by Scott YanowBy 1985 Archie Shepp's tone on tenor had declined quite a bit from just a few years earlier. This should have been a strong set for the sidemen (trumpeter Enrico Rava, keyboardist Siegfried Kessler, bassist Wilbur Little and drummer Clifford Jarvis) are excellent and the repertoire is both diverse and challenging. However Shepp fouls up Naima by playing his out-of-tune soprano, talks and sings on the 18-minute Little Red Moon more than he plays tenor and his sax sounds quite sloppy on Whisper Not and Sweet Georgia Brown. Despite some good moments from the supporting cast, this is one to skip.