Attica Blues is an album by avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp. Originally released in 1972 on the Impulse! label, the album title refers to the Attica Prison riots.
Reception
The AllMusic review by Steve Huey states: "Attica Blues is one of Shepp's most successful large-group projects, because his skillful handling of so many different styles of black music produces such tremendously groovy results". Stephen Davis of Rolling Stone said that it was "not just a masterpiece of protest: [...] it is more a politico/religious experience, an appeal to higher human consciousness to, for God's sake, help us out of this torment."
Track listing
All compositions by Archie Shepp, except as indicated
- "Attica Blues" (lyrics by Beaver Harris) â 4:49
- "Invocation: Attica Blues" (Harris) â 0:18
- "Steam, Part 1" â 5:08
- "Invocation to Mr. Parker" (lyrics by Bart Gray) â 3:17
- "Steam, Part 2" â 5:10
- "Blues for Brother George Jackson" â 4:00
- "Invocation: Ballad for a Child" (Harris) â 0:30
- "Ballad for a Child" (lyrics by Harris) â 3:37
- "Good-Bye Sweet Pops" (Cal Massey) â 4:23
- "Quiet Dawn" (Massey) â 6:12
Recorded at A&R Recording, NYC, January 24âÂÂ26, 1972 (Track timings slightly differ from one issue to another, due to merging tracks.)
Personnel
- Archie Shepp - tenor saxophone (1, 6, 8, 10) and soprano saxophone (3, 5, 9)
- Brass and reed section on tracks 1, 6, 9 and 10
- Clifford Thornton - cornet
- Roy Burrows, Charles McGhee, Michael Ridley - trumpet
- Charles Greenlee, Charles Stephens, Kiane Zawadi - trombone
- Hakim Jami - euphonium
- Clarence White - alto saxophone
- Roland Alexander, Billy Robinson - tenor saxophone
- James Ware - baritone saxophone
- String section on tracks 1, 3, 5, and 8âÂÂ10
- John Blake, Leroy Jenkins, Lakshinarayana Shankar - violin
- Ronald Lipscomb, Calo Scott - cello
- Marion Brown - alto saxophone (1, 6), bamboo flute (3), flute (4), percussion (3âÂÂ5)
- Walter Davis, Jr. - electric piano (1, 6), piano (6, 8âÂÂ10)
- Dave Burrell - electric piano (3, 5)
- Cornell Dupree - guitar (1, 3, 5, 8)
- Roland Wilson (1, 3, 5âÂÂ6, 8), Gerald Jemmott (1) - Fender bass
- Jimmy Garrison - bass (3âÂÂ5, 9, 10)
- Beaver Harris (1, 3, 5âÂÂ6, 8) - drums
- Ollie Anderson, Nene DeFense, Juma Sultan - percussion (1, 6, 10)
- Vocals
- Henry Hull (1, 8), Joe Lee Wilson (3, 5) - vocals
- William Kunstler (2, 7), Bartholomew Gray (4) - narrator
- Joshie Armstead, Albertine Robertson - backing vocals (1)
- Featured exclusively on tracks 9 and 10, written by Cal Massey
- Romulus Franceschini - conductor and co-arranger
- Cal Massey - fluegelhorn (10)
- Waheeda Massey - vocals (10)
- Billy Higgins - drums
References
External links