ART PEPPER — Living Legend (1975-1989) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Art Pepper, one of the major bop altoists to emerge during the '50s, started his comeback with this excellent set, Living Legend. After 15 years filled with prison time and fighting drug addiction, Pepper was finally ready to return to jazz. Accompanied by three of his old friends (pianist Hampton Hawes, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Shelly Manne), Pepper displays a more explorative and darker style than he had previously. He also shows a greater emotional depth in his improvisations and was open to some of the innovations of the avant-garde in his search for greater self-expression. Although this recording would be topped by the ones to come, the music (five Pepper originals and an intense version of "Here's That Rainy Day") is quite rewarding. Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1 Ophelia 7:51
 Art Pepper
2 Here's That Rainy Day 5:37
Written-By – Jimmy Van Heusen And Johnny Burke
3 What Laurie Likes 6:45
 Art Pepper
4 Mr. Yohe 7:10
 Art Pepper
5 Lost Life 5:52
 Art Pepper
6 Samba Mom-Mom (Original Take) 8:18
 Art Pepper
7 Samba Mom-Mom (Alternate Take) 6:59
 Art Pepper
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper
Bass – Charlie Haden
Drums – Shelly Manne
Piano – Hampton Hawes

ART PEPPER AND GEORGE CABLES — Goin' Home (1982-1991) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Art Pepper's final recording sessions were comprised of duets with pianist George Cables. Pepper, who splits his time almost evenly here between alto and clarinet, is in surprisingly strong form considering that he only had a month left to live. He is heard at his best on "Goin' Home," "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying," "Isn't She Lovely," and "Lover Man," really pouring out his emotions into the ballads. Two alternate takes were added to the CD reissue, although for the complete picture, one has to acquire Art Pepper's 16-CD Galaxy box set, which contains plenty of otherwise unissued performances. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1. Goin' Home 5:28
 Antonin Dvorák
2. Samba Mom Mom 4:53
 Art Pepper
3. In A Mello Tone 5:30
 Duke Ellington / Milt Gabler
4. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' 4:57
 Joe Greene
5. Isn't She Lovely 4:10
 Stevie Wonder
6. Billie's Bounce 3:55
 Charlie Parker
7. Lover Man 4:57
 Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
8. The Sweetest Sounds 5:03
 Richard Rodgers
— BONUS TRACKS —
9. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin' (alt. A) 5:19
10. You Go To My Head (alternate) 6:04
 J. Fred Coots / Haven Gillespie
Credits :
Art Pepper – Alto Saxophone, Clarinet (tracks 1, 3 and 7),
Clarinet and Alto (track 5)
George Cables – Piano

ART PEPPER — Gettin' Together! (1960) Two Version | 1994, DCC Jazz – GZS-1054 | 24K Gold CD + 1997, Contemporary Records – VICJ-41170 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As a sort of follow-up to Art Pepper's matchup with Miles Davis' trio in the 1957 classic Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Pepper utilizes Davis' sidemen on this 1960 near-classic. In addition to pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb, trumpeter Conte Candoli makes the group a quintet on four of the eight numbers. This time around, rather than emphasizing standards, Pepper performs just three ("Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-A-Ning," and "The Way You Look Tonight") and includes three originals of his own: "Diane," "Bijou the Poodle," and "Gettin' Together." The music is all very straight-ahead and bop-oriented, but as usual, Pepper brings something very personal and unique to his playing; he sounds like no one else. [Some reissues add "The Way You Look Tonight" (formerly only available on another LP) and an alternate take of the title cut to the original repertoire.] Scott Yanow    Tracklist & Credits :  

