Art Pepper - Mosaic Select (2005)

The three CDs in Art Pepper's Mosaic Select volume -- limited to 5000 sets -- contain the three albums he did for Pacific Jazz -- The Return of Art Pepper (titled as such as after a stay in a Texas Federal Prison), Modern Art, and The Art of Pepper -- complete with alternate takes not available on the original CD issues, and two sessions headed by Joe Morello and Bill Perkins, totaling 45 cuts in all. This is not substandard playing, but fully realized, mature Art Pepper at his creative peak. These sets compiled by Michael Cuscuna also contain the CD release essays by the late writer Pete Welding.
Thom Jurek

Tracks:

DISC ONE
1. Pepper Returns (A) 4:26 (Art Pepper)
2. Broadway (A) 4:56 (Bird-McRae-Woode)
3. You Go To My Head (A) 4:15 (J.F. Coots-H. Gillespie)
4. Angel Wings (A) 4:40 (Art Pepper)
5. Funny Blues (A) 4:36 (Art Pepper)
6. Five More (A) 4:37 (Art Pepper)
7. Minority (A) 4:17 (Art Pepper)
8. Patricia (A) 3:33 (Art Pepper)
9. Mambo De La Pinta (A) 4:14 (Art Pepper)
10. Walkin' Out Blues (A) 5:52 (Art Pepper)
11. Straight Life (B) 3:19 (Art Pepper)
12. Yardbird Suite (B) 5:43 (Charlie Parker)
13. Pepper Steak (B) 3:48 (Art Pepper)
14. You're Driving Me Crazy (B) 5:06 (Walter Donaldson)
15. Tenor Blooz (B) 4:59 (Art Pepper)

DISC TWO
1. Blues In (C1) 6:00 (Art Pepper)
2. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered (C1) 4:25 (R.Rodgers-L.Hart)
3. Stompin' At The Savoy (C1) 5:04 (Razaf-Goodman-Sampson-Webb)
4. What Is This Thing Called Love (C1) 6:03 (Cole Porter)
5. Blues Out (C1) 4:45 (Art Pepper)
6. Diane's Dilemma (C2) 3:47 (Art Pepper)
7. When You're Smiling (C2) 4:50 (Fisher-Goodwin-Shay)
8. Cool Bunny (C2) 4:12 (Art Pepper)
9. Summertime (C2) 7:17 (Gershwin-Heyward-Gershwin)
10. Diane's Dilemma (alt. take) (C2) 4:54 (Art Pepper)
11. What Is This Thing Called Love (D) 5:29 (Cole Porter)
12. A Foggy Day (D) 3:53 (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin)
13. Diane-A-Flow (D) 4:02 (Art Pepper)
14. Zenobia (D) 5:14 (Art Pepper)
15. Angel Eyes (D) 3:38 (M. Dennis-E.K. Brent)

DISC THREE
1. Holiday Flight (E) 5:08 (Art Pepper)
2. Too Close For Comfort (E) 6:08 (Bock-Holoscener-Weiss)
3. Long Ago And Far Away (E) 4:07 (J.Kern-I.Gershwin)
4. Begin The Beguine (E) 7:20 (Cole Porter)
5. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (E) 5:37 (J. McHugh-C. Gaskill)
6. Summertime (E) 6:30 (Gershwin-Heyward-Gershwin)
7. Fascinatin' Rhythm (E) 4:23 (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin)
8. Body And Soul (E) 4:20 (Green-Heyman-Sour-Eyton)
9. Without A Song (E) 7:37 (Youmans-Rose-Eliscu)
10. The Breeze And I (E) 3:30 (Ernesto Lecuona)
11. Surf Ride (E) 4:42 (Art Pepper)
12. Webb City (E) 4:54 (Bud Powell)
13. Begin The Beguine (alternate take) (E) 6:15 (Cole Porter)
14. Fascinatin' Rhythm (alternate take) (E) 3:59 (G. Gershwin-I. Gershwin)
15. Webb City (alternate take) (E) 4:33 (Bud Powell)

Personnel:

(A) Art Pepper, alto sax; Jack Sheldon, trumpet; Russ Freeman, piano, Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Shelly Manne, drums. Recorded at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles on August 1956. Recording engineer; John Kraus Originally issued on THE RETURN OF ART PEPPER (Jazz West JWLP-10)
(B) Art Pepper, alto sax, tenor sax; Red Norvo, vibes; Gerald Wiggins, piano; Ben Tucker, bass; Joe Morello, drums. Recorded at Western Recorders, Los Angeles on January 3, 1957. Recording engineer: Don Blake Originally issued on COLLECTIONS - JOE MORELLO (Intro ILP-608)
(C) Art Pepper, alto sax; Russ Freeman, piano; Ben Tucker, bass; Chuck Flores, drums. C1 recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles on December 28, 1956. Recording engineer: Thomas Nogar C2 recorded at Master Recorder, Los Angeles on January 14, 1957. Recording engineer: Bunny Robine #1-8 Originally issued on MODERN ART (Intro ILP-606) #9 & 10 originally issued on the CD version of MODERN ART (Blue Note B2-46868)
(D) Art Pepper, alto sax; Bill Perkins, tenor sax; Jimmy Rowles, piano; Ben Tucker, bass; Mel Lewis, drums. Recorded at the Radio Annex Studio in Los Angeles on December 11, 1956. "Angel Eyes", which does not include Pepper, originally issued on SOLO FLIGHT (Pacific Jazz JWC 505) All others originally issued on JUST FRIENDS - BILL PERKINS Pacific Jazz PJM 401
(E) Art Pepper, alto sax; Carl Perkins, piano; Ben Tucker, bass; Chuck Flores, drums. Recorded at Audio Arts, Los Angeles on April 1, 1957.
The alternate takes were originally issued on THE ART OF THE ART Nadja (Japan) PA-3140/41. All others originally issued on THE ART OF PEPPER (Omega reel-to-reel tapes OMT 7020 & ST-2030)