Art Pepper - Unreleased Art, Vol. VIII: Live at the Winery, September 6, 1976 (Live At The Winery, 1976) (2022)

First in a series of reissues from Widow’s Taste Music and Omnivore Recordings, packaging contains photos and liner notes from Art’s widow, Laurie Pepper. Art Pepper is one of the jazz world’s best known saxophonists. He played and recorded extensively throughout his four decade career, until his passing in 1982. Luckily, during his later years, the tapes were rolling during live shows, as he and his wife, Laurie, cataloged many of his live performances. After his death, Laurie selected the best of these recordings, and made them available to his fans via her imprint, Widow’s Taste Music. Now, those releases will see a worldwide retail release through an arrangement with Omnivore Recordings.

Unreleased Art Vol. VIII: Live At The Winery, September 6, 1976 features a set from Art, pianist Smith Dobson, bassist Jim Nichols, and drummer Brad Bilhorn, recorded at the Paul Masson Winery in Saratoga. The set includes standards like Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” and “Here’s That Rainy Day” – also covered by Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery, McCoy Tyner, and even by Bette Midler and Johnny Carson on the penultimate broadcast of The Tonight Show. It also features originals like “Straight Life,” “Ophelia,” and “What Laurie Likes” – written for his wife. Packaging contains photos and an essay from Laurie Pepper, outlining the songs, the bands, the stories, and the magic that was and is Art Pepper.