ART PEPPER QUINTET — Smack Up (1960-2001) RM | Serie Heritage Of Jazz By Digital K2 Contemporary 40 – 3 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The title of this recording, Smack Up is ironic and inadvertently truthful. Within a short period, Art Pepper would begin spending many years in jail due to his heroin addiction; this was his next-to-last album from that period. Despite the bleak future, the great altoist (who never seemed to make an uninspired record during his unstable life) is in excellent form in a quintet with trumpeter Jack Sheldon, pianist Pete Jolly, bassist Jimmy Bond, and drummer Frank Butler. Highlights of this fine album include Harold Land's title cut, the five/four blues "Las Cuevas de Mario," and Ornette Coleman's "Tears Inside." [Some reissues add two takes of the otherwise unknown "Solid Citizens."] Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Smack Up 4:18
Harold Land
2 Las Cuevas de Mario 7:11
Art Pepper
3 A Bit of Basie 7:26
Buddy Collette
4 How Can You Lose 6:57
Benny Carter
5 Maybe Next Year 4:24
Duane Tatro
6 Tears Inside 7:47
Ornette Coleman
7 Solid Citizens 6:32
Jack Montrose
8 Solid Citizens 6:29
Jack Montrose
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper
Bass – Jimmy Bond
Drums – Frank Butler
Piano – Pete Jolly
Trumpet – Jack Sheldon

ART PEPPER — Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section (1957-2010) RM | Serie Original Jazz Classics Remasters | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

By the time of this, Art Pepper's tenth recording as a leader, he was making his individual voice on the alto saxophone leave the cozy confines of his heroes Charlie Parker and Lee Konitz. Joining the Miles Davis rhythm section of pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones made the transformation all that more illuminating. It's a classic east meets west, cool plus hot but never lukewarm combination that provides many bright moments for the quartet during this exceptional date from that great year in music, 1957. A bit of a flip, loosened but precise interpretation of the melody on "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" gets the ball rolling, followed by a "Bags Groove" parallel with "Red Pepper Blues," and a delicate, atypical treatment of "Imagination." A compositional collaboration of Pepper and Chambers on the quick "Waltz Me Blues" and hard-edged, running-as-fast-as-he-can take of "Straight Life" really sets the gears whirring. Philly Joe Jones is a great bop drummer, no doubt, one of the all-time greats with Kenny Clarke and Max Roach. His crisp Latin-to-swing pace for "Tin Tin Deo" deserves notice, masterful in its creation and seamlessness. Pepper makes a typical "Star Eyes" brighter, and he goes into a lower octave tone, more like a tenor, for "Birks Works" and the bonus track "The Man I Love." It's clear he has heard his share of Stan Getz in this era. Though Art Pepper played with many a potent trio, this one inspires him to the maximum, and certainly makes for one of his most substantive recordings after his initial incarcerations, and before his second major slip into the deep abyss of drug addiction. Michael G. Nastos 
Tracklist :
1 You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To 5:30
Composed By – Cole Porter
2 Red Pepper Blues 3:39
Composed By – Red Garland
3 Imagination 5:56
Composed By – Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
4 Waltz Me Blues 2:58
Composed By – Art Pepper, Paul Chambers 
5 Straight Life 4:02
Composed By – Art Pepper
6 Jazz Me Blues 4:50
Composed By – Tom Delaney
7 Tin Tin Deo 7:42
Composed By – Chano Pozo, Gil Fuller
8 Star Eyes 5:12
Composed By – Don Raye, Gene De Paul
9 Birks' Works 4:15
Composed By – Dizzy Gillespie
- BONUS TRACK -
10 The Man I Love 6:36
Composed By – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper
Bass – Paul Chambers
Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones
Piano – Red Garland
Producer – Lester Koenig

ART PEPPER — Art Pepper + Eleven (1959-1986) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This is a true classic. Altoist Art Pepper is joined by an 11-piece band playing Marty Paich arrangements of a dozen jazz standards from the bop and cool jazz era. Trumpeter Jack Sheldon has a few solos, but the focus is very much on the altoist who is in peak form for this period. Throughout, Pepper sounds quite inspired by Paich's charts which feature the band as an active part of the music rather than just in the background. Highlights of this highly enjoyable set include "Move," "Four Brothers," "Shaw Nuff," "Anthropology," and "Donna Lee," but there is not a single throwaway track to be heard. Essential music for all serious jazz collections. [Some reissues add two additional versions of "Walkin'" and one of "Donna Lee" to the original program.] Scott Yanow    Tracklist & Credits :

