#redefinition

He has used text before, notably “Malcolm, Malcolm - Semper Malcolm” from Fire Music and a number of tracks on Attica Blues. He regards rap as an integral part of a continuum of African and African-American music. All of which is to say this album is a natural step and in Raw Poetic and Damu, Shepp finds sympathetic foils. They and the band demonstrate a chemistry that makes Ocean Bridges far more than a curiosity. Structured as a conversation between Shepp’s horn (and occasional words) and Poetic’s raps, the album alternates between vocal and instrumental tracks (Professor Shepp’s Agenda 1 to 7). Despite the social and political focus, the album never feels didactic; the mood is laidback, the music swings loose and is all the more effective for it.

As a lyricist and rapper Raw Power recalls Mos Def in his tone, flow and subject matter. On the twelve-minute album centerpiece “Aperture” he addresses the power of music to unify the collective and reintegrate individuals riven by oppressive power. With vibraphone runs, a steady but exploratory rhythm, Fritz’s quietly funky guitar, Moore and Shepp solos on tenor and soprano and doo-wop like backing vocals “Aperture” is at once a run through musical history and the essence of what makes Ocean Bridges work so well.  

Although the titanic power of Shepp’s seminal recordings is absent, his trademark edge remains. Ocean Bridges emphasizes the underlying lyricism of his style that was often overshadowed by critics’ dismissal of the more challenging parts of his work. The generosity of spirit, real chemistry and wealth of talent that underpins this collaboration make Ocean Bridges a terrific listen, and it is wonderful to hear Shepp in such fine form.