Esta é a segunda sessão de duetos com Archie Shepp (aqui no sax tenor e soprano) e o pianista Horace Parlan depois do primeiro Goin' Home para a SteepleChase. O disco apresenta o duo a tocar peças de orientação blues dos anos 20. É particularmente interessante ouvir como Shepp, conhecido pelas suas interpretações free jazz nos anos 60, ajusta o seu som a estes temas.

• Vinil Audiófilo 180 Gramas
• SteepleChase Audiophile Vinyl Series

A companion volume to the previous year’s gospel infused Goin’ Home album , Trouble in Mind continues the same pairing of Shepp and Parlan, but mining a different vein of Afro-American musical expression: “The Blues”.

If some critics judged this the lesser of the two works it is perhaps because the blues formula is more limited, often a three chord 12-bar groove, leaving the tunes musically closer to each other than the gospel outing. That is how blues works, expression within a traditional format . The works are complementary.

Shepp once again works the interchange between a singing and an instrumental voice, almost lead-guitar driven, clipped phrases culminating in a vibrato sustain, ascending the upper register to climax, the tenor rasps with guitar-like distortion, and a “cry” only a breath-driven instrument can produce.

The artistic intent is clearly to honour the blues tradition, and its roots in black history, without actually spilling over into a blues band performance. As a result Parlan avoids any kitsch barellhouse blues manner, keeping an even hold on the songs with a grand concert style, still bluesy but leaving the blues voice principally to Shepp, a finely judged balance. It is a fitting companion to Goin’ Home, both are must have titles.

Músicos:

Archie Shepp – tenor saxofone, soprano saxofone
Horace Parlan – piano

Lista de Faixas:

01. Backwater Blues
02. Trouble In Mind
03. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
04. Careless Love Blues
05. How Long Blues
06. Goin' Down Slow
07. Courthouse Blues
08. See See Rider
09. Make Me A Pallet On The Floor
10. St. James Infirmary

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