The Magic of Ju-Ju

The Magic of Ju-Ju
Studio album by Archie Shepp
Released	May 1968 [1]
Recorded	April 26, 1967
Genre	Jazz
Length	35:18
Label	Impulse!
Producer	Bob Thiele
Archie Shepp chronology
Mama Too Tight (1967) The Magic of Ju-Ju (1968) The Way Ahead (1968)

The Magic of Ju-Ju is an album by Archie Shepp released on Impulse! Records in May 1968.

Background

The album contains tracks recorded by saxophonist Archie Shepp, trumpeter Martin Banks, trombonist Mike Zwerin, bassist Reggie Workman and percussionists Norman Connors, Frank Charles, Dennis Charles, Ed Blackwell and Beaver Harris in April 1967. The album was a defining moment in Shepps career, as he began transitioning into deeper explorations of gospel, blues, and contemporary RnB music. There is an African percussion ensemble in the back, a hint at Shepp's growing acknowledgment of his African heritage.

The title of the album is a reference to Vietnam-era G.I. slang, which hints at the deeper social and political meaning of the album. Jùjú is also a genre of music created by the Yoruba people of Lagos, Nigeria.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
DownBeat	[3]
Austin Krentz	7.5/10 [4]
Pablo's Reviews	8/10 [5]
Rate Your Music Best Albums of 1968	55/1000 [6]
Rate Your Music Best Albums of All Time	3775/5000 [6]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[7]

The AllMusic review by Al Campbell states of the title track "Shepp's emotional and fiery tenor takes off immediately, gradually morphing with the five percussionists who perform on instruments including rhythm logs and talking drums. Shepp never loses the initial energy, moving forward like a man possessed as the drumming simultaneously builds into a fury. Upon the final three minutes, the trumpets of Martin Banks and Michael Zwerin make an abrupt brief appearance, apparently to ground the piece to a halt. This is one of Shepp's most chaotic yet rhythmically hypnotic pieces". ^[2]

Track listing

All music is composed by Archie Shepp.

Side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Magic of Ju-Ju"	18:37
Total length:		18:37

Side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"You're What This Day Is All About"	1:51
2.	"Shazam!"	4:43
3.	"Sorry 'Bout That"	10:07
Total length:		16:41

Personnel

Adapted from the vinyl pressing ^[8]

• Archie Shepp – tenor saxophone
• Martin Banks – trumpet, flugelhorn
• Mike Zwerin – bass trombone, trombone
• Reggie Workman – bass
• Norman Connors – drums
• Beaver Harris – drums
• Frank Charles – talking drum
• Dennis Charles – percussion
• Ed Blackwell – rhythm logs

References

1. "Billboard". June 1, 1968.
2. Campbell, Al, The Magic of Ju-Ju - Archie Shepp, AllMusic , retrieved April 7, 2009
3. Down Beat: August 17, 1968 vol. 35, no. 17.
4. Krentz, Austin (2006). "Archie Shepp" . Retrieved May 19, 2025.
5. Pałasz, Paweł (June 27, 2020). "[Recenzja] Archie Shepp - "The Magic of Ju-Ju" (1967)". Pablo's Reviews (in Polish). Retrieved May 19, 2025.
6. "The Magic of Ju-Ju - Archie Shepp". Rate Your Music . Retrieved May 19, 2025.
7. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 179. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.
8. Shepp, Archie (1967). The Magic of Ju-Ju (Vinyl). AS-9154.