Opening with the 18+ minute track of the same name, Archie Shepp’s The Magic of Ju-Ju takes on a fevered pace as the centrepiece of this date from 1968. Shepp lets loose from the beginning as he’s joined by Beaver Harris, Norman Connor, Ed Blackwell, Frank Charles and Dennis Charles, all on percussion. The initial pace never dissipates throughout the title-track’s run. The additional tracks on Magic of Ju-Ju are a departure from the first, sitting more in a traditional realm. The album is a valuable snapshot in time highlighting Archie Shepp’s contribution to the space of spiritual and free jazz. This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit.
