Shortly after
Art Pepper's death in 1982, JVC Records in Japan began issuing a series of titles of the great saxophonist's performances in Japan. This set, recorded in 1979, was compiled from two different July performances and features the classic
Pepper quartet with pianist
George Cables, drummer
Billy Higgins, and the great
Tony Dumas on bass.
Pepper played only alto on the dates, and these five tunes offer a portrait of the musician at the very top of his form and very inspired. There are three
Pepper originals: "Red Car," "Mambo de la Pinta," and "The Trip," all of which are over nine minutes, buffeted by the set's lone ballad, "The Shadow of Your Smile," and a smoking read of the title track. Only the ballad is on the short side, and the rest give
Pepper the opportunity to really stretch himself and interact with
Cables, whose fluid scalar approach to soloing, while invoking bop's precision balanced by an abundant lyrical swing, was a perfect vehicle for the saxophonist's intense melodic improvising. This is a welcome addition to the U.S. catalog for fans and a fantastic introduction to
Pepper's many gifts for the uninitiated. ~ Thom Jurek