Some of our favorite work ever by altoist
Art Pepper – material recorded in the mid 50s in small group mode, and issued over a variety of labels that include Intro, Jazz West, Pacific Jazz, and Omegatape! The
Pepper heard here is different than the
Art you might catch on some of the better-known sides for Contemporary from the same stretch – because the setting's a bit more relaxed, and
Pepper really hits some tremendous tones on his solos – playing
with a sound that's crisp and modern, yet also surprisingly soulful too – a new deepening of his style as the 50s moved on, and an aspect of his work that we've always loved tremendously. The settings here vary –
with shifting lineups of players that include
Jack Sheldon, Russ Freeman, Gerald Wiggins, Red Norvo, Ben Tucker, Bill Perkins, and Carl Perkins – but there's a really unified feeling to the recordings, partly through this new sense of spirit that
Pepper was bringing to his work. The package brings together both original tracks from the albums, plus bonus material from now-deleted CD reissues from years back – all done
with the usual high level of Mosaic liner notes and session details! 45 tracks in all – all of them great!
(Out of print limited numbered edition. Cover has light wear, inner contents are all in great shape!)