New Art Pepper set - Osaka, Japan

[GA Russell]

These past few years Laurie Pepper has released her Widow's Taste issues of Art Pepper recordings in May, so I wrote my contact and asked if we would see something new next month.

She responded that Laurie is planning to release this year's issue in June.

edit 8/9 - update thread title

Edited August 9, 2012 by GA Russell

[brownie]

Any way to find out what's the new release will include?

[GA Russell]

Brownie, my contact says that an announcement will be made soon, but she sounds to me like Laurie isn't really ready yet to be making announcements.

[jazztrain]

I saw Laurie tonight at an event in Boston that included her reading from and talking about the writing of Straight Life.

She confirmed that there would be a new release on Widow's Taste in June.

Brownie, my contact says that an announcement will be made soon, but she sounds to me like Laurie isn't really ready yet to be making announcements.

[thirdtry]

It's coming in August!

The news is direct from Laurie's blog:

Time for another listen. BELOW find an exceptionally relaxed and swinging version of Art's Y.I. Blues (also sometimes called Untitled #34). It will be on my next release, "Unreleased Art Pepper Vol. VII, Osaka 1980." Featuring George Cables, Tony Dumas, Carl Burnett. (pictured: George & Art in Japan).

I promise I will upload a free download soon, next month, in fact.

Meanwhile some &^%$#@ has released a bootleg version of my planned next release: The Aforementioned Osaka '80 concert

PLEASE WAIT FOR MINE!

My double cd will be cheaper, my liner notes more extensive and revealing, and there will be at least a dozen great photos, maybe more. And of course the audio quality will be incomparably superior, thanks to the incomparable Wayne Peet.

My Widow's Taste release will be in August. I don't want to rush it because I want it to be as perfect as I can make it. So listen to this lovely (not-yet-remastered) track and please please wait for the rest. P.S. This set will include a gorgeous solo by George Cables and the only recorded live performance of Art playing "Winter Moon."

http://artpeppermusic.blogspot.com/

[GA Russell]

Thanks thirdtry! Great news!

[GA Russell]

Because of thirdtry's post, I pulled out a CD from last year's release, and realized I'm not tired of it yet!

Nowadays, a release once a year seems like plenty. Imagine what it was like in the mid-60s when Blue Note would get their people together almost every week for a great session. For example, Wayne Shorter (who was merely a sideman professionally at the time) recorded three five star albums in 1964 alone!

[colinmce]

My favorite little tidbit in that regard is how Dolphy trucked on down to Englewood Cliffs after recording Free Jazz to cut Far Cry that same night. Imagine.

[JETman]

I believe he trucked on "over", not "down"!

[colinmce]

Hey I'm from the Midwest, whattdo I know.

[JETman]

Hey I'm from the Midwest, whattdo I know.

Never been to NYC?

The studio where Ornette recorded for Atlantic Records was somewhere in Midtown Manhattan. RVG's Englewood Cliffs shrine is in Northern NJ. One would get from one place to the other by taking the George Washington Bridge, traveling directly west from upper Manhattan (Washington Heights, to be exact) to Fort Lee, NJ, which is just south of Englewood Cliffs, parts of which are quite ritzy!

[colinmce]

I spent a few days in NYC in 1994, that's it. I'd love to go back, though.

[JETman]

This came in an email from Laurie Pepper yesterday:

Many new discoveries. Read (a little bit) about them on the blog, and download an exquisite and never before released "Body and Soul" ditto. Release date for the next album is firm, now. August 28th, 2012. Art with George Cables, Tony Dumas, Carl Burnett (the same gang as on the Ronnie Scott set). I'll let you know all!

