Hear the Sound

On September 9, 1971, a riot broke out in Attica Prison, New York State, and quickly spread. Five days later the prison was re-taken by force and 39 people were left dead: 29 prisoners and 10 hostages. At first, the administration tried to blame the guards' deaths on the rioters, before being forced to renege. In January 1972, Archie Shepp recorded an album entitled Attica Blues in tribute to this rebellion. After the original and the repeat performance at the Palais des Glaces in 1979 of his Attica Blues Orchestra, in 2012, Shepp reprised this fantastic tribute, together with a brilliant and dynamic collective of performers. It is an album that transcends styles and epochs.