Art Pepper - Modern Art: The Complete Art Pepper Aladdin Recordings, Vol. 2 (1957) [1987]

One of the greatest West Coast jazz LPs of all time! Art Pepper plays beautiful spiralling alto lines with a tight quartet that includes Russ Freeman on piano, Chuck Flores on drums, and Ben Tucker on bass. The whole thing swings in a way that's tough to find on some of Pepper's other albums from the time, and the track list includes "Dianne's Dilemma", "Blues In", "Blues Out", and "Cool Bunny".
This album, recorded in 1956 and 1957, is the second part of a three-volume set released by Aladdin Records, comprising the saxophonist's full body of recorded material for this label. Combining bebop with West Coast cool, Modern Art documents memorable performances of standards, including the luscious ballad "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," and the steamy "Summertime." Pepper's version of this latter track is replete with a thick, almost haunting, reverb effect. Other standouts are the stripped-down versions of "Blues In" and "Blue Out," two tunes that feature Pepper's lamenting sax as it soliloquizes over a simple walking bass line. Art Pepper was one of the world's greatest alto saxophonists. Though firmly rooted in the jazz tradition, Pepper possessed a strongly unique sensibility, and his career ups and downs (largely due to drug addiction) never seemed to affect his ability to play with precision, clarity, and insight.


Tracks:

01 - Blues In
02 - Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
03 - Stompin' At The Savoy
04 - What Is This Thing Called Love
05 - Blues Out
06 - When You're Smiling
07 - Cool Bunny
08 - Diane's Dilemma
09 - Diane's Dilemma (alternate take)
10 - Summertime
11 - Fascinating Rhythm (alternate take)
12 - Begin The Beguine (alternate take)
13 - Webb City (alternate take)

Personnel:

Art Pepper - alto sax
Russ Freeman - piano (1-10)
Carl Perkins - piano (11-13)
Ben Tucker - bass
Chuck Flores - drums

Recorded at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles on December 28, 1956 (1-5)
Recorded at Master Recorder in Los Angeles on January 14, 1957 (6-10)
Recorded at Audio Arts in Los Angeles on April 1, 1957 (11-13)