#FortnightFridayMusic Feb 27 2026 We were recently #Purple but this week we’re specifically #Violet. Archie Shepp Quartet, “Violets for Your Furs” from True Ballads (1997) I’ve recently become somewhat obsessed with saxophonist Archie Shepp. I cannot get enough of his soulful breathy style and penchant for playing ballads rather than the uptempo bebop favored by so many jazz greats, that neither my intellect nor attention span can handle. Shepp’s playing has a mournful tone that somehow soothes. As luck would have it, I was listening to his album True Ballads yesterday, with final track “Violets for Your Furs.” The song was composed by Matt Dennis with words by Tom Adair in 1941 and first recorded by Frank Sinatra singing with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and been recorded numerous times since, including renditions by folks with names like Coltrane and Holiday. Like many jazz tracks, it’s longer than your standard pop tune, so settle in and give it a listen - it’s gorgeous, man. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_-qLcANv9Q #jazz #saxophone #ArchieShepp #FrankSinatra #Sinatra #TommyDorsey #TommyDorseyOrchestra