Artist: Art Pepper
Year: 1957
Genre: Hard Bop
Grade: B+
Art Pepper was a West Coast alto saxophonist who made his bones as the featured performer in Stan Kenton’s orchestra, coming to prominence in the late- ‘40s as a performer who’s spiritually charged solos stood out against the backdrop of Kenton’s cold, avant-garde arrangements.
Pepper’s early solo career is more memorable for his erratic, drug-fueled rampages rather than his stylish cool jazz. Nevertheless, the man never made a bad record. This 1957 recording in which he literally meets the legendary trio of Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones for the first time is his best.
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
