"Originally recorded for Revelation, the music on this CD reissue features the underrated but talented altoist Anthony Ortega stretching out on four duets with bassist Chuck Domanicoand four trios with bassist Bobby West and drummer Bill Goodwin. Ortega plays adventurous but perfectly coherent solos on four originals and a quartet of standards (including "The Shadow Of Your Smile" and a haunting rendition of "My Buddy"). Although one can hear abstract ties to the music of Lennie Tristano, in general Ortega is surprisingly original, making this set an overlooked gem." -- allmusic.com
Personnel
Anthony Ortega - alto saxophone
Chuck Domanico - bass
Bobby West - bass
Bill Goodwind - drums
"At the time this record was recorded, Shepp was bouncing back and forth between Paris and New York. He also bounced between the Impulse! and BYG labels. He also bounced between styles. For BYG, his music reached to grasp the bare beginnings of black music, back to Africa and the blues. His music for Impulse! tried to embrace the contemporary sounds of R&B, with very mixed results that to this day divide his fans. This record is a transitional one. For the traditionalists, there's his shattering and amusing cover of "I've Got It Bad" performed by the usual suspects one would think to find on an Archie Shepp record, including Cecil Payne and Joe Chambers. For those enraptured by albums like Attica Blues, songs like "Stick 'Em Up" will fascinate, as Shepp's raspy tenor is joined not only by a legion of avant-garde brethren (including names like Beaver Harris and Grachan Moncur), but also by the funky wood of electric bass, guitar, and organ." -- allmusic.com
Personnel
see: http://www.discogs.com/Archie-Shepp-For-Losers/release/1400543
