The Art Of Pepper: The Complete Art Pepper Aladdin Recordings-Vol.3 by Art Pepper

Personnel: Art Pepper (alto saxophone); Carl Perkins (piano); Ben Tucker (bass); Chuck Flores (drums). Recorded at Audio Arts, Los Angeles, California on April 1, 1957. Includes liner notes by Pete Welding. This was originally supposed to be an audiophiles-only session, recorded on Ampeg reel-to-reel, and released in that format to jazz hi-fi afficionados. It doesn't quite sound that way now. While alto saxophonist Art Pepper rarely has been better, pianist Carl Perkins's blunt semi-pro attack on the keys makes this a sort of roughhewn, avant-garde session. (There's some distortion in the mix too, cymbals crashing and wooshing around. So much for state-of-the-art in 1957!) Still, this is one explosive date with Pepper in his prime, with finger-popping swing and fresh musical invention on track after track. "Fascinating Rhythm," "Webb City," "I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me" just burst out of the speakers--that direct-to-two-track experiment provides a living room intimacy, if nothing else.