Attica Blues Posted by Junior

Archie Shepp: Attica Blues and Blues for Brother George Jackson From: Attica Blues (Dig) [Impulse!, 1972] Oh you didn't know? We like to go deep here at the Fuzz and you can't get much deeper or more sublime than Archie Shepp's Attica Blues. I'll be the first to hold up my hands and admit that my jazz knowledge isn't as widespread and in depth as I'd like partly due to some difficulties I sometimes have connecting with the music. However, from the first time I ever heard this album to this day, Attica Blues has always stood out as a personal favourite. Recorded in response to the Attica Prison massacre of 1971, this album found Archie moving on from his earlier Coltrane influences to a fusion sound of incredible emotional impact. While never afraid to voice his anger at the injustices occurring in society, Shepp channels the rage so precisely and beautifully in this recording that it ends up flooring you completely. The title track itself is a raw powerhouse of a song, a ballistic missile of music hitting the listener head on. Building from a funky start the song builds up an unbelievable level of momentum, battering the listener with screaming vocals and barraging percussion. Shepp chose to place his horn deep into the mix on this album bringing other instrumentation to the foreground and it works brilliantly. This song really cannot be fucked with on any level Shepp wisely avoided trying to matching the title song's sonic intensity on the rest of the album but don't let this fool you into thinking it lacks power. Blues for Brother George Jackson comes at you from a slower, groove driven direction. Written as a tribute to murdered activist George Jackson the song overflows with emotional, understated, playing by Shepp and his troupe and results in a gorgeous piece of mellow funk. You can read more about what Archie's up to these days at his official website. Respect to the man.