jazz1 Posted September 24, 2003 Report Share Posted September 24, 2003 For quite a while I've been playing the latest releases, the Blue Notes, the Verves, the ECM's , all the big names, and I must admit I do enjoy some of it, but something is missing, then today I played "Thursday night" from the Art Pepper "At the Village Vanguard set " the second track is called "Goodbye" and from the first note that Art blows you know that something special is happening, "emotion" As Art Pepper said in the liner notes. I felt I had exposed myself too nakedly. I was afraid that my listeners would not be willing tp accept such pure emotion. But I have to be honest and say that I think this is the most direct communication I've ever attempted. I am very proud of it!! Art rest in peace, but after all this is the secret, emotion = communication. I cannot think of one artist today that can play this way, technically they are maybe better than Art ever was, but then again Billie also did not have the best instrument, but she also did it "communicate" Not many achieved this, and these are the great, Miles, Bill Evans, Coltrane, and sometimes I can hear it in Brad Meldhau, but otherwise most of today's musicians leave me cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal Posted September 24, 2003 Report Share Posted September 24, 2003 Listen to some David S Ware. It doesn't get much more emotional than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz1 Posted September 24, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2003 Listen to some David S Ware. It doesn't get much more emotional than that. Thanks, will do, where should I start??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal Posted September 24, 2003 Report Share Posted September 24, 2003 He plays avant-garde style jazz, but he's the best at it IMO. I would recommend his album "Dao" to start. Fantastic, emotional playing by him and his incredible quartet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted September 24, 2003 Report Share Posted September 24, 2003 Listen to more Art Pepper too. Meets The Rhythm Section, Smack Up, The Galaxy Sessions. Ware's O.K., especially some of the DIW sessions - but Art is a whole other level (IMHO). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
connoisseur series500 Posted September 24, 2003 Report Share Posted September 24, 2003 I've always found Roland Kirk's music to be highly emotional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolff Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 Yep, the Vanguard sessions are great. I'm glued to my seat, slack jawed whenever I play these. The tone here is so unique. How about his take on "Over the Rainbow" from Ballads by Four/Galaxy? Worth a listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 The thing that gets me about Pepper is that he always sounds so damn TIGHT. Not in a "non-swinging" way, but just like he's got a LOT of stuff bottled up inside him that he can't and/or won't let go of for whatever reason. I've never heard ANYBODY hug the time as close as he does. It's like a 6 foot tall man doing an intenselyintricate dance in a room that's got a 6.01 foot high ceiling with a half inch on either side. Same thing with his tone - it's full but tight, like Jimmy Rushing's body packed inside Jimmy Scott's skin. You get the feeling like a really messy explosion could happen any second, but it never, NEVER does. A fascinating, extremely complex man and musician, and J1, if you've not yet read Straight Life, his autobiography, by all means do so. Just know that it is not for the squeamish. Have a plate of mashed potatoes around, too. I think Art would like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 I don't what it is about Pepper that hooks me every time. Jim hit the musical part right on the head, but it's more than that. Sometimes I think the allure of a particular musician may have to do with issues other than their music. Pepper is one of the people who for me, personifies what some refer to as the jazz life. The two who come most quickly to mind in this context are Art Pepper and Chet Baker. Both incredible musicians, both junkies who lived their lives in a hand-to- mouth, hardscrabble manner that really has to be "seen" to be believed. Neither a very nice person, both incredibly self-absorbed...users in many more ways than just narcotics. Pepper was at least salvaged towards the end of his life when he hooked up with his wife, Laurie. Baker, was a lost soul right up to the day he put his cue back in the rack. I think some of the emotion you hear in both Pepper's and Baker's work might be attributable to the "desparateness" of their chosen lifestyles. I don't think either one thought much further ahead than the moment. When you don't know if you're even going to be sucking in air the day after tomorrow, that kind of edginess can make you pretty emotional. They had to ability to express that in their playing. Whether they did so consciously is another issue altogether. Up over and out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 (edited) After reading Straight Life - I was left wishing that the guy spent half the amount of time that he did worrying about drugs concentrating on his music . I was hoping to read a book about a musician who happened to have some problems along the way , but found myself reading a book about a junkie who spent alot of time in jail who happened to be a talented musician. the great shame is the music he made was beautiful (yes & very emotional) , but what could have been?? Edited September 25, 2003 by Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 It could be that other areas of Pepper's life were so messed up, that it made him more sensitive to the beautiful. I've met some pople like that -- the constrast between the darkness in their lives, and the lightness of art, just touches them in an different way. Some people, not all. Life is complex at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 Some highly recommended late-period Pepper. (I'll spare you my full review of the set)... http://www.fantasyjazz.com/html/pepper_box4431.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 (edited) This ones not too bad either http://www.fantasyjazz.com/html/pepperbox1016+.html (in fact ive just stuck disc 4 on -it opens with a great 'Lover Man') Edited September 25, 2003 by Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz1 Posted September 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 , but what could have been?? We will never know, but I am just so grateful for what we have. I cannot even imagine how much better it could be!