Art Pepper & Warne Marsh (3 CDs)

[GA Russell]

This has been discussed in at least two threads that I am aware of, but I thought that I would give it its own thread to clarify things.

"Art Pepper & Warne Marsh,"

Vol. 9 of the Critically Acclaimed

"Unreleased Art" Series,

To Be Released by Laurie Pepper's

Widow's Taste Label

November 11

Marking the 10th Anniversary of the Label

 

3-Disc Set Features Art Pepper & Warne Marsh

Live at Donte's in North Hollywood, CA,

April 26, 1974

With Mark Levine, John Heard, Lew Malin

 

 

 

October 7, 2016

 

 

On April 26, 1974, two wildly gifted and very different artists, Art Pepper and Warne Marsh, met again, for the first time in 17 years, by accident, on the stage at Donte's in North Hollywood, because Jack Sheldon had to cancel. It must have made for an unforgettable night for those who found themselves sitting in the legendary club and listening to two cult heroes, two profoundly great musicians, playing for the audience and each other -- out of the lives they'd lived at the same time, in the same places, but personally and stylistically so far apart.

 

Now we can join that audience. The music was recorded. And it will be released as a 3-CD set on November 11, just in time for the anniversary of Widow's Taste, the label Laurie Pepper started ten years ago to bring her collection of Art Pepper's unheard live performances to his fans.

 

In 1974, Art was at the very outset of what would be his last great comeback. He'd quit his job managing a bakery and was making a living playing bar mitzvahs and weddings. He had just started playing in Jack Sheldon's band, once a month, at Donte's.

 

Unlike Art's, Warne's career had been relentless and ongoing. He'd been touring with his own bands for years, and in 1974, he was traveling the world with Supersax, with whom he'd won a Grammy.

 

Though Warne forbade recording at his gigs, this gig was recorded. On reel-to-reel, quarter- inch, quarter-track tape. The original tapes were quite good; the audio was probably picked up from the sound board. And the tapes were sent to Laurie Pepper by persons never known or now forgotten. She rediscovered them while cleaning out a closet. As she tells us in her liner note: "Sometimes, the way things and people come to me for Art's sake is -- I want to use the word -- miraculous." A good word for this night and those tapes. Laurie gave them to the incomparable Wayne Peet of Newzone Studio, who, "knows how jazz, how Art should sound." He balanced and enriched the onstage sound, killed excessive noise, and dealt delicately with inevitable glitches that occur in live recording. Laurie, a non-musician, goes on to talk about the Pepper/Warne distinctions in the language of a dedicated fan:

 

"Art lives down in the grime of earth. You can find him on the L.A. Freeway. You can get into your car, roll up the windows, put on any of Art's blues or ballads and delve into your pain and scream aloud to it.

 

"Warne seeks sublimity, improvising music that's transcendent, that makes mere passions puny. He can take you to a level where shit doesn't matter.

 

"Warne offers to distract us. He offers art, the endlessness and possibilities of art, the infinite inventiveness and charm. Something in me, if I'll listen, hears his rhythmic and harmonic revelations and responds with pleasure, satisfaction, even laughter, as to a mystic's holy trickery.

 

"Art discovers, witnesses, makes us confront, the disasters and the raptures swimming through our own, shared, volatile blood, beyond the reach of language. He knows our grief, our joy, our rage, and turns them into something timeless. His music seems to talk about real, actual life, the one that's nasty, sweet, and short. And he convinces us, repeatedly, that, just as-is, it's sacred."

 

 

This latest album joins the catalog of previous albums from the Unreleased Art Pepper series. All have gotten rave reviews from well-known critics. They are:

 

Volume I, Abashiri (2-CD set)

Volume II, Last Concert: Kennedy Center

Volume III, Croydon (2-CD set)

Volume IV, The Art History Project (3-CD set)

Volume V, Stuttgart (2-CD set)

Volume VI, Blues for the Fisherman: Live at Ronnie Scott's (4-CD set)

Volume VII, Sankei Hall, Osaka (2-CD set)

Volume VIII, Live at the Winery

 

And all (except Volume IV, which is available for download only) are available at both Amazon (http://bit.ly/buyArtPepper) and CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/ArtPepper). Laurie says she'll keep releasing yearly miracles as long as she keeps finding them. She says there are still plenty in her closets. Maybe, next year, a ballad set? Maybe.

 

 

Web Sites: lauriepepper.net  / artpepper.bandcamp.com

   

 

Edited October 7, 2016 by GA Russell

[mjzee]

Great news!  Can't wait to hear it.

[GA Russell]

Laurie has made available at no charge 6:40 of Donna Lee from this album.

http://artpepper.bandcamp.com/track/freebie-art-warne-donna-lee-7-minute-teaser

[GA Russell]

Thus far I've listened to only Disc One, which I've played a number of times and I've enjoyed very much.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

are the physical cds cd-rs or actual printed cds?  i would like to do a physical format on this.  i have a tape of warne n art at dontes but its only 60 min and i remember it being 77, not 74, have to check that, im on board w/ this, does laurie pepper records do an email list?

[kh1958]

It is available in CD form here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/artpepper26

[brownie]

12 hours ago, chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez said:

are the physical cds cd-rs or actual printed cds?  i would like to do a physical format on this.  i have a tape of warne n art at dontes but its only 60 min and i remember it being 77, not 74, have to check that, im on board w/ this, does laurie pepper records do an email list?

They are printed CDs.  Laurie got the tapes via a belgian fan of Pepper. Got  my set from Tommy's Jazz. (fast and excellent).

Sound is OK,  a bit flat. The music is great.

 

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

thank u!

[king ubu]

On 20.1.2017 at 0:50 PM, brownie said:

Sound is OK,  a bit flat. The music is great.
 

Sax playing is amazing ... but the rhythm section just okay-ish, I found. But I only gave it one spin so far.

[Peter Friedman]

My copy just arrived just a couple of hours ago. Have not played any of it yet.

[romualdo]

highly recommended IMHO (any Warne is worthwhile)

got my copy from Jazz Messengers (Spain)

[danasgoodstuff]

On 1/23/2017 at 3:46 AM, king ubu said:

Sax playing is amazing ... but the rhythm section just okay-ish, I found. But I only gave it one spin so far.

Is that 'okay-ish' as in somewhere in the region of OK, or as in decidedly less than ok?

[king ubu]

14 hours ago, danasgoodstuff said:

Is that 'okay-ish' as in somewhere in the region of OK, or as in decidedly less than ok?

Region of OK I guess .... it's just not that they give any relevant input as far I noticed so far.

But I'm still very happy to have this release of so much Warne & Art - definitely a worthwhile release!

[Clunky]

Another thumbs up for this release. I'm glad we have so much from this uncommon pairing. Regarding the sound it's more than adequate. Works especially well with headphones on !