NAT "KING" COLE – 1947-1949 | The Chronogical Classics – 1155 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Nat King Cole could charm most listeners by simply singing a few lines from the phone book. His delivery is so intoxicating that even less-than-stellar material doesn't cause so much as a blink of the eye. This is true with Classics' collection of some of his 1947-1949 cuts, where hardly a classic standard or hit is in sight. What one does get, though, is a generous dose of Nat Cole and the trio's slow-riffin' best . While ranging from the ballad perfection of "How Lonely Can You Get" and "Lost April" to svelte blues sides like "My Mother Told Me," Cole, guitarist Irving Ashby, and bassist Johnny Miller show how they perfected the piano trio template forged by the singer's first group with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince. The disc also includes two boppish instrumentals: "Leap Here" and "Metronome Riff," featuring Cole with large combos stuffed with likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy DeFranco, Bob Cooper, Art Pepper, Bill Harris, and Shelly Manne. Also included are two takes of "Portrait of Jennie," an early strings affair that nicely foreshadows Cole's symphonic run of hits in the '50s. This disc might not work too well as a prime introduction to the the Nat Cole Trio's '40s material -- check out Capitol's Vocal Classics titles for that -- but it certainly will please fans wanting to delve beyond the more popular tracks. And for those keen on getting a good share of Cole's instrumental and jazz-centric sides, check out Capitol's Instrumental Classics and Jazz Encounters collections. Stephen Cook
Tracklist + Credits :

BABS GONZALES – 1947-1949 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1124 (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Confronted with a new, harmonically advanced music filled with rhythmic complexities, white audiences and entertainers were only able to cope with bebop by treating it as though it were a novel alternative to pig Latin. If anyone supplied the fuel for this trivialization it was Slim Gaillard and Babs Gonzales, great musicians who were also bizarre characters who invented their own forms of funny scat language. In these vintage Blue Note sides by Babs' Three Bips and a Bop, you can hear exactly where Charlie Barnet got the idea for "Bebop Spoken Here." The originals, of course, sound much better than the silly attempts of bop imitators. Babs' Blue Note vocal arrangements were by pianist Tadd Dameron, and Rudy Williams poured a whole lot of soul into his alto saxophone. "Play Dem Blues" seems to have a little bit of "Ornithology" built into its opening line. "Running Around" is a sudden switch to straight vocal ballad style. Babs sings about heartbreak. The band has been reduced to piano, bass, and guitar. With "Bab's Dream," listeners are back in full bop language mode, with reams of scat unfolding in every direction. Dameron takes fascinating solos during this easygoing minor romp, and on his own "Dob Bla Bli." Special mention should also be made of the exceptionally solid bassist Art Phipps. "Weird Lullaby" stretches out Babs' bop scat lingo to the point where listeners seem to be hearing a serenade sung by a character actor imitating a visitor from Mars. Moving over to the Apollo label, Tony Scott blows an authentic bop clarinet, Phipps continues to act as an upright axis, and Roy Haynes carries the entire band on his back. In December of 1948, Babs lined up a session with Manor, an important label in the development of early modern jazz. With a front line of James Moody, Dave Burns, and Bennie Green, this is a steamy little band. Precision arrangements make for surprisingly intricate runs. Moody sounds particularly stoked. If anyone comes looking for vestigial Fats Waller in "Honeysuckle Bop," forget about it. The reference seems to have been purely poetic. If this bop workout was somehow based upon the changes to Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose," the camouflage is so successful that nobody could ever sort it out. Jumping to Capitol Records in 1949, Babs is once again surrounded by awesome musicians: J.J. Johnson, a well-oiled Sonny Rollins, Erroll Garner's brother Linton, and Jack "The Bear" Parker. Art Pepper really cooks on "The Continental," which is one of Gonzales' most successful performances. Gonzales' voice has deepened and he seems to be growing tougher by the minute. "St. Louis Blues" is masterfully restructured and augmented with fluent bop embellishments. Hearing Don Redman and Sonny Rollins side by side with Wynton Kelly and Roy Haynes in back is a treat not to be missed. A fascinating slice of vintage bop culture, packed with restless creative energy. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist + Credits :

