Archie Shepp Quartet - Blue Ballads (1996) [2014 SACD]

Intelligent, articulate and controversial tenor sax player, composer, and singer Archie Shepp was a strong advocate of "free jazz" in the 1960s and 1970s. He surprised Japanese jazz fans in the 1990s when he released a series of ballad albums from Venus Records, beginning with Blue Ballads in 1995. In a nutshell, this recording is a treasure. Tenor sax legend Archie Shepp is joined by one of his favorite collaborators, pianist Horace Parlan, in an terrific set of classic jazz ballads, plus two well-chosen Shepp compositions.

Tracks:

1. Little Girl Blue
2. More Than You Know
3. Blue In Green
4. Blue And Sentimental
5. Cry Me A River
6. If I Should Lose You
7. Alone Together

Personnel:

Archie Shepp, tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, vocals
John Hicks, piano
George Mraz, bass
Idris Muhammad, drums