Art Pepper – Intensity (2024 Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series)

Description

Two more essential Art Pepper reissues, originally recorded in 1960, are the albumsGettin’ Together!andIntensity.Originally released on either side ofSmack Up, these albums underscore just how refreshingly creative Pepper was at the time.Gettin’ Together‘s tight “Bijou the Poodle,” penned by Pepper, leads the way, with Jazzwise admiring its”angularity…representing the darker side of the Californian jazz idyll.” Often described as a sequel toArt Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section,Gettin’ Together!once again finds Pepper backed on beat by Miles Davis alums (bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Jimmy Cobb). Meanwhile, theSan Francisco Examinersums up 1963’sIntensity, the last release of his early period, as Pepper being “well on his way toward a new kind of playing freedom.”Assisted by pianist Dolo Coker, bassistJimmy Bond, and drummerFrank Butler, Pepper was just starting to show the influence ofJohn ColtraneandOrnette Coleman in his style, freeing up his playing and displaying a greater intensity during his improvisations.

Pepper sticks to swinging standards such as “I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me,” “Gone with the Wind,” and “I Wished on the Moon” as points of departure on this interesting and largely enjoyable set. Excluding a 1973 recording with Mike Vax‘s big band, it would be 15 years before Art Pepper led another record date in the studios. via Label

Label: Craft Recordings, Contemporary Records
Series: Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180g
Reissued: 2024 / Original Release: 1963
Genre: Jazz
Style: Contemporary Jazz

File under: Jazz – Saxophone