On January 19, 1957, Art Pepper recorded Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section. The rhythm section in question was pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. Recorded for Contemporary, the album with Pepper and Miles Davis's rhythm section should have worked but didn't. For some reason, the song choices were tired, the playing was halting and the music was lackluster. Perhaps it was an uneven day for Pepper or he was intimidated, or both. In his 1979 memoir, Straight Life, Pepper was proud of the album, but he also sounded uninspired. I rarely listen to it, and each time I do with high hopes, I wind up taking it off. This isn't a knock. We all have good days and bad.
The rhythm section Pepper met about two weeks earlier, on January 3, produced a much more dynamic result. The album was Collections, led by drummer Joe Morello, who was on tour in California with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Recorded for Intro, a subsidiary of Aladdin, the group featured Art Pepper (as,ts), Red Norvo (vib), Gerald Wiggins (p), Ben Tucker (b) and Joe Morello (d).
Songs recorded were Tenor Blooz, You're Driving Me Crazy, Pepper Steak, Yardbird Suite and Straight Life. Also on the album were tracks with guitarist Howard Roberts instead of Pepper: Sweet Georgia Brown, Little Girl, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Ghost of a Chance and I've Got the World on a String. The album, led by Morello, featured Pepper and Roberts separately, with the same rhythm section.
Pepper on Collections is bright, spry and engaged. Listen to Tenor Blooz, on which Pepper plays tenor saxophone. Or Yardbird Suite and Straight Life, on which Pepper takes off like a rocket. What makes this album special is the ability to hear Morello out in the open on sticks and brushes elegantly dishing out polyrhythms. And then there's Gerald “Wig" Wiggins playing gorgeous piano solos, Ben Tucker's pounding bass and Norvo swinging away on vibes. All of the musicians are in their prime and they're completely at ease, which really is the difference between this session and the Meets the Rhythm Section date that followed. Best of all, Pepper's excitement and beautiful lines are wonderful.
JazzWax clips: Here's the full album....
The rhythm section Pepper met about two weeks earlier, on January 3, produced a much more dynamic result. The album was Collections, led by drummer Joe Morello, who was on tour in California with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Recorded for Intro, a subsidiary of Aladdin, the group featured Art Pepper (as,ts), Red Norvo (vib), Gerald Wiggins (p), Ben Tucker (b) and Joe Morello (d).
Songs recorded were Tenor Blooz, You're Driving Me Crazy, Pepper Steak, Yardbird Suite and Straight Life. Also on the album were tracks with guitarist Howard Roberts instead of Pepper: Sweet Georgia Brown, Little Girl, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Ghost of a Chance and I've Got the World on a String. The album, led by Morello, featured Pepper and Roberts separately, with the same rhythm section.
Pepper on Collections is bright, spry and engaged. Listen to Tenor Blooz, on which Pepper plays tenor saxophone. Or Yardbird Suite and Straight Life, on which Pepper takes off like a rocket. What makes this album special is the ability to hear Morello out in the open on sticks and brushes elegantly dishing out polyrhythms. And then there's Gerald “Wig" Wiggins playing gorgeous piano solos, Ben Tucker's pounding bass and Norvo swinging away on vibes. All of the musicians are in their prime and they're completely at ease, which really is the difference between this session and the Meets the Rhythm Section date that followed. Best of all, Pepper's excitement and beautiful lines are wonderful.
JazzWax clips: Here's the full album....
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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