Art Pepper – Promise Kept: The Complete Artist House Recordings – Omnivore Recordings OVCD-333 – 5 CD- 1979 – (Street Date – September 23, 2019)
Art Pepper, the great jazz alto saxophonist, was a deeply sensitive musician. He was both a “street fighter” who would take “no prisoners” when he felt challenged, yet he could be deeply wounded when he felt his talents were questioned. His 30+ year career had many ups and downs. He began on the West Coast, and was a major player in the history of West Coast jazz. Through the later 1950s and much of the 1960s he became hooked on heroin, and spent time in San Quentin. It took a stay at Synanon in San Francisco, and the steadying influence of his wife, Laurie, to permit Art to both stay clean and active throughout the 1970s and into the 80s. He passed away in June, 1982, and seemed to know that he had to make up for lost time in the last decade of his life.
Pepper was prolific during this period, and Laurie has issued over 20 recordings now, both on her own label, Widow’s Taste, as well as Omnivore. Some are “bootleg” live sessions recorded by fans, and others were studio quality, but never issued before. What they all have in common, is passionate blowing, edgy; or gut wrenching on ballads, showing Pepper’s deep connection with the peaks and valleys he undertook to remain honestly transparent on his horn. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and this sensitivity caused him to be deeply hurt at times.
As a white West Coast based jazz musician in a largely African American New York City jazz scene, Art had to constantly prove his street cred. As Laurie points out on the liner notes of the new 5 CD box set of Artist House label recordings from 1979, he felt he had something to prove. John Snyder, then Creative Director at Horizon Records, an A&M, jazz label, met Art around the time of a highly successful Village Vanguard week long gig. They hit it off, and Snyder wanted to assist Art with both touring and recording opportunities. Even though Art signed with Fantasy Records, he still ended up recording four albums between February and May of 1979. Recordings were made in both New York, and Los Angeles, with the best East and West coast musicians. They were certainly cream of the crop: Easterners Hank Jones, Ron Carter, George Cables, and Al Foster; as well as (then) Angelenos, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins.
The New York sessions were a bit more problematic, as Art felt that he was being “tested” by Ron Carter, and therefore, there were issues with the rhythm section wanting to “push” the ballad tempos. Listening to the New York tracks now forty years later, the edginess and aggressive stance from Pepper comes through, whereas the LA material has a more relaxed, swinging feel.
It’s all good though, as Art can cut loose, when backed by all-star talent. The tracklist is quite familiar to me as a mix of Pepper standards, and numbers that he performed throughout the 1970s and up till his death in 1982. To my regret, there is only a single ballad on the LA sessions, “Stardust.” We do get to hear Art on clarinet on “Anthropology” and “In a Mellow Tone.” He played clarinet so sparingly on recordings that it is always a treat to hear him on clarinet…
Disc one has five tracks from the So In Love Artist House recording, two songs from his Galaxy Recordings box set, and “Straight No Chaser” previously unissued. Disc two has five tracks from Artworks from the Artist House LP, as well as two previously unissued
(“Desafinado” and “Anthropology”), and another two compositions from the Galaxy set
(“Blues for Blanche” and “You Go to My Head”).
Disc three was titled “New York Album” when it was issued by Galaxy in 1985. There are four numbers that were recorded for Artist House, as well here. Disc four was titled Stardust, when issued by Victor in Japan in 1985. It was recorded in LA and has four previously unissued tracks.
Pepper completists will enjoy Disc five as it has ten previously unissued numbers. I especially dug Art as his soulful best on an alternate C take of “Blues for Blanche,” as well as take 1 of “Yesterdays.” A rare treat is hearing Pepper take a 5:21 solo take of “Lover Man.”
Art Pepper kept his promise to record for John Snyder’s fledgling label, Artist House. John had the right idea to match Art with “A” grade musicians, while Pepper was back at full strength. We’re all better for the results, especially in well mixed remastered sound.
Artists:
Art Pepper – alto sax and clarinet; George Cables or Hank Jones – piano; Ron Carter or Charlie Haden – bass; Al Foster or Billy Higgins – drums
Tracklist:
Disc One: So In Love (73:26)
Straight, No Chaser
So In Love
Diane
Stardust
Bonus Tracks:
Yesterdays (take 2)
Landscape
Straight, No Chaser
Disc Two: Artworks (75:06)
Body and Soul
Anthropology
Desafinado
Donna Lee
You Go to My Head
Blues for Blanche
Bonus Tracks:
Desafinado(take 1)
Anthropology(take 1)
Donna Lee (alternate a)
Blues for Blanche (alternate b)
You Go to My Head (alternate a)
Disc Three: New York Album (70:09)
A Night in Tunisia
Lover Man
Straight, No Chaser
Duo Blues
My Friend John
Bonus Tracks:
Johnny’s Blues
A Night in Tunisia (take 1)
Lover Man (clarinet)
Straight, No Chaser (take 1)
My Friend John (alternate b)
Disc Four: Stardust (75:55)
My Friend John
Tin Tin Deo
Stardust
In a Mellow Tone
Bonus Tracks:
Art’s Sweet Blues
But Beautiful
You Go to My Head (alternate b)
Yesterdays (take 3)
Stardust (alternate b)
In a Mellow Tone (take 1)
Disc Five: Sessions (64:58)
Blues for Blanche (alt c)
Yesterdays (take 1)
My Friend John (take 1-long false start)
My Friend John (take 2-false start)
Blues for Blanche (alt. d)
Stardust (long false start)
Donna Lee (alt. b)
But Beautiful (take 2)
A Night in Tunisia (take 3)
Blues for Blanche (alt. c)
Lover Man (alternate sax take)
—Jeff Krow
