ART PEPPER Vinyl & CDs

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record has light surface marks/scratches, otherwise in excellent working condition***


Jazz could bait controversy with a sense of mischief even back in the 50s, as Chet Baker and Art Pepper demonstrated when they released the pin-up sporting Playboys in 1957 with tracks like 'For Minors Only'. Of course, Hugh Hefner had something to say about that and so the album was reissued as Picture Of Heath in 1961, and it remains a marvellous entry in the discographies of these two jazz masters. As such, Blue Note turned back to this record for their Tone Poet series, as Baker's trumpet and Pepper's alto sax interact with Phil Urso's tenor sax, Curtis Counce's bass, Carl Perkins' piano and Lawrence Marable's drums. It's an all-time great sounding better than ever on this edition.

Review: Art Pepper's Stardust originally came in 1985 when producer John Synder finally got his long held wish to get Pepper in the studio. He booked him in for a week at New York's Village Vanguard while still under contract to Contemporary Records. Art promised to make four albums with Synder and duly did and now one of them made from those first sesssons is reissued here having been remastered by Grammy winner Michael Graves and recut by Jeff Powell. The album features Pepper's takes on Hoagy Carmichael and a version of Duke Ellington's 'In A Mellow Tone,' amongst more.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Slight surface marks ***


Art Pepper was regarded as one of the world's greatest alto-sax players by the time of his death in 1982. This album, Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section, is widely regarded as one of his finest works, although legend has it he was only informed about the session the morning of recording and arrived unprepared. He was playing with a strong band - at the time they were Miles Davis' rhythm section no less. Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums, and Art Pepper out front giving his all on a sax that was reportedly in bad shape. Such scenes are iconic music made of.