Art Pepper - Unreleased Art, Vol 2: The Last Concert May 30, 1982 (2006) CD-Rip

This previously unreleased music is subtitled "The Last Concert." Ben Webster, Clifford Brown and Rosemary Clooney are among those who have also had their final performance released on record. In Pepper's case, the great altoist's health had been a bit shaky but he sounds remarkably strong and passionate throughout this concert. Laurie Pepper's superb liner notes give listeners the very human story behind this gig which features the altoist with the virtuoso pianist Roger Kellaway (who had been enlisted for the tour after George Cables had departed to join Sarah Vaughan), bassist David Williams and drummer Carl Burnett during an hour-long performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Pepper, who during his last years played every solo as if it might be his last, puts a lot of passion and creativity into "Landscape," "Ophelia" and especially "Mambo Koyama," really stretching himself. "Over the Rainbow" is lyrical but no less intense while the final number, "When You're Smiling," was dedicated to Pepper's childhood friend Zoot Sims (whom he had happily met backstage) and features him playing clarinet. Art Pepper, who plays brilliantly throughout, had planned to play one more song but he was given ten minutes less than he expected and his time ran out. Ten days later he fell into a coma and he passed away six days after that. This very valuable disc is additional proof that, no matter what his personal circumstances might be at any given moment, in his musical life Art Pepper never sounded less than great.


Tracks:

01. Landscape (Pepper)
02. Talk
03. Ophelia (Pepper)
04. Talk
05. Mambo Koyama (Pepper)
06. Over the Rainbow (Arlen-Harburg)
07. Talk
08. When You're Smiling (Shay-Fisher-Goodwin)

Personnel:

Art Pepper - alto saxophone, clarinet
Roger Kellaway - piano
David Williams - bass
Carl Burnett - drums