ART PEPPER: Art Pepper: Unreleased Art Vol. 3 (Vol. 3 Is a 2 Disc Set)

Art Pepper

Art Pepper: Unreleased Art Vol. 3 (Vol. 3 Is a 2 Disc Set)

© 2008 Arthur Pepper Music Corporation (634479762468)

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Art in top form with his first "comeback band" at a sold-out concert. Hot, swinging, soulful, rowdy, cool, wild. A great night, and you're there.

notes

Art Pepper, legendary alto sax player, is known as one of the greatest jazz artists of his generation. But he always soared far beyond the dated categories of swing and be-bop in his lyricism, technical brilliance, soulfulness, and solid, down-home raunchy sweetness.

VOLUME 3 is a TWO DISC SET, a (nearly) complete concert performed in Croydon, England at the acoustically admirable Fairfield Hall. Art was, at this time, almost continually touring with the first of his comeback bands, and this band was TIGHT. They knew and understood the tunes and communicated as only true jazz people can in performance, like a team of rhythmic, lyric, limber psychics. All Art's bands had great moments. This is one of those moments with this magnificent band: Milcho Leviev on piano, Bob Magnusson on upright bass, Carl Burnett on drums. John S. Wilson praised this quartet in the New York Times, saying they made Art’s “innate rhythmic drive even more buoyant” and referring to Bob Magnusson as “fabulously fast-fingered.” Critic Gary Giddins, in The Village Voice, said Bob Magnusson's “sure time and rich tone in the bottom register complemented Pepper’s frequently ethereal gambits” and praised Carl Burnett’s “chatty responsiveness.” Musician and critic Jon Hendricks called Milcho Leviev “a most marvelous pianist, a real joy. He plays with beauty and passion.” When I sent Milcho these discs, he listened and then called me up, exultant. "We were so good!" he said. "We were so good!" Mastered by Wayne Peet, the quality is excellent. (Included: a twelve page booklet with reminiscences and photos by Laurie) (moi).

Nobody has it. It's an instant collectors' item.

This album is the third of a series of mostly unreleased material which include performances recorded live and in-studio throughout Art Pepper's career. Some "unreleased" tracks have been illegally exchanged (I mean they have been traded or, sold by people who haven't given me, Laurie, Art Pepper's widow and intended beneficiary, a taste: The taste that Art supposed I'd be entitled to.) Thus, the title of the series, "Widow's Taste."

What I'm doing here, is:
1. I'm introducing truly unreleased and unheard Art to people who want to hear it.
2. I'm introducing Art to people who thought they knew what jazz was (incomprehensible bebop), so they can correct that awful impression and fill their lives with soulful beauty.
3. I'm introducing Art to people who thought they knew what jazz was (Kenny G) and didn't like it. If you like Kenny G, just go away. There's nothing for you here.

reviews

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  • Thank's Laurie!
    author: Nicolas Joron

    What a great CD! Art's performance is as usual, awesome, and the material (notes and pictures) is really good. Please, more "Unrealeased Art"!

  • The greatest!
    author: Andy B

    Art was/is the greatest musician I ever heard and this performance captures him at the absolute pinnacle of his emotional and improvisational powers. A quarter of a century on, it will still thrill you, amaze you, and probably move you to tears. Art's the greatest ever and this is just about the best thing he ever did.

  • Doesn't Get Any Better than This
    author: Tim Beason

    This is jazz the way it is supposed to be: powerful, melodic, chaotic, full of beer, vodka and nicotine. It soars with Art's pain and love and, for a moment, becomes one with your own pain and love. When Art plays, he goes for the jugular. He leaves everything he's got on the bandstand each night.

  • As good as the Mole lps
    author: Richard Morris

    I always loved the lps this group made on the Mole label, put out under Leviev's name. These are just as good.

  • Amazing!
    author: TE McCarthy

    More Amazing Art Please!

  • unreleased art vol3
    author: colin house

    this latest widows taste release is the dogs b......s, as were vols 1 & 2. get out and buy quick from cd baby. perfect packaging and quick delivery. lets hope that laurie puts out more of the great mans music soon. ART LIVES!!!!!!

  • author: Patrick

    If any of you have and enjoyed Blues for The Fisherman then you will love this. Bless Laurie and co for sharing the recording. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Great line up and wonderful set!

