About

Born Robert Charles Sheppard Jr. in Omaha, Nebraska, and later known as Ambonisye Lord Shepherd, the artist carried a life story as inspiring as his music. From his formative years in Omaha’s historic 24th & Lake district to his creative explorations in Los Angeles, Shepherd forged a sound that was at once fiercely personal and universally searching.

Recorded in late-night sessions across Hollywood and Hermosa Beach with a close circle of collaborators, Evidence For Real reflects Shepherd’s spiritual journey in the wake of his mother’s passing, embodying his belief in music as a vehicle for healing and higher consciousness.

This 2025 reissue finally brings Shepherd’s vision back into the light. — (via Label)

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Frederiksberg Records doesn’t shout. Andreas Vingaard’s New York label works quietly, bringing back records that once moved hand to hand, gig to gig, without much thought for permanence. It pays attention to sound and history without fuss or inflated claims. The People’s People Present The Spirit Of David and Spirits Rejoice! return spiritual jazz to circulation without dressing it up for a new audience. Milt Ward & Virgo Spectrum and Carsten Meinert Kvartet follow ideas wherever they lead, not just where the market already looks. The catalogue feels deliberate, patient, shaped by curiosity more than strategy.

Evidence For Real first appeared in 1981 on Shepherd’s own Verline Records. Ambonisye Lord Shepherd — born Robert Charles Sheppard Jr. in Omaha, Nebraska — was a drummer, composer and bandleader who ignored neat categories. The album was recorded in fragments during late-night sessions across Hollywood and Hermosa Beach, with musicians moving freely between soul, jazz, fusion and funk. Bass comes from Essiet Okon Essiet, Derek Williams and Romeo Williams. It’s heavy, but it moves. Keyboards from René Van Helsdingen, Mike Wilso and Takhshi Hirao float, hover, push. Sometimes quiet, sometimes forceful. Norman Love’s tenor sax and Andy Cleve’s trumpet cut through in short bursts, rarely lingering. And then there’s Shepherd on drums: hard, alert, occasionally sharp. He keeps the music in line, holds it together. The album grew from personal loss, spiritual searching, and Omaha’s 24th and Lake district. It’s not decorative — it’s music meant to do something. Greg Reierson’s remastering makes it clearer and louder, but doesn’t polish away the rough edges.

A few tracks define the record’s shape. ‘24th and Lake Street Omaha Nebraska’ opens with place, memory carried in rhythm rather than nostalgia. ‘Fight for It’ doesn’t ease up: the keyboard and rhythm push hard, leaving no room for comfort. ‘The Day the Little Shepherd Boy Became a Lord’ turns inward; Reginald Alexander’s soprano sax threads between story and belief without spelling either out. ‘Death Land’ stretches widest: a free-leaning fusion piece lifted by René Van Helsdingen’s searching piano, confronting grief without tidy resolution. Together, these tracks show what Evidence For Real does best — and what makes it risky. It doesn’t smooth, it doesn’t explain. It documents life in sound. Frederiksberg’s vinyl reissue returns the album to circulation with the seriousness it deserves, keeping its character intact rather than trying to fix it. — (via UK Vibe)

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Label: Frederiksberg Records
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo
Reissued: 2025 / Originally Released: 1981
Genre: Jazz, Funk / Soul
Style: Jazz-Funk, Soul-Jazz

File under: Soul-Jazz/Jazz-Funk
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