On this album recorded back in 1977 Archie Shepp paired up with a pianist called Horace Parlan to do several notable gospel and spiritual songs. The album is minimal in style, focusing mainly on the saxophone which is highly expressive and often resembles a church singer. Archie Shepp did a wonderful job here and on each track it's evident that they both care deeply about the songs which they're playing. Every note that Shepp blows from his horn is packed with emotion and grit, each passage brings chills down the spine. Horace Parlan to me is the weaker link here as his barrages of crescendos can get gimmicky at times but that is only a minor complaint.
Blissful is probably the most convenient word with which you could describe this whole thing.
Get.
Side note: If you're looking for a similar album but with the piano in focus you should check out "Steal Away - Spirituals, Hymns And Folk Songs" that Charlie Haden did with Hank Jones much later in 1995.
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A pearl. Thank you.
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