  • Audiophile Audition: Review by Jeff Krow
    author: Laurie Pepper

    More Pepper treasures courtesy of Laurie Pepper Art Pepper - Unreleased Art, Vol. 3 - The Croydon Concert - May 14, 1981 - Widows Taste - APM 08001, Disc 1: 65:14, Disc 2: 63:24 *****: (Art Pepper, alto sax: Milcho Leviev, piano; Bob Magnusson, bass; Carl Burnett, drums) True jazz fans should be deeply indebted to Laurie Pepper. In the category of archival releases, a Grammy award should be set aside for Ms. Pepper for self-producing rare and valuable works for collectors of Art Pepper’s discography. When our jazz masters pass away, we deeply mourn their passing for most often their discography has come to an end, and we are left with no new issues to savor and anticipate. A rare session is found now and then in the archives such as the recent Monk/Coltrane Carnegie Hall session, but this seldom happens. Two women come to mind for keeping the flames burning for their genius husbands. They are Sue Mingus on behalf of Charles, and Laurie Pepper, who on a shoestring budget and through blood, sweat, and tears, has self-released three issues of unreleased Art Pepper concerts from 1981-1982. The first two were from late 1981 in Japan, and May of 1982 in Washington, D.C. (just before Art’s passing), which was Pepper’s last recorded concert. The latest treasure, a 2-CD issue, from a Croydon, England concert is from May 14, 1981. Pepper was in a race to tour and perform for his adoring public - especially in Europe and Japan - as he knew his health was beginning to deteriorate, and the years between 1979 to 1981 were a time of non-stop touring in a seeming race to the finish line. Whereas Carl Burnett was a fixture on drums during most all of this period, George Cables, and Roger Kellaway occupied the piano chairs, for the first two Unreleased sessions. David Williams was the bassist for the first two issues. Here for the Croydon concert, Eastern European born Milcho Leviev was the pianist and Bob Magnusson is the bassist. Leviev, although lesser known than Cables and Kellaway, was more a firebrand than the other two piano players. According to Laurie, he could both inspire or infuriate Art depending on his mood, and his ability to overwhelm Art’s playing when his obstinacy reared up. Magnusson, on the other hand was rock-steady and nurturing, while Burnett was the calm professional, always dependable and in tune with Art’s passion. The tapes for the Croydon concert were provided to Laurie by an unnamed fan, an obsessive collector of bootleg Pepper concerts. The sound is surprisingly good and kudos should go to Wayne Peet for a brilliant remastering job. Ophelia and Goodbye are the only shared titles from the other two unreleased discs. Highlights here are plenty. Blues for Blanche, written for one of Art’s cats, drips with blues lines - both from Art and Milcho’s great solos. Magnusson’s bass playing is brilliant and Burnett’s cymbal work is a gas. Ophelia is lyrical Art at his best. I love Magnusson’s accompaniment here and he is well mixed in the mastering. Patricia, written for Art’s daughter, is exquisite and you can tell Art’s emotions regarding Patricia are first and foremost on display here. On Disc Two, Cherokee is straight bebop and Milcho’s solo shines in both its piano facility and “bopability.” Goodbye, a grieving salute to Hampton Hawes, shows Pepper’s gut-wrenching, pouring out his heart. In compositions like Goodbye, for raw emotion, Pepper is unsurpassed. You almost feel like he is spitting up blood in his solos, as the passion is so palpable. Bob Magnusson’s bass work here amps up the emotion. Dedicated is a mini-blues described by Laurie Pepper as a quasi-Coltrane tune. Its value to Pepper completists is immense as Art only recorded it this one time. Make a List closes the second disc, and at over twenty minutes it is an emotional workout for all concerned. Everyone has a chance to shine. I have loved each of the Unreleased series, but I have to say that Vol. 3 is my favorite. Its combination of funky swinging blues combined with Art’s lay-it-on-the-line blowing knocks me out. This 2-CD set can be purchased online through CD Baby or through links on Laurie Pepper’s website, www.straightlife.info - God bless you, Laurie, for these heretofore unreleased masterpieces. TrackList: Disc 1: Blues for Blanche, Band intro, Ophelia, Mambo de la Pinto, Patricia Disc 2: Cherokee, Goodbye, Yours is My Heart Alone, Dedicated, Make a List (Make a Wish) - Jeff Krow

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