AN ABC FOR JAZZ LOVERS
Archie Shepp
Jazz à Amiens, 1994
Photo : Pascal Kober
Archie Shepp, who is a saxophonist (first and foremost), spent time with the Gnawa musicians, but he is also an (excellent) singer. With Anthony Braxton and Robert Wyatt, he is among those (many) jazz musicians who never learnt music theory. So what ? The blues was in him. And that is enough to make me, a vocal jazz buff, happy. The human voice, is the most beautiful way into the blue note. So listen to Cecil McLorin and Dianne Reeves if you need convincing.
This picture is published in my ABC FOR JAZZ LOVERS, the english version of myAbécédaire amoureux du jazz, a 180 pages book with a foreword by Marcus Miller, published by Snoeck and which bring together more than 200 jazz portraits took on stage and backstage all around the world for Jazz Hot magazine.
For those who love jazz and to those who think they… don’t (!), a good idea for a Christmas present ! Want to order ? Here it is :