Archie Shepp Four for Trane on Vinyl

Archie Shepp's Four for Trane is one of those free jazz records that is an easy jumping of point for straight ahead jazz fans.

 I always thought Four for Trane owed more to Ornette Coleman than John Coltrane.

The group interplay just reminds me of that type of jazz Coleman brought to jazz 8 years earlier, but the advances here are Shepp's husky tone, and the reworkings of 4 tracks Coltrane originally did for Atlantic Records.

"Syeeda's Song Flute"is the highlight of the album in my mind.  I love the blues gospel rawness of the track, very advanced playing but clearly more rooted in tradition than one would think given the reputation of the new thing movement.

"Mr. Symms" and "Cousin Mary" get fresh make overs, you will recognize the compositions though, I keep thinking back to that Ornette Coltrane quartet influence,  it is there.

The lone Shepp number here is the seriously felt "Rufus, Swung His Face at Last to the Wind, Then His Neck Snapped" This track seems to fit in well with the Coltrane tracks, It also sort of solidifies the album as a brand new work, separate from John Coltrane.

I always liked Archie Shepp's tenor sax tone, sort of the Ben Webster of free jazz. Other musicians of note are Alan Shorter on trumpet, Reggie Workman on bass, John Tchicai on Alto, and Roswell Rudd on trombone.

This pictured vinyl copy I won in an auction, for 12 bucks, it is not an original pressing, likely a second press, late 60's. In any event, still a fantastic sounding record with much more warmth than the CD can muster.

The ultra cool cover is also nice to have in its original 12 inch form.