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1940-1944 | The Classics Chronological Series – 848 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Stan Kenton's earliest recordings as a leader make this first volume in the Classics Kenton chronology the logical starting point for anyone seeking to comprehend his life and work. Beginning with a long lost "Etude for Saxophones" and plowing through nine Decca sides from late 1941 and early 1942, the producers of this compilation shed light on Kenton's pre-Capitol period. With the exception of "This Love of Mine" (sung by tenor saxophonist Red Dorris), all of the Decca recordings are instrumentals that contain premonitions of Kenton's eventual obsession with stylized modernity. Parallels could be drawn with the music of Claude Thornhill, Larry Clinton and Raymond Scott. Frankly speaking, however, some of these early Kenton routines come across as rather self-consciously put together; the band goes through the motions but the overall approach to rhythm and swing feels rather forced. "Lamento Gitano" transcends these limitations, and the catchy "Concerto for Doghouse" is built around Howard Rumsey's excellent sung-and-plucked bass solo. By the time "El Choclo" was recorded, the band was clearly beginning to find itself and was ready for its next phase of stylistic evolution. The session that took place in Los Angeles on November 19, 1943 was Kenton's inaugural involvement with Capitol Records, an exclusive business arrangement that would continue for many years, superseded only by the occasional date for the United States Armed Forces V-Disc label. Kenton always listened carefully to other bands and learned his best lessons from African-American archetypes and innovators. His signature stamp of originality begins to materialize during the second half of this compilation, betwixt and between various well-chosen covers. Red Dorris does surprisingly well with Duke Ellington's "Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me," and after two years of experimentation the overall sound of the band has improved noticeably. The very first recorded version of "Artistry in Rhythm" signals the true inception of the Kenton sound. Seasoned early modern jazz heads will want to listen carefully to the reed section as Kenton was already beginning to employ great saxophonists like Art Pepper, Boots Mussulli and Stan Getz. Admirers of Anita O'Day will appreciate an opportunity to savor four of the six songs she is known to have recorded with the Stan Kenton Orchestra. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA - 1947, Vol. 2 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1039 (1998) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like its immediate predecessor, volume five in the Classics Stan Kenton chronology contains a substantial amount of material composed and/or arranged by Sicilian-American Pete Rugolo, a student of Darius Milhaud and Kenton's right-hand man during the mid- to late '40s. It was Rugolo who assisted Kenton during his experiments with modernized, "progressive" big band jazz. (Speaking of modern jazz, note the return of alto saxophonist Art Pepper on the session of October 22, 1947, which opened with Rugolo's "Unison Riff.") Following the example of Dizzy Gillespie, Kenton was now incorporating more Latin percussion and Caribbean rhythms than ever into his music, and even hired Cuban bandleader Machito to play maracas on the sessions which took place during the latter part of December 1947. Smug, contentious and successful, Kenton attracted controversy like a lightning rod. Part of the reason for this was the unusual and at times startling nature of his brand of musical futurism.
A more unsavory aspect of Kenton's reputation was his annoying habit of making what appeared to be arrogantly racist statements. The most famous example of this regrettable tendency was remembered by several eyewitnesses who claimed that Kenton, after participating in a "battle of the bands" at the Savoy Ballroom, got drunk and staggered up to Dizzy Gillespie saying "We can play your music better than you can." Diz -- to his credit -- simply shrugged, said "yeah" and walked away. Walter Gilbert Fuller adds: "He was juiced. But he was saying while he was juiced what he really meant." Here's how Gillespie assessed the overall situation: "Stan Kenton was the copyist. Stan Kenton went out and got a conga drummer after he saw me with one. He hired Carlos Vidal, lured him away from Machito, and put him along with another Latin drummer, Jack Costanzo, in his band. But Stan didn't know what to do with it. He just left it there and they made up their own minds what to play. All this happened after he came up to the Savoy and heard us while Chano Pozo was in the band. Now, I don't just take what they do and leave it there. I don't pass myself off as an expert on Latin music, but the guys who play it respect me for knowing how to take what they do, put it in with my music, and make it right. I never take nothing from nobody without delivering something in return. I think when people figured we might make a lot of money -- that started the controversy about who would get credit for creating modern jazz. My viewpoint was always that the credit should go to the ones who developed and played it best."
Interestingly, Dizzy Gillespie is heard on this disc alongside Buddy DeFranco, Bill Harris and Flip Phillips as members of the Metronome All Stars in combination with Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (a total of 28 players!) on Pete Rugolo's "Metronome Riff," which was recorded on December 21, 1947. Gillespie even toured with Kenton, sometimes leading the band. Later in life, Gillespie bluntly asserted that Kenton "left out the fundamentals," unlike Miles Davis whose music, said Diz, "is based on rhythm and also the blues." Whether or not you agree with that assessment, and while many of Kenton's recordings, including some of the examples heard on this compilation, had plenty of artistic merit, music does not exist in a social vacuum. As a member of the dominant social group, Kenton could and should have shown more respect and gratitude to the African-American artists from whom he borrowed (or swiped) ideas, textures, rhythms and inspiration. That would have been honorable. arwulf arwulf
Tracklist :

