''Blue Ballads'' is an album by saxophonist
Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz.
Biography Early life
Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...
and his quartet which was recorded in New York City in 1995 and released on the
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
label.
Discogs:Blue Ballads: Archie Shepp Quartet
accessed October 14, 2018
Reception
The AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
review by arwulf arwulf called it and its counterparts ''Black Ballads'', and ''True Ballads'' "intimate studies in shared introspection...hat
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...
document Shepp's astute exploration of the ballad form during the 1990s...Once again and in all the best ways, Shepp shines in parallel with his contemporary Pharoah Sanders. Both are skilled balladeers as well as free spirits who simply cannot be bottled or pigeonholed".
Track listing
# " Little Girl Blue" (Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers (June 28, 1902 – December 30, 1979) was an American composer who worked primarily in musical theater. With 43 Broadway musicals and over 900 songs to his credit, Rodgers was one of the most well-known American ...
, Lorenz Hart
Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2, 1895 – November 22, 1943) was an American lyricist and half of the Broadway songwriting team Rodgers and Hart. Some of his more famous lyrics include " Blue Moon", " The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan", " Bewitched, ...
) – 6:03
# " More Than You Know" (Billy Rose
Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman and lyricist. For years both before and after World War II, Billy Rose was a major force in entertainment, with ...
, Edward Eliscu
Edward Eliscu (April 2, 1902 – June 18, 1998) was an American lyricist, playwright, producer and actor, and a successful writer of songs for films.
Life
Eliscu was born in Manhattan, New York City. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School i ...
, Vincent Youmans
Vincent Millie Youmans (September 27, 1898 – April 5, 1946) was an American Broadway composer and producer.
A leading Broadway composer of his day, Youmans collaborated with virtually all the greatest lyricists on Broadway: Ira Gershwin, ...
) – 7:18
# "Blue in Green
"Blue in Green" is the third tune on Miles Davis' 1959 album, ''Kind of Blue''. One of two ballads on the LP (the other being " Flamenco Sketches"), the melody of "Blue in Green" is very modal, incorporating the presence of the Dorian, Mixolydi ...
" (Bill Evans
William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...
, Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...
) – 7:58
# "Blue and Sentimental" (Count Basie) – 5:12
# "Cry Me a River (Arthur Hamilton song), Cry Me a River" (Arthur Hamilton) – 7:54
# "If I Should Lose You" (Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger) – 7:32
# "Alone Together (1932 song), Alone Together" (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz) – 10:51
Personnel
Musicians
* Archie Shepp – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, vocals
* George Mraz – bass
* John Hicks (jazz pianist), John Hicks – piano
* Idris Muhammad – drums
Production
* Tetsuo Hara (record producer), Tetsuo Hara – producer
* Troy Halderson – engineer
* Brock South – assistant engineer
* Shuji Kitamura – mastering
* Iruka Studio – design
* Dennis Stock – cover photography
References
{{Authority control
Venus Records albums
Archie Shepp albums
1995 albums