Archie Shepp - Blasé LP (White vinyl)

The heat of the blues and the fire of the avant-garde blend superbly on this landmark recording.

Original 1969 BYG album, facsimile edition. Newly remastered for 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.