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1950 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1185 (2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

There is a gap in the Stan Kenton chronology. It begins with the ellipsis caused by the second commercial recording ban mandated by the American Federation of Musicians, which was in effect throughout most of 1948. Unable to continue making studio recordings, Kenton toured with his mammoth orchestra until he wore himself down and disbanded on December 14, only days before AFM president James C. Petrillo lifted the ban. Kenton apparently needed a break; it wasn't until February 1950 that he resumed making records for Capitol. Kenton's Innovations in Modern Music Orchestra consisted of 37 players; he was now straddling a 23-piece big band plus strings. The sessions that took place in Los Angeles on February 3, 4, and 5 1950 resulted in some of Kenton's most theatrical and dramatically charged recordings; more than half of them were issued on 12" 78 rpm platters, which allowed for extended durations of between four and five minutes. Pete Rugolo's suspenseful tone poem titled "Conflict" is one of the weirdest. Scored almost as if intended for a Hollywood sci-fi movie and using elements that seem to lead directly back to Anton Webern's Opus 6, "Conflict" combines oozing, queasy tonalities with unsettling percussion, sudden blasts from startled trumpets, and an eerie wordless vocal by June Christy. Kenton also continued to experiment with Latin American-flavored jazz; Neal Hefti's "In Veradero" and Laurindo Almeida's "Mardi Gras," which tap into Brazilian traditions, feature ensemble vocals generated by members of the band and their families. With players like Art Pepper, Bud Shank and Shorty Rogers on board, 1950 turns out to be one of the better installments in the Classics Stan Kenton chronology. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist & Credits :

