a twenty minute long track that lends towards a more far out theme that's more common in Pharoah Sanders. It starts off with a big African influence with yelping vocals and heavy polly rhythms before creating a repetitive rhythm section and some soloing by Shepp while a dominant, pulsing ensemble backs him up.
The second cut, Sonny's Back, is a straight ahead jazz-blues piece which features Hank Mobley creating dual tenors. The drums were produced with pretty high levels allowing them to be in the foreground and strong emphasis on the kick drum. The third and final track is a ballad called Body and Soul, which gives more of the sensibility and the blues you'd expect from Shepp.
1969 - Actuel.
Archie Shepp - tenor sax, vocals; Hank Mobley - tenor sax; Arthur Jones - alto sax; Roscoe Mitchell - bass & baritone sax; Lester Bowie - trumpet; Clifford Thornton - cornet; Dave Burrell - piano; Laurence Devereaux - balafon; Malachi Favors, Earl Freeman - bass; Art Taylor - rhythm, logs; Philly Joe Jones - drums; Sunny Murray - drums, percusion.
