Archie Shepp - Blase LP

Label: Charly/BYG

Newly mastered to vinyl from original BYG tapes. Lacquers cut by Alchemy Mastering at Air Studios. Insert with exclusive liner notes by author, journalist and BYG-authority Kevin Le Gendre. Florida-born saxophonist, composer, poet, actor and playwright Archie Shepp was one of the most articulate exponents of politicized black culture in the late '60s, a time of enormous upheaval and radical thought. Relocating to Paris he made a number of highly influential albums, such as Blasé, that broached the essential themes of freedom and racial equality, and tapped into the bedrock of African-American music. Gospel and blues were a major part of the work, which also had a strong avant-garde sensibility. The band featured stellar vocalist Jeanne Lee and members of Art Ensemble Of Chicago. These trailblazing artists who combined jazz, poetry and radical politics made a definitive musical statement.