Two recent releases from the free jazz universe of music celebrate two of the greatest saxophone icons of the 20th century, Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders. I was first exposed to free jazz at a ...

In 2022, it is widely accepted that, when free jazz (aka the New Thing) was in its ascent in New York in the 1960s, there was, despite superficial appearances, no fundamental incompatibility between ...

Don’t call Archie Shepp a jazz musician. Also, as we found out recently, don’t call him before 4 p.m. — Shepp is nocturnal and might not yet be out of bed. Sleeping habits aside, Archie Shepp, 75, is ...

Nearly four decades have passed since this nightclub date in Copenhagen was recorded, and I still haven’t caught up with Archie Shepp. Perhaps I never will. Shepp, who never met a squeak, squawk, ...

Through the pitch black of the cavernous Richardson Auditorium came piercing words: “In the face of injustice and adversity, certainly some gave their lives looking to change the world.” The voice of ...

The New York Contemporary Five marked a relatively brief chapter in Archie Shepp’s career; they existed for barely two years and played almost exclusively in Europe. Today, the group is recognized as ...