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA – 1950-1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1255 (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Illness, exhaustion and a national recording ban imposed by executives heading the American Federation of Musicians forced Stan Kenton to disband and withdraw from the music scene in December 1948. The hiatus lasted until February 1950, when he resumed making records for the Capitol label (see Classics 1185, Stan Kenton & His Orchestra 1950). Classics 1255, 1950-1951, which is the seventh volume in the Classics Kenton chronology, contains all of the recordings he made with his big band between May 18 1950 and March 20 1951. By and large, Kenton's music sounded better than ever during this period. His 37-piece Innovations Orchestra, which nearly bankrupted him when he took it on a national tour that set him back something like two hundred grand, performed attention-getting music using ambitiously conceived "progressive" arrangements. Kenton shared composing and arranging duties with Laurindo Almeida, Shorty Rogers and the ever-imaginative Pete Rugolo. In addition to dynamic studies focusing upon the brass and string sections, as well as the cello department in particular, a series of pieces were created as portraits of bandmembers June Christy, Art Pepper, Maynard Ferguson and Shelly Manne. Two tracks cut on August 16 1950 feature pianist and vocalist Nat King Cole, who maintained his composure amid blasts from the brass and shouts from the band during "Orange Colored Sky" -- note that the vocal routine used by the band is a precise word-for-word imitation of the famously rowdy version by that "Incendiary Blonde" Betty Hutton. Kenton bowed to convention by employing a resonant crooner and Billy Eckstine impersonator by the name of Jay Johnson; there is also a wistful band vocal on "September Song." Kenton continued to employ Latin American percussionists to spice up his Caribbean-style arrangements; Cole Porter's "Love for Sale" works very nicely under the influence of Miguel Ramon Rivera's conga drumming. Lest anyone should complain that this band didn't play enough melodies that could be whistled or hummed, Kenton's old chum Vido Musso's tenor sax was featured on the familiar "Santa Lucia" and a dramatic rendering of "Vesti la Giubba," the famous aria from Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci. After capping all of this with the delightful "Artistry in Tango" and savoring Bud Shank's graceful solo on Pete Rugolo's "Theme for Alto," one can begin to understand how and why Kenton's early-'50s band enjoyed increasing popularity in its day. Much of what he'd recorded during the previous decade pales by comparison. arwulf arwulf  
Tracklist : 

STAN KENTON AND HIS ORCHESTRA - 1951 | The Classics Chronological Series – 1292 (2003) FLAC (tracks), lossless

The Classics chronological volume 1951 includes the last recordings from Stan Kenton's Innovations Orchestra, which he dissolved by the end of the year. (Carrying a band of 40 pieces on cross-country tours came to a fantastic expense, and the band's heady charts prevented it from becoming a moneymaker). From a late March session, "Dynaflow" became one of the Kenton band's finest charts, though the flip side (a humorous Mexican novelty called "Tortillas and Beans") doesn't wear as well, despite some excellent work from the brass. The next session, from May, brought two bizarre sides: a trad version of "Laura," with the whole band delivering a stoic chorus vocal, and a boogie version of "Stardust" that worked slightly better. "Coop's Solo," for tenor Bob Cooper, is one of the most famous numbers associated with the Innovations Orchestra, and a six-song standards date from September included several excellent features for singer June Christy ("Easy Street," "Come Rain or Come Shine"). Roughly half-a-dozen titles make their CD debut (apart from Mosaic's unapproachable The Complete Capitol Recordings of Stan Kenton), and didn't even appear on Capitol's two-disc Innovations Orchestra set. John Bush  
Tracklist :

ZOOT SIMS & ART PEPPER - Art 'N' Zoot (1981-1995) RM | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This historic music, which was released for the first time on this 1995 CD, features an exuberant session by a notable group of veteran all-stars, recorded live at UCLA in 1981. Altoist Art Pepper is heard on a lyrical and emotional version of "Over the Rainbow" (the only selection that has Charlie Haden on bass). Tenor great Zoot Sims swings on "In the Middle of a Kiss," "Broadway" and "The Girl from Ipanema"; the latter two songs also feature guitarist Barney Kessel. But the main reason to acquire this disc is to hear Sims and Pepper jamming together on "Wee" and "Breakdown Blues." The rhythm section of pianist Victor Feldman, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Billy Higgins is as tight, alert and hard-swinging as one would expect, and it is a joy to hear this rare encounter by the two great saxophonists. It is only a pity that Pepper and Sims did not record together more extensively during their careers. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Wee (Allen's Alley) 7:39
Denzil Best    
2     Over the Rainbow 10:28
Harold Arlen / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg    
3     In the Middle of a Kiss 8:51
Sam Coslow    
4     Broadway 6:29
Lew Brown / Buddy DeSylva / Ray Henderson
5     The Girl from Ipanema 10:31
Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Vinícius de Moraes
6     Breakdown Blues 10:01
Art Pepper / Zoot Sims
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper (pistas: 1, 2, 6)
Bass – Charlie Haden (pistas: 2), Ray Brown (pistas: 1, 3 to 6)
Drums – Billy Higgins
Guitar – Barney Kessel (pistas: 4, 5)
Piano – Victor Feldman
Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims (pistas: 1, 3 to 6)

