Archie Shepp - a legend

It can sometimes seem as if there has been inflation in the word 'legend'. One mediocrity after another is heralded as legend. But the saxophonist Archie Shepp It is quite right to describe it as a legend. He was one of the main architects behind the jazz revolution from around 1960 onwards. But - unlike many of the others in this revolution - he had very clear roots back in jazz history. He could recall both the Ellington saxophonist Ben Webster and the chief Coleman Hawkins, and on his records he often included Ellington compositions. Many of the key musicians from the 1960s are either gone or are shadows of their former selves. Not so with Shepp! Well, he plays something different, less free and aggressive, but always with feeling and empathy. The impulses from blues and earlier forms of jazz have become increasingly audible. - One of the biggest innovators around 1960 was John Coltrane. Shepp played a lot with Coltrane, and this year's concert at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival will be a massive tribute to his great mentor.

Text: Tor Dalaker Lund
Photo: Peter Necessany

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