Introductions in the Dark

AMG Review of Introductions in the Dark

Stephen Cook
All Music Guide

Along with Courtney Pine, tenor saxophonist Andy Sheppard helped raise the profile of British jazz in the late '80s with a series of recordings on the Antilles label. Similar to Pine in another respect, Sheppard owes a large debt to Coltrane's mature recordings (to be fair, this could be said of almost any jazz saxophonist from the last three decades). And while some of his solos sound imitative, Sheppard's opaque tone and more evenly-paced phrasing set him apart from the jazz legend. This third solo release also reveals his penchant for Latin rhythms, fusion-light excursions, and expansive arrangements. This last predilection is in no small measure a result of his associations with innovative jazz arrangers like Gil Evans, George Russell, and Carla Bley. The fruits are heard on the album's 23-minute closer, "Romantic Conversations," which sports a wide-screen mix of Afro-Latin rhythms, tempo variations, gorgeous melodies, subtle synthesizer washes, and Sheppard's commanding solo work. In contrast, some of the other material can be a bit overwrought, like the frenetic fusion cut "Rebecca's Glass Slipper" and quiet storm smoothie "Forbidden Fruit." Luckily, Sheppard has enough taste to keep things in check most of the time. Not a jazz album for the ages, but still a fine introduction to Sheppard's work.