Art Pepper - YAMAGATA The Complete Concert (March 14, 1978) February 2022

IN 1978 we made our second trip to Japan. This time Art had his own band and played his own charts. It was such a great tour. This was a radio broadcast recorded in an amphitheater in Yamagata. You can hear what a wondrous and inspiring audience the band had. After Art died I was desperate for money and got some licensing this recording to Toy's Factory Records in Japan. Later I licensed it to Storyville Records.

Band is Art Pepper, Milcho Leviev, Bob Magnusson, Carl Burnett. This recording was remastered by dear James Moody of Sage and Sound Studio on Hollywood Blvd. in L.A. All the ATLAS sessions were made at this tiny efficient studio.

1. CARAVAN 12:55

2. OPHELIA 11:26

3. BESAME MUCHO 10:59

4. FEB FREEBIE MY LAURIE 16 minutes! 15:56

5. THE TRIP 10:28

6. THE SUMMER KNOWS (summer of '42) 08:22

7. RED CAR 14:46

PRE-ORDER

Art Pepper - FREE FOR CHRISTMAS: JAM SESSION ART PEPPER / ZOOT SIMS (December 2021)

1. Wee (Allen's Alley) 07:54

2. (Somewhere) Over the Rainbow 10:33

3. In the Middle of a Kiss 09:10

4. Broadway 06:34

5. The Girl from Ipanema 10:42

6. Breakdown Blues 10:35

FREEBIE ENDS AT MIDNIGHT, NEW YEAR'S EVE. (Unless I get sleepy. Then I'll end it when I wake up on New Year's Day.)

All Star Cast: ART PEPPER (tracks 1,2,6); ZOOT SIMS (tracks 1, 3, 4, 5, 6); VICTOR FELDMAN (all tracks); BARNEY KESSEL (tracks 4 & 5); RAY BROWN (all tracks but 2); CHARLIE HADEN (track 2); BILLY HIGGINS (all tracks)

Recorded at Royce Hall UCLA 1981. Produced by Tim Owens

PRE ORDER

Art Pepper - Live in USA (2018) 2 Discs

Disc 1. Was recorded in California at Foothill College in 1975 and released in Europe and Japan shortly after Art's death in 1982. 

In '75, Art was just beginning to do some jazz gigs. He'd been working hard playing bar mitzvahs and weddings, often with Tommy Gummina, heard here on Chordovox, his own invention. You may think it's an accordion, but you'd be wrong. During the 50s and 60s Tommy won many jazz awards including the ones Downbeat hands out. He recorded extensively with Buddy DeFranco, and Art loved Tommy's inventive ideas and chord voicings. Loved playing with him. Also, on this set, Fred Atwood on bass, and Jimmie Smith on drums. 

Disc 2. Also released in Europe and Japan in '83. it was recorded in 1977 at Pete Douglas's Beach House in Half Moon Bay California (aka Bach Dynamite and Dancing). By 1977 Art was beginning to tour and, later in the year, would play his legendary sets at the Village Vanguard in New York, following that up with his first tour of Japan. This is a particularly beautiful set and Art's tune, Lost Life, is the standout. In my opinion, it's perfect, and he never played it any better than he does here, partly because Smith Dobson is playing piano. Jim Nichols is on bass, Brad Bilhorn on drums. This is the same band accompanying Art on volume 8 from Widow's Taste—a lovely release.