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The Magic of Ju-Ju

Archie Shepp

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Album Review

On this 1967 Impulse release, tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp unleashed his 18-minute tour de force "The Magic of Ju-Ju," combining free jazz tenor with steady frenetic African drumming. Shepp's emotional and fiery tenor takes off immediately, gradually morphing with the five percussionists — Beaver Harris, Norman Connor, Ed Blackwell, Frank Charles, and Dennis Charles — who perform on instruments including rhythm logs and talking drums. Shepp never loses the initial energy, moving forward like a man possessed as the drumming simultaneously builds into a fury. Upon the final three minutes, the trumpets of Martin Banks and Michael Zwerin make an abrupt brief appearance, apparently to ground the piece to a halt. This is one of Shepp's most chaotic yet rhythmically hypnotic pieces. The three remaining tracks, somewhat overshadowed by the title piece, are quick flourishes of free bop on "Shazam," "Sorry Bout That," and the slower, waltz-paced "You're What This Day Is All About."

Customer Reviews

Voodoo Jazz

Exciting free jazz with a voodoo theme. The two shorter songs in the middle provide a nice balance between the lengthy first and final tracks. The concept is pulled off successfully and is a nice twist on free jazz. The only shortcoming on this album is how short the second track is. You're What This Day Is All About is a brief moment of normalcy with a great melody that never lasts as long as I would like. Maybe that's the point.

The Avant Garde

I own the original vinyl LP of this one. Don't let the frozen-in-amber cover art make you believe there's anything hokey about it. To the contrary, "Ju-Ju" is a phenomenal starting point for jazz heads who want to find entryways into the 60s avant garde. The propulsive, insistent rhythm of the title track lays down a pertinent groove for Shepp's superhuman explorations of the tenor saxophone's tonal capabilities. It's an 18 minute search for truth and beauty. Conversely, "Sorry 'Bout That" chugs along like a Fela Kuti jam straight from the Nigerian legend's Juju songbook.

Biography

Born: May 24, 1937 in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Genre: Jazz

Years Active: '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, '00s

Archie Shepp has been at various times a feared firebrand and radical, soulful throwback and contemplative veteran. He was viewed in the '60s as perhaps the most articulate and disturbing member of the free generation, a published playwright willing to speak on the record in unsparing, explicit fashion about social injustice and the anger and rage he felt. His tenor sax solos were searing, harsh, and unrelenting, played with a vivid intensity. But in the '70s, Shepp employed a fatback/swing-based...
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