“Everything he play[s] is dramatic and
expansive.”
–The New York Times

A rare U.S. concert by an icon from the 1960s free jazz era! Known for his collaborations with New Thing avatars Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane, Shepp refined an Afrocentric methodology on his classic albums Fire Music and The Magic of Ju-Ju. Shepp combines a rigor- ously intellectual improvisational approach with a gruff, emotionally bracing sound, and radical political thought.

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A rare U.S. concert by an icon from the 1960s free jazz era! Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp was a clarion voice during jazz’s most turbulent era, and he has continued to break new ground while remaining rooted in blues, ballads and spirituals. He gained early attention through collaborations with New Thing avatars Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane, who was so impressed by Shepp’s innovative sound that he recruited him for the Impulse! label. Shepp returned the favor with his first classic album, Four for Trane, featuring trombonist Roswell Rudd, bassist Reggie Workman and altoist John Tchicai.

Shepp participated on Coltrane’s epochal 1965 album Ascension, a free jazz landmark, and then went on to refine an Afrocentric methodology on his seminal albums Fire Music and The Magic of Ju-Ju. An artist and educator with far-reaching interests, Shepp has pursued various careers over the years. A prolific playwright, he has written several works produced in respected theaters, such as “The Communist” and “Lady Day: A Musical Tragedy.” He was a music faculty member at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst for more than 30 years, and he is a poet who has often incorporated spoken-word interludes into his performances. Working mostly in Europe in recent decades, Shepp has recorded tributes to Charlie Parker and Sidney Bechet, while making occasional forays into R&B. At 71, Shepp retains his power to provoke and enchant. Still politically outspoken, he combines a rigorously intellectual improvisational approach with a gruff, emotionally bracing sound.

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