[GA Russell]

This just in:

An Art Pepper Banquet

For Release on August 28

Main Course: From Widow's Taste

2-CD Set Unreleased Art Pepper, Vol. VII:

Sankei Hall, Osaka, Japan

Plus Sweet and Hot Side Dishes: From Omnivore Recordings Neon Art: Volume One - A Vinyl Single, The First of Three

July 30, 2012

Laurie Pepper founded Widow's Taste Records in 2006 to "introduce unreleased and unheard Art to people who love him as well as to people who don't yet know him, so they can fill their lives with soulful beauty." Since then, the label has been releasing prime Pepper recordings on an annual basis. Widow's Taste's latest offering, Unreleased Art Pepper, Vol. VII, is a two-CD set recorded in November 1980 in Osaka, Japan. Its August 28 release will coincide with that of Neon Art: Volume One, the first of three Art Pepper vinyl singles scheduled for 2012 release by Omnivore Recordings.

The Osaka session is a happy one, swinging and melodic. It reunites the alto saxophonist with pianist George Cables, and "Art's mood was sunny throughout this trip," recalls Laurie, "because he loved being on the road with George and loved working with him every night."

Other reasons for Art's cheer (he mentions them onstage): The acclaim accorded his just-published book Straight Life, co-authored with Laurie, and the satisfaction he felt after completing his ballad album with strings, Winter Moon (Galaxy). Art's inspired live performance of "Winter Moon" at this Osaka concert is, as far as Laurie knows, the only one extant and one good reason for releasing this material.

The vinyl singles owe their existence to Omnivore Recordings' Cheryl Pawelski, who happened to hear the burning version of Art's deeply funky tune "Red Car" posted by Widow's Taste last year as a free listen for the fans. Cheryl immediately called Laurie to ask if they could make a deal for a vinyl release. They did. Between them they chose that "Red Car" and, for the flip side, an effervescent "Blues for Blanche." "Art hated the idea that people put jazz in a pigeonhole," says Laurie. "He said he wanted to make people forget the categories. 'I want to make them open up and listen.'" Omnivore, with its comedy, pop, rock, and what-is-it catalog, is a vehicle that's made to carry absolutely everything.

"When I first heard the live version of 'Red Car' from Parnell's [1981]," says Pawelski, "I instantly wanted to share it with everyone I know, and that's when I knew we had a project. Omnivore, by design, aims to share outstanding previously unissued music, and rarely is it as good and as much fun as these Art Pepper recordings. Omnivore is grateful to be working with Laurie Pepper to bring Art's music to a new audience." To which Laurie says, "Amen!"

Volumes Two and Three of Neon Art are scheduled for October and November and offer greatest hits: Volume Two, "Mambo Koyama," "Over the Rainbow," "Allen's Alley"; Volume Three, "Make a List," "Everything Happens to Me," and "Arthur's Blues." For more information about these singles, contact Paki Newell (paki@co5media.com ) and/or visit www.omnivorerecordings.com.

Widow's Taste's seventh Unreleased Art Pepper is all about the music, especially the soulful "Winter Moon" and blazing "Make a List" performances. It was recorded by an anonymous audience member on cassette. The crowd was absolutely silent, Laurie recalls, "but the room is a presence; let's just say it's very live. So this particular album plants you firmly in the audience beside that sneaky fellow on that night at Sankei Hall." It's been remastered by Wayne Peet, as have all six preceding Widow's Taste releases, and he revivifies this show. The album also includes a 32-page booklet, packed with photos of the tour and, as usual, Laurie's gossipy reminiscences of life on the front lines.

Art Pepper (foreground), in Japan with Debbie and Tony Dumas, George Cables.

By the time of this recording, Art had settled on his favorite drummer, Carl Burnett, who appears on almost every recording Art made during his last years. Tony Dumas was the youngest, shyest member of the band, but he's impressive, and Art says so. With Tony Art made Landscape and Besame Mucho (Galaxy). And Tony is the bassist on last year's best-seller for Widow's Taste, Blues for the Fisherman, the four-disc set from Ronnie Scott's in London. George Cables is on the historic Art Pepper Live at the Village Vanguard set, The Trip, and No Limit (Contemporary) plus all the Galaxy Maiden Voyage albums, Tête-à-Tête, and Goin' Home. He's also featured with Carl on Unreleased Art Pepper, Vol. I: Abashiri (Widow's Taste) and on upcoming Neon Art: Volumes Two and Three (Omnivore).

