Archie Shepp – The Early Album Collection – 4CD

A defining voice in the 'free jazz' movement, Archie Shepp's vivid musical improvisation and his unrelenting political views that emerged concurrently in the early 1960s maintained his position among the pioneers of the avant-garde form. His blistering tenor solos became a vessel for the anger felt in the Afro-American community, and as he disregarded traditional conventions within the genre. His mixing of African culture with free form composition and arrangement were both pivotal to the development of jazz in the early 1960s and an antidote to the emerging saccharine-sweet vocal forms taking precedence in the US Charts at the time. This 4CD box set chronicles the early years of Archie Shepp's musical career, as an originator, a pioneer and a major contributor to the early 1960s free-form movement. Featuring eight original albums, together totalling over 5 hours playing time, all re-mastered in superb audio quality, this set serves as an ideal introduction to this oft-under-appreciated musical genius, and as a welcome reminder of the great man's inspired vision and extraordinary sound.

Track Listing:

CD1: Bill Dixon Quartet 1962 (Savoy): 1. Trio - 8:54   2. Peace - 9:29   3. Quartet - 9:16   4. Somewhere - 6:01   Rufus 1963 (Fontana): 5. Rufus - 11:18   6. Nettus - 12:36   7. Hoppin' - 7:10   8. For Helved - 12:16   9. Funeral - 5:04

CD2: New York Contemporary Five Vol. 1 1963 (Sonet): 1. Cisum - 8:49   2. Crepuscule With Nellie - 2:14   3. O. C. - 6:35   4. When Will The Blues Leave - 8:50   5. Funeral - 4:59  6. Mick - 7:11   New York Contemporary Five Vol. 2 1963 (Sonet): 7. Consequences - 5:10   8. Monk’s Mood - 2:27   9. Emotions - 8:30   10. Wo Wo - 5:45   Archie Shepp And The New York Contemporary 5 1963 (Sonet): 11. Where Poppies Bloom - 7:43   12. Like A Blessed Baby Lamb - 9:25   13. Consequences - 4:55

CD3: Consequences 1963 (Fontana): 1. Sound Barrier - 8:30   2. Wo Wo - 8:50   3. Consequences - 7:44   4. Rufus - 9:32   5. Crepuscule With Nellie - 2:24   6. Trio - 8:55   Four For Trane 1964 (Impulse!): 7. Syeeda's Song Flute - 8:30   8. Mr. Syms - 7:42   9. Cousin Mary - 7:14   10. Naima - 7:10

CD4: Fire Music 1965 (Impulse!): 1. Hambone - 12:30   2. Los Olvidados - 8:55   3. Malcolm, Malcolm - 4:49   4. Prelude To A Kiss - 4:51   5. The Girl From Ipanema - 8:37   On This Night 1965 (Impulse!): 6. The Mac Man - 7:30   7. In A Sentimental Mood - 3:21   8. Gingerbread, Gingerbread Boy - 10:28   9. On This Night - 8:03   10. The Original Mr. Sonny Boy Williams - 6:01   11. The Pickaninny - 7:25