CHET BAKER & ART PEPPER - Playboys (1956-2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

These 1956 Pacific Jazz sides appeared in 1961 under the title Playboys. Myth and rumor persist that, under legal advice from the publisher of a similarly named magazine, the collection would have to be retitled. It was renamed Picture of Heath, as more than half of the tracks are Jimmy Heath compositions. Regardless, the music is the absolute same. These are the third sessions to feature the dynamic duo of Art Pepper (alto sax) and Chet Baker (trumpet). Their other two meetings had produced unequivocal successes. The first was during a brief July 1956 session at the Forum Theater in L.A. Baker joined forces with Pepper's sextet, ultimately netting material for the Route LP. Exactly three months to the day later, Pepper and Baker reconvened to record tracks for the Chet Baker Big Band album. The quartet supporting Baker and Pepper on Playboys includes Curtis Counce (bass), Phil Urso (tenor sax), Carl Perkins (piano), and Larance Marable (drums). Baker and Pepper have an instinctual rapport that yields outstanding interplay. The harmony constant throughout the practically inseparable lines that Baker weaves with Pepper drives the bop throughout the slinky "For Minors Only." The soloists take subtle cues directly from each other, with considerable contributions from Perkins, Counce, and Marable. With the notorious track record both Baker and Pepper had regarding other decidedly less successful duets, it is unfortunate that more recordings do not exist that captured their special bond. These thoroughly enjoyable and often high-energy sides are perfect for bop connoisseurs as well as mainstream jazz listeners. by Lindsay Planer   
Tracklist :
 1    For Minors Only 3:59    
Jimmy Heath
2    Minor Yours 6:40    
Art Pepper
3    Resonant Emotions 5:41    
Jimmy Heath
4    Tynan Tyme 5:31    
Art Pepper
5    Picture of Heath 6:43    
Jimmy Heath
6    For Miles and Miles 6:24    
Jimmy Heath
7    C.T.A. 5:14
Written-By – Jimmy Heath
8    Tynan Time 6:19
Written-By – Art Pepper
9    Little Girl 4:17
Written-By – Henry, Hyde
10    Minor Yours 7:14
Written-By – Art Pepper
11    Sonny Boy 3:57
Written-By – Jolson, De Sylva, Brown, Henderson
12    The Route 5:04
Written-By – Pepper, Baker, Kamuca
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper
Arranged By – Art Pepper (faixas: 2,4,8,10), Jimmy Heath (faixas: 1,3, 5-7), Johnny Mandel (faixas: 9,11)
Bass – Curtis Counce (faixas: 1 to 7), Leroy Vinnegar (faixas: 8 to 12)
Drums – Lawrence Marable (faixas: 1 to 7), Stan Levey (faixas: 8 to 12)
Piano – Carl Perkins (faixas: 1 to 7), Pete Jolly (faixas: 8 to 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Phil Urso (faixas: 1 to 7), Richie Kamuca (faixas: 8 to 12)
Trumpet – Chet Baker

MARTY PAICH - Four Classic Albums (2015) 2CD / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist 1 :
Tenors West (1955)
1. Tenors West (3:22)
2. There's No You (3:06)
3. The Dragon (4:14)
4. Shorty George (3:22)
5. Paichence (4:06)
6. At the Mardi Gras (3:25)
7. Take the "A" Train (3:09)
8. Ballet du Bongo (8:27)
9. Line for Lyons (3:10)
10. Jacqueline (3:34)
11. Con-Spirito (3:04)
Take Me Along (1959)
12. Overture-Take Me Along (4:46)
13. Nine O'Clock (3:09)
14. Little Green Snake (3:01)
15. Promise Me a Rose (3:22)
16. But Yours (3:32)
17. Sid, Ol' Kid (5:04)
18. Patience of a Saint (4:08)
19. Staying Young (2:49)
20. Thinkin' Things (3:45)
21. We're Home (2:47)
Tracklist 2 :
The Picasso of Big Band Jazz (1957)
1. From Now On (5:58)
2. Walkin' on Home (4:27)
3. Black Rose (5:11)
4. Tommy's Toon (4:03)
5. New Soft Shoe (3:13)
6. What's New (3:35)
7. Easy Listnin' (5:11)
8. Martyni Time (3:09)
9. Nice and Easy (4:44)
Lush, Latin & Cool (1960)
10. Honky Tonk Train (2:49)
11. Invitation (2:41)
12. Autumn Leaves (4:07)
13. Honeysuckle Rose (2:30)
14. Stella by Starlight (2:38)
15. Cumana (2:39)
16. Sabre Dance (2:13)
17. Canadian Sunset (3:39)
18. St. Louis Blues Boogie Woogie (3:36)
19. Little Rock Getaway (2:26)
20. Misirlou (3:19)
21. One O'Clock Jump (3:20) 

