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Archie Shepp & Jasper Van't Hof - The Fifth Of May
Archie Shepp & Jasper Van't Hof - The Fifth Of May
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L+R Records - LP
Germany, 1987
Free Jazz / Ambient Jazz / Electronic
The meeting of two jazz moguls in a state of grace: American saxophonist Archie Shepp and Dutch keyboardist Jasper Van't Hof. Minimal arpeggiators, piercing synths backing Archie Shepp's saxophone at its most incandescent. Outstanding recordings in zero gravity. Never reissued, and yet, best ever.
Jasper Van't Hof's strident arpeggiators first strike less than 8 minutes into the album, after a rather trifling blues, opening a moment of rare tension in contemporary jazz, that won't end before reaching the last notes of the album's closing track, the more than decent ballad "In A Decent Way". The A-side concludes with a splendidly bare version of Naima - Archie Shepp playing the soprano saxophone, while Jasper Van't Hof elegantly accompanies him with some sparse chords played on a bright Yamaha Grand Piano.
The B-side opens with the most contemplative piece on the record, "Pulse Of The Roots" written by Shepp, and featuring remarkably subtle electronic arrangements by Hof. Calm before the storm, the storm coming in the form of the burning hot title track, the 15 min long "5th of May", on which Archie Shepp not only plays but also speaks with his pastor-like possessed voice, leaving the listener (myself, at least) stunned and speechless. A truly outstanding record, and one of the brightest stars in the 1980's jazz galaxy. (VG+/VG+)
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