snobb
After a series of mainstream recordings, Archie Shepp changed things up during the late 70s-early 80s with "Down Home New York", a great stand alone album returning more freedom to Shepp's sound.
Released on the Italian Soul Note label, 'Down Home' opens with a ten minutes long modern r'n'b influenced title song, full of energy and pulsating rhythms, openly recalling street-wise hip-hop atmosphere of the time. This Shepp original includes all the band's member's vocals, most probably this song became a reason for negative critical reaction on this album. Some critics obviously were still waiting for Shepp's return to his non-conformist free-jazz of the late 60s, or at least another hard bop album. Shepp did the unexpected step instead - releasing an album that mixes spiritual jazz, r'n'b and free-bop (which is not really all that far from what he's playing most recently). Anyway, his open eared fans received this album with big respect, and it is now known as Shepp's best work coming from the 80s.
After the title song, Shepp plays thye soulful standard, "Round About Midnight", spiced with freer soloing. After bassist Saheb Sarbib's original "May 16th", and the free-bopish and bluesy "The 4th World", Shepp closes the album with a straight take on Coltrane's "Straight Street". All the musicians are great here, particularly the very physical bassist Saheb Sarbib, and piano player Kenny Werner. Shepp himself is in great form and this release in whole represents one of these rare excellent inspired albums coming from the 80s. Its just a pity it's so short!
