Art Pepper - Neon Art: Volume One (2015) Hi Res

From his early recordings with Stan Kenton’s and Shorty Rogers’ bands and sessions with everyone from Chet Baker, Henry Mancini and Quincy Jones, to his own recordings, like classics made for the Contemporary and Galaxy Record labels, Art Pepper built a legacy of recordings that can only be described as legendary. Thankfully, he also left us a narrative, tracing the history of his life, a roadmap with details of his great recordings in the shape of a book, Straight Life (DaCapo, 1979), which Art and his wife, Laurie authored together.

Omnivore Recordings now partners with Widow’s Taste Records, Laurie Pepper’s own label, to release a series of live recordings titled Neon Art. These albums are aimed at both the longtime Art Pepper aficionado and those just coming to know Art’s work.

Neon Art: Volume One features two songs drawn from unissued performances at Parnell’s in Seattle, WA, recorded on January 28, 1981. Side one features a funky romp on Art’s composition, “Red Car,” while side two showcases another Pepper composition, “Blues For Blanche.”