Attica Blues (album)

Attica Blues is an album by avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp. Originally released in 1972 on the Impulse! label, the album title refers to the Attica Prison riots.

Reception
The AllMusic review by Steve Huey states: "Attica Blues is one of Shepp's most successful large-group projects, because his skillful handling of so many different styles of black music produces such tremendously groovy results". Stephen Davis of Rolling Stone said that it was "not just a masterpiece of protest: [...] it is more a politico/religious experience, an appeal to higher human consciousness to, for God's sake, help us out of this torment."

Track listing

 * All compositions by Archie Shepp, except as indicated


 * 1) "Attica Blues" (lyrics by Beaver Harris) – 4:49
 * 2) "Invocation: Attica Blues" (Harris) – 0:18
 * 3) "Steam, Part 1" – 5:08
 * 4) "Invocation to Mr. Parker" (lyrics by Bart Gray) – 3:17
 * 5) "Steam, Part 2" – 5:10
 * 6) "Blues for Brother George Jackson" – 4:00
 * 7) "Invocation: Ballad for a Child" (Harris) – 0:30
 * 8) "Ballad for a Child" (lyrics by Harris) – 3:37
 * 9) "Good-Bye Sweet Pops" (Cal Massey) – 4:23
 * 10) "Quiet Dawn" (Massey) – 6:12
 * Recorded at A&R Recording, NYC, January 24–26, 1972 (Track timings slightly differ from one issue to another, due to merging tracks.)

Personnel

 * Archie Shepp - tenor saxophone (1, 6, 8, 10) and soprano saxophone (3, 5, 9)
 * Brass and reed section on tracks 1, 6, 9 and 10
 * Clifford Thornton - cornet
 * Roy Burrows, Charles McGhee, Michael Ridley - trumpet
 * Charles Greenlee, Charles Stephens, Kiane Zawadi - trombone
 * Hakim Jami - euphonium
 * Clarence White - alto saxophone
 * Roland Alexander, Billy Robinson - tenor saxophone
 * James Ware - baritone saxophone
 * String section on tracks 1, 3, 5, and 8—10
 * John Blake, Leroy Jenkins, Lakshinarayana Shankar - violin
 * Ronald Lipscomb, Calo Scott - cello
 * Marion Brown - alto saxophone (1, 6), bamboo flute (3), flute (4), percussion (3—5)
 * Walter Davis, Jr. - electric piano (1, 6), piano (6, 8—10)
 * Dave Burrell - electric piano (3, 5)
 * Cornell Dupree - guitar (1, 3, 5, 8)
 * Roland Wilson (1, 3, 5–6, 8), Gerald Jemmott (1) - Fender bass
 * Jimmy Garrison - bass (3—5, 9, 10)
 * Beaver Harris (1, 3, 5–6, 8) - drums
 * Ollie Anderson, Nene DeFense, Juma Sultan - percussion (1, 6, 10)
 * Vocals
 * Henry Hull (1, 8), Joe Lee Wilson (3, 5) - vocals
 * William Kunstler (2, 7), Bartholomew Gray (4) - narrator
 * Joshie Armstead, Albertine Robertson - backing vocals (1)
 * Featured exclusively on tracks 9 and 10, written by Cal Massey
 * Romulus Franceschini - conductor and co-arranger
 * Cal Massey - fluegelhorn (10)
 * Waheeda Massey - vocals (10)
 * Billy Higgins - drums