Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen + Archie Shepp - Looking At Bird (1980)
MP3 | 320kbps | Cover | RS.com | 111mb | 5% File Recovery
Genre: Jazz
Allmusic.com:
Avant-garde tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp created a stir in 1977 when he recorded a set of hymns and folk melodies in melodic duets with pianist Horace Parlan. On February 6, 1980, he reunited with Parlan for a set of blues associated with Bessie Smith, and the following day, as a sort of sequel, Shepp played eight songs associated with Charlie Parker in collaboration with bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen. Although never a bebopper, Shepp does surprisingly well on such tunes as "Moose the Mooche," "Ornithology," "Yardbird Suite" and "Confirmation," even if he makes the mistake of doubling on his erratic soprano during a few numbers. Archie Shepp pays tribute to Bird not by copying him, but by being creative and playing Parker's repertoire in his own sound. Recommended.
Reviewer:
Stop and take a closer look at this album! This is one of the obscure gems of jazz. Featuring songs associated with Charlie Parker, Archie Shepp on saxophone and Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson on bass explore the legacy of the great bebop master. The instrumentation may seem odd and you may pass on this because it's just saxophone and bass. Instead without drums or piano, the songs have a spaciousness not usually found in the complex harmonies and elaborate melodies of bebop. If you know Archie Shepp, you know that he is not someone you would expect to reflect on Charlie Parker's style and sound. Shepp typically plays in an unpolished, crude style. He appears to choose this for an emotionally direct approach to the music and his improvisation. Pedersen, on the other hand, is the opposite. HIs style is clear and virtuosic and the contrast between these two musicians is positively enlightening!
For the most part, each tune is a straightforward statement of the melody followed by some jamming by this duo. Shepp switches between tenor and soprano, never touching Parker's alto. Shepp wanders in and out of key (as well as tune!), but always with great taste and sense. He never comes near the bop sensibility, but he doesn't have to, this is honest, brilliant stuff. Pedersen is the perfect alter ego for this style. He is immaculately clear, alternating between walking bass lines and overtone chords. The sax plays outside the rhythms while the bass is a real metronome.
Of the thousands of recordings I have, this one is one of the desert island choices. Don't hesitate, you won't be sorry buying this.
Performers:
Archie Shepp (soprano & tenor saxophones)
Neils-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass)
Tracks:
1. Moose The Mooche (C.Parker) 6:23
2. Embraceable You (G.Gershwin) 4:40
3. Ornithology (B.Harris) 5:42
4. Billie's Bounce (C.Parker) 5:20
5. Yardbird Suite (C.Parker) 4:31
6. Blues For Alice (C.Parker) 5:48
7. How Deep Is The Ocean (I.Berlin) 5:50
8. Confirmation (C.Parker) 5:46
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