Art Pepper

These are the most popular pages: Alison Young Curl-up-and-dye Marilyn Art Pepper Gnat Trap Resident Alien Ginger Panda Barney Kessel Sunday Funnies Little Annie Fannie Yes, I refuse to use Kleenex until THIS stops. Things ain't what they used to be. (In fact, they never was.) The Profile (more than you really wanted to know) is here.

I was a big band enthusiast a long time before I stumbled upon the Stan Kenton band. There was something about the complexity, the inventiveness, the originality that appealed to me. In about 1954 I heard the 1950 album “Stan Kenton Presents.” It featured artists from his huge band at the time. The first cut on the first side was called simply “Art Pepper” and that hook was all it took for me. I was a fan. Much of the album was written and arranged by Shorty Rogers. About 1951 Art Pepper left Kenton to do some recording with Shorty Rogers. On some of the RCA recordings with Shorty Rogers, Pepper was listed as “Art Salt” because of contractual obligations probably. As a side note,Shorty Rogers also recorded as "Roger Short" on a Decca album with Leith Stevens “All Stars” based on the “Wild One” Brando movie sound track. Shorty and Shelly Mann and several others in Roger's band, the Giants, appeared in the movie "Man with the Golden Arm" too but I could never tell if Art Pepper was there or not. But I digress…my best talent. So over the years a few Art Pepper recordings have accumulated. In addition to the few appearances as soloist on the prolific Kenton big band recordings, there are also these in “the collection” under his own name: One September Afternoon – Galaxy GXY 5141 Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section – Contemporary C3532 The Art Pepper Quartet – Tampa TP20 And one CD that is probably some kind of public domain thing. Laser Light label seems to specialize in the off-beat, alternate take and/or reject recordings. Laurie's Choice – Laser Light 17 012 There’s a single cut “Old Croix” on an album called Jazz West Coast Vol. III from Jazztone J1274. (A rather scarce album probably.) And there’s more than a few appearances with groups headed by other musicians. Alto saxophonists have always appealed to me. The tone and flexibility of the instrument and the individuality it can have depending on who plays, are factors. Another blog about him here... and Here.... I never got to see Art Pepper in person. But there have been others. There’s the time I wandered into a restaurant in center town Nanaimo, BC. I was seated at a table next to a microphone where midway through my meal an alto saxophonist began to play with a small group. It was a treat. It was Christine Jensen. I stayed for the whole show and the next set. Her mother sat at the next table and we chatted a bit. She is very proud of her two daughters, Christine and Ingrid. And then there was the time that I clung to the edge of a stage in a large Kansas dance hall, looking up at the Ellington band. I watched Johnny Hodges sleep through the section parts of an Ellington classic. Then suddenly he was wide awake. He rose to the microphone to glide through a couple solo choruses, sat down again and drifted off again. He had been doing it for more than 30 years. The only basketball game I ever went to was a professional team, Phillips 66’rs. The half-time entertainment was Dave Brubeck and his quartet. Up to then they had done only a scant few recordings for Fantasy: “Jazz at the Blackhawk” and another one or two. And they had recently released one for Columbia called “Jazz goes to College.” It was shortly after that I did the small sketch of Desmond shown on a previous page. Allison Neale is on that page too. She is highly recommended. And speaking of Allison... There was another Alison but I don't remember her last name right now. Oh yes, Alison Young. She was about 17 years old and played occasionally at the late night Jam Night at the Ottawa Jazz Festival. 2000 through 2003. She was fabulous. Maybe someone will tell me where she is. Where ever she is, I bet the saxophone is near-by. I wonder what became of her. That's her, isn't it?... 2007 July 10 Update: Her name has been Googled to this site several times lately...Back Tracking I found this site on MySpace. Do you want to hear her? Go to the Sarah Jerrom site and listen to the solo near the end of "Oh Lonesome Me" I was right wasn't I....She really is fabulous.