Fire Music - Archie Shepp (1LP Vinyl) [Vital Vinyl]

Fire Music by Archie Shepp.

Few records capture the incendiary spirit of mid-1960s jazz quite like Archie Shepp's "Fire Music," a title that lives up to its name across five tracks that move from raw invention to unexpected tenderness. Originally issued in 1965, this reissue arrives as part of the "Vital Vinyl" series under the Verve Label Group, bringing one of Shepp's most compelling statements back into circulation for a new generation of listeners.

The album opens with "Hambone" and "Los Olvidados" on the A-side, both recorded on February 16, 1965, before the record turns to the ferocious "Malcolm, Malcolm, Semper Malcolm" on the B-side, laid down on March 9, 1965. Shepp then closes the set with two standards reimagined in his own language: Duke Ellington's "Prelude To A Kiss" and the ever-familiar "The Girl From Ipanema," both captured in that same February session. It is a program that balances Shepp's fiery originals against tunes that reveal his lyrical side.

The personnel gathered here reads like a roster of players deeply committed to the new music. Shepp plays tenor saxophone throughout, working alongside Marion Brown on alto saxophone, Ted Curson on trumpet, Joseph Orange on trombone, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums across the ensemble sides. Recorded by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder and produced by Bob Thiele, the sessions carry the sonic signature that made these dates so enduring. Shepp plays a Selmer saxophone, a detail preserved in the original liner notes.

This edition comes with a printed inner sleeve that reproduces a facsimile of the original 1965 liner notes from "Fire Music, A-86," complete with the words of two distinct writers: LeRoi Jones supplied the back cover notes, while Nat Hentoff contributed the notes reproduced on the inner sleeve. The original cover artwork survives as well, with cover design by Robert Flynn, liner design by Joe Lebow, a cover painting by Mel Cheren, and photography by Chuck Stewart.

Pressed and made in the EU as a global release by Universal Music, the record carries catalog number 00602577573842 on the labels, with the extended 000602577573842 appearing on the back cover, spine, and inner sleeve. The pressing bears the P 1965 and C 2019 Verve Label Group markings, along with BIEM/SDRM designations. Some copies arrive with stickers on the shrink-wrap, including a "Vital Vinyl" series sticker and a possible "Made in Czech Republic" sticker.

For collectors and newcomers alike, this is an essential document of Archie Shepp at a pivotal moment, blending protest, homage, and pure sonic exploration into a single unforgettable set.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Hambone
A2. Los Olvidados
B1. Malcolm, Malcolm, Semper Malcolm
B2. Prelude To A Kiss
B3. The Girl From Ipanema

Credits:
Marion Brown - Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax] (A1, A2, B2, B3)
Reggie Johnson - Bass (A1, A2, B2, B3)
Robert Flynn (2) - Cover [Cover Design], Design [Cover Design]
Joe Lebow - Design [Liner Design]
Joe Chambers - Drums (A1, A2, B2, B3)
Rudy Van Gelder - Engineer
LeRoi Jones - Liner Notes [Back Cover]
Nat Hentoff - Liner Notes [Inner Sleeve]
Mel Cheren - Painting [Cover Painting]
Chuck Stewart - Photography By [Cover Photograph]
Bob Thiele - Producer [Produced By]
Archie Shepp - Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax]
Joseph Orange - Trombone (A1, A2, B2, B3)
Ted Curson - Trumpet (A1, A2, B2, B3)

Notes:
Comes with a printed inner sleeve. There may be 1 or 2 stickers on the shrink-wrap.

[Stickers on shrink]
Back: 'Made in Czech Republic'
Front: 'Vital Vinyl' series

Not all copies have 'Made in Czech Republic' sticker.
The 'Vital Vinyl' series sticker may be for 'Verve' or 'Impulse!'.

[Catalog numbers]
000602577573842 <> Back cover, spine, inner sleeve
00602577573842 <> Labels

[Back cover, inner sleeve and labels]
℗ 1965 Verve Label Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
© 2019 Verve Label Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

[Back cover]
Universal international Music B.V. Gerrit Van Der Veenlaan 4, 3743 DN, Baarn, Netherlands.
BIEM/SDRM. Made in the EU.

[Inner sleeve]
(This is a facsimile of the original 1965 liner notes from “Fire Music, A-86"
A1, A2 <> Recorded on February 16, 1965
B1 <> Recorded: March 9, 1965
B2, B3 <> Recorded: February 16, 1965
Archie Shepp plays a Selmer saxophone.
Made in the EU. Universal international Music B.V. Gerrit Van Der Veenlaan 4, 3743 DN, Baarn, Netherlands.

[Labels]
Made in the EU. BIEM/SDRM.

{Labels - Publishing}
A1 <> Embassy Music Corp. (BMI) c/o Music Sales Corporation
A2 <> Duchess Music Corp. (BMI)
B1 <> Freddy Bienstock Company (ASCAP)
B2 <> Mills Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
B3 <> Duchess Music Corp. (BMI)

The inner sleeve, which replicates the gatefold interior panels of the original release, has some publishing differences to the labels. Also on track B3 the full names of the writers are given. The label values have been used.

{Inner sleeve - Publishing}
A1 <> Embassy Music Corp. - BMI
A2 <> Pamco Music, Inc. - BMI
B1 <> P A B Music Corp. - BMI
B2 <> Mills Music - ASCAP
B3 <> Duchess Music Corp. - BMI

A global release by Universal Music.

Artist: Archie Shepp

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Impulse!

Catalog Number: 000602577573842

Series: Vital Vinyl

Release Year: 2019

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)