Fire Music is a studio album by jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp released on Impulse! Records in 1965. "Malcolm, Malcolm Semper Malcolm" is dedicated to Malcolm X, whilst "Los Olvidados" is a homage to the 1950 film of the same name. Featured musicians include trumpeter Ted Curson, trombonist Joe Orange, alto saxophonist Marion Brown, bassist Reggie Johnson and drummer Joe Chambers.
| Fire Music | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 1965[1] | |||
| Recorded | February 16 and March 9, 1965 | |||
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 40:30 | |||
| Label | Impulse! A-86 | |||
| Producer | Bob Thiele | |||
| Archie Shepp chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
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Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [2] |
| Down Beat |  [3] |
| The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide | [4] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings |  [5] |
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states: "This particular early Archie Shepp recording has its strong moments, although it is a bit erratic... Overall, this set, even with its faults, is recommended".[2]
Writing for All About Jazz, Robert Gilbert called Fire Music "an often-fascinating album, rich in compositional and improvisational prowess", and commented: "Shepp puts together a record that is both challenging and accessible to most listeners... Fire Music is an album that belongs in any serious jazz fan’s collection."[6]
Track listing
edit- "Hambone" (Archie Shepp) – 12:29
- "Los Olvidados" (Shepp) – 8:54
- "Malcolm, Malcolm - Semper Malcolm" (Shepp) – 4:48
- "Prelude to a Kiss" (Ellington, Gordon, Mills) – 4:50
- "The Girl from Ipanema" (DeMoraes, Gimbel, Jobim) – 8:36
- "Hambone" [Live] – 11:53 Bonus track on CD, recorded live at the Village Gate on March 28, 1965
Personnel
edit- Archie Shepp – tenor saxophone
- Ted Curson – trumpet
- Joseph Orange – trombone
- Marion Brown – alto saxophone
- Reggie Johnson – double bass except track 3
- Joe Chambers – drums except track 3
- David Izenzon – double bass on track 3
- J.C. Moses – drums on track 3
References
edit- ^ "Billboard". September 11, 1965.
- ^ a b AllMusic review
- ^ Down Beat: December 2, 1965 vol. 32, no. 25
- ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 179. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
- ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1289. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- ^ Gilbert, Robert (November 3, 2002). "Archie Shepp: Fire Music". All About Jazz. Retrieved April 22, 2021.