On This Night is an album by Archie Shepp released on Impulse! Records in 1965. The album contains tracks recorded by Shepp, bassist David Izenzon and drummer J. C. Moses in March 1965 and with a larger band in August of that year that included vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Henry Grimes and percussionists Ed Blackwell, Joe Chambers and Rashied Ali.

The AllMusic review by Al Campbell states: "Among the highlights are a passionate reading of Duke Ellington's 'In a Sentimental Mood' and the title piece, a moving tribute to W. E. B. Du Bois, featuring the haunting soprano vocalist Christine Spencer employing a distinct 20th century classical influence, with Shepp on piano. Shepp is the solo horn on these dates, playing at peak form." - Wikipedia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuY_Y3c9-C8&list=PLfyg_SuY7fEIGd2sc44f_90pPZ20QG2K6&index=1

#ArchieShepp #FreeJazz #DavidIzenzon #HenryGrimes #BobbyHutcherson #EdBlackwell #RashiedAli #ImpulseRecords #Jazz #WEBDuBois #Ellington

Abbey Lincoln, Golden Lady, 1981 on Inner City

Originally issued by Blue Marge in France under the name Painted Lady (Abbey Lincoln in Paris), the first US issue was on Inner City Records under the name Golden Lady. Aminata Moseka, the name she adopted in the mid seventies, also appears in a parenthetical on the cover, along with Archie Shepp who accompanies her.

Recorded in Paris in 1980.

My copy—via Academy Records in NYC—is a 1981 release pressed by Hub-Servall and mastered at Europadisk.

#FortnightFridayMusic
March 6, 2026

We were recently #Purple but this week we’re specifically #Violet.

Archie Shepp Quartet, “Violets for Your Furs” from True Ballads (1997)

I’ve recently become somewhat obsessed with saxophonist Archie Shepp. I cannot get enough of his soulful breathy style and penchant for playing ballads rather than the uptempo bebop favored by so many jazz greats, that neither my intellect nor attention span can handle. Shepp’s playing has a mournful tone that somehow soothes.

As luck would have it, I was listening to his album True Ballads yesterday, with final track “Violets for Your Furs.” The song was composed by Matt Dennis with words by Tom Adair in 1941 and first recorded by Frank Sinatra singing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and been recorded numerous times since, including renditions by folks with names like Coltrane and Holiday.

Like many jazz tracks, it’s longer than your standard pop tune, so settle in and give it a listen - it’s gorgeous, man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_-qLcANv9Q

#jazz #saxophone #ArchieShepp #FrankSinatra #Sinatra #TommyDorsey #TommyDorseyOrchestra