Mucho Art Pepper

This recording brings back an obscure session from the long defunct Andex label that was probably recorded around 1956. The emphasis is on Latin jazz with altoist Art Pepper, trumpeter Conte Candoli, tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins, pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Chuck Flores interacting with the percussion of Jack Costanza and Mike Pacheko. With arrangements by Bill Holman, Johnny Mandel, Benny Carter, and Pepper, the music is quite jazz-oriented if a touch lightweight. Worth investigating by fans of the idiom.

This was the first and last time Pepper worked with Jordan, and came about as a result of Pepper's usual pianist, George Cables, being unable to make the dates at Club Montmartre in Copenhagen. To Pepper's dismay, Danmarks Radio decided to record the first gig of the Montmartre series. Pepper need not have worried – the show was a rousing success, with the band tackling a set of standards (and a couple of Pepper originals) with such verve and determination that relatively simple tunes turned into astounding solo workouts (there are several drum and bass solos to be heard on this record), the amazing highlight of which is a shot at "Besame Mucho" that rounds out to twenty-two minutes. Art Pepper was in the process of dying at the time this recording was made, but there's no lack of energy, no loss of vitality. A two-CD live jazz set that's well worth having and should not be overlooked.

Released on the small Tampa label, this album features the great altoist Art Pepper with pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Gary Frommer. The quality of the music here is high, if brief - even with his erratic lifestyle, Pepper never made a bad record. Highlights include the Pepper original "Diane," "Besame Mucho," and "Pepper Pot." Fine music, but not essential when one considers how many gems Art Pepper recorded during his rather hectic life.

This giant 16-CD Galaxy set features Pepper at the peak of his powers. Most of the performances are in a quartet setting, although this collection also includes a session with strings, five unaccompanied alto solos (he also plays clarinet on a few tracks), and a pair of CDs in which Pepper performs duets with pianist George Cables. Although more general collectors may want to acquire some of the individual sessions first (most of which are available separately on CD), the more dedicated jazz fans are advised to save their money and acquire this essential package.

Shortly after Art Pepper's death in 1982, JVC Records in Japan began issuing a series of titles of the great saxophonist's performances in Japan. This set, recorded in 1979, was compiled from two different July performances and features the classic Pepper quartet with pianist George Cables, drummer Billy Higgins, and the great Tony Dumas on bass. Pepper played only alto on the dates, and these five tunes offer a portrait of the musician at the very top of his form and very inspired. There are three Pepper originals: "Red Car," "Mambo de la Pinta," and "The Trip," all of which are over nine minutes, buffeted by the set's lone ballad, "The Shadow of Your Smile," and a smoking read of the title track…

Art Pepper - Among Friends (1978) {Discovery-PJL Japan Re-Issue MTCJ-2542 rel 2002}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 354 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 116 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 33 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1978, 2002 Discovery / P.J.L. Japan | MTCJ-2542 | 24bit remaster
Jazz / Post Bop / Cool / Saxophone

Art Pepper mostly sticks to standards on this Discovery LP, but he brings out new life in the veteran songs, particularly on such ballads as "Round Midnight," "What's New" and "Besame Mucho." With the assistance of pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Frank Butler, the great altoist (who is heard just prior to signing an exclusive contract with the Galaxy label) is also in top form on such pieces as "What Is This Thing Called Love" and "I'll Remember April." An excellent (if not quite essential) release.

Art Pepper - Unreleased Art, Vol. 4 - The Art History Project (2009) {3CD Set, Widow's Taste ‎APM09001 rec 1951-1982}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 1.09 Gb | MP3 @320 -> 430 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 45 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1951-82, 2009 Widow's Taste | APM09001
Jazz / Bebop / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Jazz Blues / Saxophone

There are several Art Pepper boxed sets on the market but none that tried to cover the entire sweep of his checkered career until this one, the fourth in his widow Laurie Pepper's series of Unreleased Art projects for her own label. The three-CD set is thoughtfully divided by disc into three periods – early Pepper from the cool 1950s, his lost years in the '60s when he spent most of the decade in jail on dope charges, and the final comeback from the mid-'70s until his death in 1982.

Art Pepper - Unreleased Art, Vol. 1- The Complete Abashiri Concert (1981) {2CD Set, Widow's Taste APMC06001 rel 2006}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 718 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 261 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 24 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1981, 2006 Widow's Taste | APMC 06001
Jazz / Bebop / Cool / West Coast Jazz / Jazz Blues / Saxophone

Despite his precarious health, wrecked by decades of doping, Art Pepper was performing and recording at a furious pace during his last seven years, trying to make up for lost time. There is a tremendous amount of material already issued from those years – and since this initial release from Laurie Pepper's label Widow's Taste is designated Vol. 1, there must be much more on the shelf. Hopefully the rest of the booty is as good as this one, a souvenir of Pepper's last tour of Japan, where he had become the country's number one jazz alto sax star even before he returned to performing.