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 The thing that gets me about Pepper is that he always sounds so damn TIGHT. Not in a "non-swinging" way, but just like he's got a LOT of stuff bottled up inside him that he can't and/or won't let go of for whatever reason. I've never heard ANYBODY hug the time as close as he does. It's like a 6 foot tall man doing an intenselyintricate dance in a room that's got a 6.01 foot high ceiling with a half inch on either side. Same thing with his tone - it's full but tight, like Jimmy Rushing's body packed inside Jimmy Scott's skin. You get the feeling like a really messy explosion could happen any second, but it never, NEVER does. Jim, this is a very good description of my feelings while listening to later Pepper stuff! It has a terrifying quality to it (while being terrific, and somehow bare-nakedly outright emotional). I guess it's this self-control and self-containment which (actually holding back some more/other/stronger emotions) makes to the music so strong. ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sal Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 Wow...after reading people's thoughts in this thread, I feel ingorant for only having "Meets the Rhythm Section" in my collection. Can anyone give me some more essential Pepper recs? Any other good box sets aside from the ones already listed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 SMACK UP! is as fine an introduction to Art Pepper as I can think of. Though there's much to recommend as far as the third volume of the COMPLETE ALADDIN RECORDINGS (the quartets with Carl Perkins) goes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted September 25, 2003 Report Share Posted September 25, 2003 I prefer Art Pepper's mid-50s work with Shorty Rogers. His tone was smooth and delicious. His solo on Over the Rainbow was apparently his biggest hit, if that's the right word. It was available in Mosaic's Shorty Rogers box, and on a CD called Birth of the Cool Vol. 2, but I'm not aware of it being available now. I also recommend Pepper's work on a Rogers album called Short Stops, which is now called Jazz Planet. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detai...=glance&s=music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 Get the Mosaic The three volumes of "Complete Aladdin Recordings of Art Pepper" (reissued on CD by Blue Note) are very fine! As is the Quartet album available on Fantasy (link). I don't have any of his acclaimed Contemporary things, but will have pretty many of them some day, I guess... Then, the Vanguard box... And I recently got the Galaxy box from those germans, but have not yet found time to listen to anything in there... ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 yeah, some day I will! But I have so many new CDs lying around (and even more that I listened to once or twice only and want to listen more)... "those" germans, yeah! my other name for them is "bastards" if you prefer that! Not that I'm complaining, of course (the only thing I complain about is all you board members who bought the Trane box so it was sold out when I ordered... but having two Tatums & Evans, and one each from Pepper & Monk is certainly not bad - rather BAAD, actually!) ubu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave James Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 If pushed to provide Pepper preferences, I'd have to go with "Intensity" or, if you like your jazz served more on the mellow side, "Winter Moon". The latter features a cut with Pepper on clarinet. In spite of these two recommendations, however, "Meets the Rhythm Section" is still the yardstick against which all others must be measured. "Star Eyes" is a particular favorite of mine from that outing. Up over and out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazz1 Posted September 26, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 Get the Mosaic Then, the Vanguard box... And I recently got the Galaxy box from those germans, but have not yet found time to listen to anything in there... ubu What about the 'The Hollywood All-Star Sessions', a 5 CD set. This was recorded between '79 & '82 (several months before his death) for a small Japanese label, Atlas. Galaxy has re-released this in the last couple of years - what a great package. This set has so much going for it - Art at his best (IMO), an exceptional line up of musicians and excellent sound quality. In addition, Laurie Pepper wrote the liner notes - an excellent read, full of honest insight on the process and Art. According to her, Art could not be the leader on these recordings, as he was under contract with Galaxy. He was under no restriction as a sideman, so for each of the sessions, he was billed as such. Laurie states this led to some of his best sessions as Art was more relaxed not being the leader. and the All-Stars are living up to their name. Russ Freeman, Bill Waltous, Bob Magnusson, Carl Burnett, Jack Shellon, Pete Jolly, Lou Levy, Sonny Stitt, John Jeard, Shelly Manne, Lee Konitz, among others - what a lineup. Highly recommended - especially considering the recording quality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catesta Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 Meets The Rhythm Section A great, and I do mean great session. I never paid much attention to Art up until about a year ago when I bought Meets The Rhythm Section. It changed my opnion for sure. I dig this one also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted September 26, 2003 Report Share Posted September 26, 2003 I have the Galaxy Box set and the Hollywood All Stars Box set, and both are unreservedly recommended. His 50s recordings are also great (my favorite being Meets the Rhythm Section) but ultimately I prefer the late period Art Pepper of the late 1970s and the 1980s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted September 27, 2003 Report Share Posted September 27, 2003 I'd echo the comments about the Hollywood All Star Sessions. There is some just super playing going on there. The sesssions with Stitt are good but my favorites were the ones with Bill Watrous and Milcho Leviev. Those guys were incredibly tight. I dare you to find a better Night and Day than on the session with Lechieve. Plus the remastering is really, really good. Incredibly sounding. Besides this box, I also like Art Pepper + 11, plus Art Pepper with the Sonny Clark Trio. The latter is not very good sound but the music is just sublime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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