This particular early Archie Shepp recording has its strong moments, although it is a bit erratic.

Four selections utilize an advanced sextet.

Of these songs, "Hambone" has repetitive riffing by the horns behind the soloists, and Shepp's bizarre exploration of "The Girl from Ipanema" gets tedious, but the episodic "Los Olvidaos" is quite colorful, and the tenorman sounds fine on a spacy rendition of "Prelude to a Kiss." "Malcolm, Malcolm-Semper Malcolm" has Shepp reading a brief poem for the fallen Malcolm X before he jams effectively on tenor in a trio with bassist David Izenzon and drummer J.C.

Moses.

Overall, this set, even with its faults, is recommended.

[Some reissues are rounded out by a bonus cut, a live version of "Hambone" that is much more interesting than the earlier rendition.].