George (at right, with Art) will be heard on more releases in the years to come. In fact, a treasure trove of hitherto unheard material has quite recently been unearthed, much of it recorded directly from the sound boards at great concerts in Japan, where Art returned repeatedly. While much of the material is the same from gig to gig, each version stands alone and fresh as Art engages with it. In store are not-to-be-missed performances -- and some surprise unique tracks like this "Winter Moon."

Previous Widow's Taste releases:

Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. I: Abashiri

If the sound is surprisingly good, the playing is often astonishing. The great altoist could pack so much raw emotion into his work that he made most others seem like dilettantes. --Ray Comisky, The Irish Times

Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. II: The Last Concert

[A] privilege to listen to the final concert of the master, Art Pepper. . . soulful, with a strong swing feel, lyrical, edgy. --Jeff Krow, Audiophile Audition

Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. III: The Croydon Concert

Pepper throws down the gauntlet, throwing caution to the wind, and plays with an urgency not heard since his Village Vanguard performances in 1977. The sound is crisp and potent. --C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz

Art Pepper: The Art History Project (Vol. IV)

The remastering by Wayne Peet is superb. It's a delight to have Laurie Pepper's choices here. Just knowing that she finds these tracks meaningful and in this order makes them special. --Marc Myers, JazzWax

Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. V: Stuttgart

[A] miraculous double disc. This is Pepper's triumph. Listen to it once and you'll want to immediately go out and score the first four volumes. Bravo! --Brian McCoy, Examiner.com

Blues for the Fisherman: Unreleased Art Pepper, Vol. VI

Pepper is simply on fire. It's one of those perfect musical statements that could never have been captured in any studio. The immediacy and emotion of the moment are so boldly displayed that it could only have been possible through the energy of a live crowd. --Greg Simmons, All About Jazz

Web Site: www.artpepper.net

Blog: www.artpeppermusic.blogspot.com

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[GA Russell]

My copy arrived in the mail this afternoon. Looking forward to hearing it.

[GA Russell]

This is a 2 CD set. I listened to the first CD last night.

The music is excellent. My first impression is that this is the second best of the Unheard Art releases, second only to The Last Concert.

As the press release says, "It was recorded by an anonymous audience member on cassette." And in 1980. Laurie has made the best of it, but it sounds like what it is. I'm not an audiophile, and the music is so good, I don't care about the fidelity. But people who do care about such things would be unhappy with this.

I'm very pleased with what I've heard so far.

[sksmith66]

Because of thirdtry's post, I pulled out a CD from last year's release, and realized I'm not tired of it yet!

Nowadays, a release once a year seems like plenty. Imagine what it was like in the mid-60s when Blue Note would get their people together almost every week for a great session. For example, Wayne Shorter (who was merely a sideman professionally at the time) recorded three five star albums in 1964 alone!

Joe henderson recorded three 5 star albums in '63 and three or four 5 star albums in '64. it's pretty amazing what some of those guys were albe to turn out in that era. I agree in this day and age 1 a year is enough.

pretty excited to give this a listen.

[GA Russell]

Osaka, Japan comes out tomorrow.

I got an email from Laurie this morning that said that it will be available immediately at CDBaby and iTunes.

The plan is for both this and the Ronnie Scott box to be available at Amazon eventually.

[six string]

I saw the Neon Art "single" yesterday but I didn't know anything about it and decided to wait. It's funny that it's being called a single although it is one song on each side but they are both approx. 18 minutes long! I didn't take notice but I assume that it's played at 33 1/3 and not 45 and it won't be appearing on your local top-forty radio station. Do those even exist anymore (top-forty stations)?