The long-awaited reissue of Ambonisye Lord Shepherd’s 1981 debut album, Evidence For Real — a deeply personal and spiritual fusion of Soul and Jazz that has remained a hidden treasure for more than four decades.
The newly remastered edition arrives on vinyl, restoring the powerful work of a drummer, composer, an bandleader who chose to walk his own path, well outside the mainstream.
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 healingand higher consciousness.
Though self-released on his Verline Records label and overlooked upon its release, Evidence For Real has since become a cult artifact — a record whispered about among collectors who revere it as a profound statement of resilience, spirituality, and independence.
