Album Reviews

This is an easy call. Art Pepper at a productive time in his career musically and otherwise, recorded with vivid clarity at Contemporary Studios and delivered to the listener as a double 45rpm LP. You’ll be convinced Pepper’s standing between your speakers playing lithe alto sax lines that exude the delicacy of Paul Desmond and the muscular force of John Coltrane.

He’s accompanied on a set of standards by three experienced but lesser known side men who produce both economy and cliarty: Dolo Coker on piano, Jimmy Bond on bass and Frank Butler on drums. Pepper’s the star and they support him appropriately and effectively.

Pepper is soulful one moment and exuberant the next. He sticks close to the melody for a few bars and then rides off into the musical wilderness the next. When he returns from breaks, you never know what you’re going to get but it’s always compelling.

The recording puts the drums and bass on the right channel, the piano on the left and Pepper dead center. It’s compartmentalized and doesn’t sound like what we think of as real stereo today but Roy DuNann’s piano sound is far superior to RVG’s boxy take, and exhibits believable harmonic structure, transient clarity and dynamic gradations. The drums are nicely captured as well, with clarity and transient speed trumping air and space. It’s in your face.

The star though is Pepper and his airy, reedy horn hovers between the speakers holographically. HDTV doesn’t come close to this level of three dimensionality and textural complexity.

I’m convinced that all of these 45rpm twofer titles will only grow in value over time. Many already have. So chase a dry martini with a jigger of scotch and love that Pepper. (The vinyl is quiet until the leadout groove area where there’s noise. No big deal.)