Biography
Goin' Home is a studio album by American saxophonist Archie Shepp and pianist Horace Parlan. Although it surprised jazz listeners upon its release in 1977, Goin' Home was praised by music critics for its reverent tone and stylistic deviation from Shepp's previous free jazz works. Shepp and Parlan were artistically satisfied with the album and subsequently recorded another album together, Trouble in Mind, in 1980.
After their respective work in the avant-garde jazz movement of the 1960s, Shepp and Parlan both faced career challenges as the jazz scene diverged stylistically. They left the United States for Europe during the 1970s and met each other in Denmark before recording the album on April 25, 1977, at Sweet Silence Studio in Copenhagen.
A jazz and gospel album, Goin' Home features Shepp and Parlan's interpretations of African-American folk melodies and spirituals. Its title is an allusion to Shepp's return to his African cultural roots. Shepp had never recorded spirituals before and was overcome with emotion during the album's recording because of the historical and cultural context of the songs.
Goin' Home was reissued on CD by SteepleChase Records on May 3, 1994.
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