The first half set the tone: four musicians — saxophonist, pianist, kit drummer, double bassist — bathed in light, playing pieces filled with meaning.
Spiritual but not religious, said Archie Shepp of the opener, Wise One, by his former mentor John Coltrane, and Isfahan by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, a tune that Shepp delivered with eyes closed, his tenor sax tender and expressive.
At 84, the free jazz pioneer still blows with the fire of the Sixties but here he went deep, moving from classical to jazz to gospel and blues and way beyond genre, aided by longtime collaborator Amina Claudine Myers on vocals and organ; a formidable choir that included UK-based talents Cleveland Watkiss and the vocally dextrous Carleen Anderson; and his own throaty yet powerful baritone.
Highlights were many: Rest Enough, a song that Shepp wrote for his late mother morphed into a life-affirming call-and-response; Cal Massey’s The Cry of My People felt more urgent than ever.
After a standing ovation, Myers returned to the keys to lead a take on her own Do You Wanna Be Saved? Last night, however briefly, in the church of Archie Shepp, the answer was yes.
The EFG Londin Jazz Fest continues until Sun (efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk)
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