This is Volume 9 of the continuing series of previously unreleased recordings of the legendary Art Pepper culled from the storage depot of his faithful wife Laurie. For my money, this is the best one yet for a couple of reasons.
Number one, it’s capturing Art Pepper during the mid 1970s when he was during his renaissance. He was trying to get his foot into the studio musician’s door, and his sound, chops and ideas are at an apotheosis. Number two, for the first time in 17 years, he’s reunited with possibly the last unique sounding tenor saxist, Warne Marsh, who was also in a revival, as he was in the chair for the highly popular Supersax band. So, for these 3 discs, you get two of the West Coast’s most personal sounding artists, captured in LA’s definitive 70s joint, Donte’s, where for five bucks and two drinks you could take in the best sounds jazz had to offer.
Pepper’s working team at the time was Mark Levine/p, John Heard/b and Lew Malin/dr (Bill Mays sits in on “Cherokee”), and the team is flexible and sharp. Levine is able to go Tyner Modal on “All the Things You Ar” and bebop with the best on the thrill rides of “Lover Come Back To Me” and ”Yardbird Suite.” Pepper is simply inspired and inspiring; he feels right at home as he slithers on vintage boppers such as “Donna Lee” and searingly agonizes on “’Round Midnight.” The real ringer is when he switches to soprano sax (!) for a highly hip “Walkin’”.
Marsh is wonderfully cerebral and icy, at times swinging like Lester Young on “Broadway” flexing muscles on “Rhythm –A-Ning” and showing his unique brand of angularity on “What’s New.” The two horns do some wonderfully weaving in and out like coalescing mists, making the time stand still as they hover over the rhythm section in vintage Tristano mode on pieces like “Here’s That Rainy Day.” Bill Mays delivers the goods on the 18+ minute “Cherokee” which closes this album. Pepper sounds like he just went 15 rounds with Oscar De La Hoya, but he’s still standing. Does anyone give his all to music like this anymore?
The two things that you’ll walk away with after listening to this gold mine of music is a) bebop is still the heartbeat of jazz, and all sounds since simply signify a slow decline b) playing like this is not learned in music schools; you’ve got to feel it, and that just ain’t in a classroom at $20,000 a semester. These guys teach what isn’t being taught.