Archie Shepp plays in Perpignan

Archie Shepp was born in 1937. He told us this speaking to camera in the 16mm film that preceded the concert. He is an elegant man. His large round eyes, spark wit as counterpoint to his patter. Well, patter in that he has said much of this before but in print. Revision ; on musical life patter, on the inequities of racism, passion. He means it, bagging himself alongside his older brothers John Coltrane and Malcom X. But, unlike them, he is alive. He lives well and safely.

As the film revealed, Archie Shepp is fast on person politics and work. He readily spots fakes and schiesters and if necessary beats them at their own attempts at deceit. You can only do that, as Erving Goffman analysed exquisitely in his essay on confidence tricksters, if you know who, what, where, when and all the variants. Shepp knows himself, he is aware of his strengths and weaknesses. He will stop playing when he knows he is lost too much of his creative technique. He will not keep playing in public to the near last breath, as did the pioneer of the tenor saxophone Coleman Hawkins whom Shepp so resembles in his choice of attire and sardonic expressions and on startling occasion in his tone. The tragic endgame with Hawk happened in London when the dying genius, malnourished, alcoholic and frail was shouted at by a member of the audience. " You're finished " or " You've had it " or some crisp insult worthy of the football terraces. Shepp is worldly and wise he will always avoid such vunerability and if challenged will give better than he gets. This man is an orator, a poet, a fine singer and actor and he is big and fast.

On the night in question, to use the lingo of English court evidence, he was working with an even taller woman singer. Shepp, since he left the Black Muslims, wears a trilby hat with his suits but his pronounced affections remain with Africa. Carole is going to sing songs associated with Billie Holiday whose music and life is in the heartland of black musicians conciousness of their peoples oppression and exploitation from slavery to now. She has bleached her hair platinum blond to blend with her pale skin. Whilst the musicians and sound technicians set up, the audience, retired to the tenth floor of the Palais de Congres, to sample the wines and snacks of the Catalane. A Chilian street band played sweet polkas and walzes to accompany the sipping. On the ground floor or res de chasseur, the level of the hunter, Carole was testing the mike and sound balance to the song When you're Smiling.

The technicians move and changed this and that, twizzle the many dials and sliders but none of this pleased Carole whose verdict was, " This mike has a dead sound ". The bass player tunes up leaving the accompainment to the pianist. Drummer assembles and hits as she breaks into Smiling again. Shepp enters playing, stage top right. He takes his place at the same latitude and longditude but with a different attitude. The technicians had found a mike that pleases Carole, a Shure. Now to try Archie's mike. Thin mellalic sound, nothing like him. Carole departs, satisfied with her sound. Archie asks for his sound to be adjusted, " No middle too much bass ". The quartet try a fast bop tune. All muddy to them and us. Archie trys the Shure that has been provided for Carole. " This ", he says, " is ok ". And it is. He plays part of the bop tune again. Carole appears and says in a teasing way " Oh you are trying to get on my mike, Archie ". Archie says nothing. She goes into Smiling again, holding her position on the Shure. Balance the monitors, back and front. I can't hear this and that and the auditorioum sound comes last say the musicians in English and French. The organiser, lean and carrying what looks like either the wages or his sandwiches in a floppy canvas bag gripped in his hand, asks for the concert to start soon.

The setting up continues. Archie says, " Get me a mike like hers ". They do and that bit of the jig saw is solved. The pianist hears a string that rattles on mike. He looks inside the piano, checks the placing of the mikes and eventually the problem is solved and he is the last to leave the stage.

Fifteen minutes elapse and we the audience are admitted. The place is full, average age about 45. Another of the organisers gives a brief introduction from the floor in front of the stage and bang, the quartet are there with the fast bop tune and all the band are suited. The all Afro-American band moves along well but the music is without much contrast or rather tension and release. The sound still seems muddy particularly the saxophone and the drums. The applause is there but not enthusiastic as the band goes into an Ellington ballade " In a Sentimental Mood ". Shepp begins to shape the expression as his own. He woops and cries and whispers, a very human voice, a blues and declaimatory voice. Piano solo is adequate, bass has a fine sound and sense of drama. Shepp is not standing in a relaxed way, he seems ungainly, makes for his chair real slow as if he were 10 years older. That's not how he swang onto stage at the rehearsal. And he hasn't got his musical ideas into a flow. I guess he had a little too much for his warm up drink. A third number to subdued applause. Where is the spirit now ? Over to Shepp the bandleader who gives a brusque preface to Carole's raunchy walk on ; off white with gardenia to her right temple. The skirt is rouched and in her high heels she is near to 6 feet, about the same as Shepp. 4 bar piano introduction to begin Smiling again. She swings but the points of stress are predictable. Shepp plays along with her whenever she is singing, he leaves her little space, his lines are not those of mutual love. This is not Billie and Pres. In his backing he is mixing somewhat musical with some jarring phrasing that must be deliberate given his great musicality. The volume level stays the same as they reach the last chorus when Carole injects " When youre smiling, Archie " Not drink but argument seems the source of the tension onstage. Did Shepp resent her possesiveness over the Shure mike ? Or was there a fine barb from one to the other ? Whatever, he can barely look at her.

Her voice holds the same timbre. Sadly, for us the audience, Carole is very limited as a jazz singer. She is a type who holds her own as a feature act in a brassy big band. So who chose her for soul jazz ? Does Shepp have an agent or was it his idea ? They don't go together musically or as people, and thats a receipe for tension and so little creativity.

The act continues. All false bouyancy as Archie and Carole sing and even duet in harmony on NAME OF SONG ? Shepp has a fine baritone voice. Carole thinks she has sung the final chorus but Archie continues and as he does so he moves to the limelight at the front of the stage, sings solo, leaving Carole in the shade and grabs the applause after which he turns to Carole and extends his arm in her direction, to offer some of the credit to her. Upstaged on her own song, the one she choose and started and Archie is the saxophone player not the featured singer ! Carole is angry but that's her final anticipated song so she exits. Shepp glides into Round Midnight caressing, lovely sound, credit to his music. Piano solo lacks melodic structure and even leaves the chord sequence for about 3 beats. Archie reacts, a beady glance and he sounds into the piano space from the middle 8 bars giving the last 16 bars to the fine bassist. Now, I'm thinking, is Carole the partner of the pianist ? Archie ends with the Monk cadenza extended sotto voce and just right. And we know this is the real good stuff and show it by our applause and cheers. They try to end but return for an encore. Its a song and Carole is modest and Archie is smiling.