Art Pepper Quartet – Live at the Jazz Showcase 1977 – Art Pepper Music / Widows Taste Records – (Avail. as download only from https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/artpepper11) – 64:58 ****:
(Art Pepper, alto sax and clarinet (“Pepper Pot” only); Willie Pickens, piano; Steve Rodby, bass; Wilbur Campbell, drums)
Laurie Pepper, Art’s widow, has continued to release previously commercially unavailable recorded material largely from the later period of Art’s life. The latest treasure, from a live recording at the iconic Jazz Showcase jazz club in Chicago in 1977, is a pirated album previously available only in Spain. Recorded for radio release, it features largely ballads as well as an interview with Art following the five tracks.
Art’s band that night is an interesting mix. Pianist Willie Pickens is a Chicago legend, certainly among the very first choices for touring musicians to use in a pick-up group. Pickens is noted for being a mainstream blues based pianist and has several small label releases. Laurie Pepper has indicated that Art did not get along well with Pickens for reasons unknown, but I feel that Pickens’ playing that evening had no real issues. He comps well, and acquits himself nicely on his solos.
The use of Steve Rodby on bass is an interesting choice. Rodby was quite young in 1977, and later made a name for himself as the long time bassist for Pat Metheny. This certainly was among his first recordings. Drummer, Wilbur Campbell, was another musician who seldom left Chicago. His day job was as a substance abuse counselor. Evenings found him as Showcase owner Joe Segal’s choice for a headliner’s local drummer. Campbell passed away in 1999 at age 73. Liner notes provided with the download of this session have noted drummer, Jack DeJohnette, singing the praises of Campbell as “one of the great drummers of the world” though few outside of Chicago knew about Wilbur.
Introduced by a radio announcer, Art begins with “Pepper Pot” which he had not recorded for over 20 years, and subsequently was only recorded one more time in 1978 for the album, Art Pepper Today. What makes this West Coast style composition so special is that Art plays both alto sax and then both trades fours with Rodby, and takes his own solo on clarinet. Finding recordings with Pepper on clarinet are rare and special.
Next comes “Laurie’s Tune” which had only been recorded for his Contemporary label issue No Limit, just a few months prior. Art considered the tune “probably the best tune I have ever written.” It was played and recorded many times during the rest of Art’s life, but it is a treat to hear it first as Art pours out his heart for 16 minutes for his love. It begins in a modal manner but turns more into a blues as it progresses.
“My Funny Valentine” is next and liner notes indicate that it was the only recorded version of this standard for Art as the sole horn in a quartet. It is gorgeous and a great indicator of the passion that Art pours into a ballad. I’ve found time and time again that Pepper has few peers who express so much emotion playing a ballad whether tenderly or with the occasional honk or squeal.
Another standard, Van Heusen and Burke’s “Imagination” was also previously recorded 20 years prior to the Showcase date. Pickens gently plays the intro before Art solos. Pickens has his solo and Art then has his say on this shorter track.
The concert’s last track is “The Trip” and at near 17 minutes it shows the influence that John Coltrane had on Pepper at this stage in his career. Steve Rodby has his only solo on this tune. Pepper’s description of “The Trip” as “swinging and joyful in a sad type of way” is very apt. On this version, I hear a spirituality influence that Pepper must have had when he wrote this composition for Coltrane and Elvin Jones.
An added bonus on this download is a near-six-minute interview in which Art discusses his writing of his autobiography, Straight Life. It is noted for its stark honesty and no-holds-barred description of a life racked with the demons of drugs and a stay at San Quentin.
Though it would have been great to have this night at The Jazz Showcase documented as a CD, but it is worth the purchase to have the evening in your collection as a download. Once again kudos and thanks to Laurie Pepper for continuing to offer to “Artophiles” more opportunities to sample his genius.
TrackList: Intro, Pepper Pot, My Laurie, My Funny Valentine, Imagination, The Trip, Interview
— Jeff Krow
