Archie Shepp, Mama Too Tight (side A)

Among Archie Shepp's vast discography, Mama Too Tight definitely stands out.  Both "A Portrait of Robert Thompson (as a Young Man)", which fills side A, and the long "Basheer" capture so many of the talents that make Shepp special.  Both of these tracks couple the free-blowing spirit of New York's late-60s energy jazz with Shepp's methodical compositon talents.  They weave nicely in and out of chaos, as melodies emerge and disappear and tempos sometimes change abruptly.  "A Portrait of Robert" even manages to incorporate appropriated melodies without interrupting its overarching structure.  The group here is rich in talent and somewhat odd in its configuration — I'm not sure if I'm more surprised by the presence of two trombones (Rudd and Moncur) or a tuba (Howard Johnson).  Beaver Harris's syncopated tendencies seem especially prominent here, perhaps because the ride cymbal leaps out of the mix more than his skins — he's also oddly panned hard-right.  While the group's playing still sounds impressive on the remaining two short tracks, they're a lot simpler structurally and conceptually.  Including two more conventional pieces breaks the magical flow of the album without noticeably expanding the conceptual scope.  The reeds and horns fit together well sonically — the interplay of great musicians is captured with care, and with an emphasis on the rich midrange color that these instruments produce.  The beautiful silhouette photograph of Shepp on the cover is complemented nicely by great fonts, color selection, and layout.