In view of the renaissance of vinyl as a viable listening option, Craft Recordings is reissuing some classic albums from when, well, vinyl was vinyl. Someone over there is doing his homework, as this 1957 album by West Coast alto saxist Art Pepper is an absolute classic.
The beauty of this album lays in the fact that Pepper is teamed up with Miles Davis’ then rhythm section of Paul Chambers/b, Philly Joe Jones/dr and Red Garland/p, making for a sweet and sour sauce for the best of tastes.
Pepper is spicey on his take of “You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To” and gets picante on the Latinized “Tin Tin Deo”. “Birks Works” bops the blues, and “Star Eyes” shines brightly, with the team digging in for a cruise on the PCH for a breezy “Straight Life”. There are a handful of blues as well, has Pepper swooning like a diva, particularly on “Jazz Me Blues”. It’s albums like this that make you remember why you fell in love with jazz. Don’t have it yet? Are you kidding?!?!?