Mama Too Tight

Mama Too Tight
Studio album by Archie Shepp
Released	1966
Recorded	August 19, 1966
Genre	Jazz, avant-garde jazz, free jazz, hard bop
Length	37:43
Label	Impulse!
Archie Shepp chronology
Archie Shepp Live in San Francisco (1966) Mama Too Tight (1966) The Magic of Ju-Ju (1967)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[2]

Mama Too Tight is an album by Archie Shepp released on Impulse! Records in 1966. The album contains tracks recorded by Shepp, Tommy Turrentine, Grachan Moncur III, Roswell Rudd, Howard Johnson, Perry Robinson, Charlie Haden and Beaver Harris in August 1966.

Reception

The Allmusic review by Thom Jurek states "Shepp had hit his stride here compositionally... lots of free blowing, angry bursts of energy, and shouts of pure revelry are balanced with Ellingtonian elegance and restraint that was considerable enough to let the lyric line float through and encourage more improvisation. This is Shepp at his level best".^[3]

Track listing

1. "A Portrait Of Robert Thompson: A. Prelude to a Kiss / B. The Break Strain-King Cotton / C. Dem Basses" (Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills/Public Domain/Archie Shepp) - 18:57
2. "Mama Too Tight" - 5:25
3. "Theme for Ernie" (Fred Lacey) - 3:21
4. "Basheer" - 10:38

All compositions by Archie Shepp except as indicated

• Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, August 19, 1966

Personnel

• Archie Shepp: tenor saxophone
• Tommy Turrentine: trumpet
• Grachan Moncur III: trombone
• Roswell Rudd: trombone
• Howard Johnson: tuba
• Perry Robinson: clarinet
• Charlie Haden: bass
• Beaver Harris: drums

References

1. Allmusic Review
2. Swenson, J. (Editor) (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 179. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
3. Jurek, T. Allmusic Review accessed April 7, 2009.