 All credits

GLORIA SMYTH + HELYNE STEWART - Like Soul! + Love Moods (2019) M4A (tracks) lossless [16bits 44.1khz]

"This release in Fresh Sound’s Best Voices Time Forgot series sees the pairing of two more overlooked albums from the late 50s and early 60s: Gloria Smyth’s Like Soul! and Helyne Stewart’s Love Moods.
The Gloria Smyth album, from World Pacific, is mixed – some of the uptempo tracks don’t sound that convincing, and although she has a forceful and strong voice, some of the inflections seem a little forced. I feel she is at her best on the slower ones and the ballads, and it is on these that her voice sounds more assured and controlled. She sings attractively on Sittin’ And Sighin’, on which she benefits from the presence of Teddy Edwards’ sensitive tenor accompaniment, and on I’ll Remember April, where both singer and saxophonist use some imaginative phrasing.
Helyne Stewart is a more rounded and stylish vocalist, with good range and accurate pitch, and a voice at times reminiscent of Dinah Washington. Once more Teddy Edwards is involved, both as arranger and as a featured soloist, with a quartet and an all-star septet that includes fellow West Coast players Frank Butler, Art Pepper, Jack Sheldon and Frank Rosolino.
Issued originally on Contemporary Records, the material is a strong selection of standards and well-known numbers and Stewart handles them well, with straightforward interpretations and good accompanying solos – Why Don’t You Do Right is an example in point. A fine follow-on from the Lil Green and Peggy Lee versions, this has blues-tinged contributions from Edwards and pianist Phineas Newborn Jr. How Deep Is The Ocean is notable for her warm and rich delivery and for Pete Jolly’s unobtrusive but soulful background piano, the higher keys riding the wave of the lush horn arrangement." by Matthew Wright
Tracklist :
GLORIA SMYTH - LIKE SOUL! (1960)
1. Running Wild  2:14
(Gibbs-Grey-Wood)
2. Billy 1:59
(Paley-Kendis-Goodwin)
3. Sittin’ and Sighin’ (Prison) 3:35
(D’Vogna White)
4. Imagination 2:59
(Burke-Van Heusen)
5. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child  2:02
(Traditional)
6. I’ll Remember April  3:20
(Raye-DePaul-Johnson)
7. I’ll Be Over  2:10
(Gloria Smyth)
8. Bye Bye Blackbird 2:13
(Henderson-Dixon)
9. When You’re Smiling  2:44
(Shay-Fisher-Goodwin)
10. Gee Baby Ain’t I Good to You  2:34
(Redman-Razaf)
11. Sometimes I’m Happy  3:29
(Youmans-Caesar-Grey)
12. Time After Time 3:44
(Styne-Cahn)
13. It Don’t Mean a Thing 2:32
(Ellington-Mills)
Personnel on “Like Soul!":
Gloria Smyth, vocals
Tracks #4,6,9,12: Teddy Edwards, tenor sax; Les McCann, piano; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Ron Jefferson, drums.
Recorded at Rex Productions Studio, Los Angeles, May 2, 1960
Tracks #1,11,13: Donald Sleet, trumpet; Daniel Jackson, tenor sax; Terry Trotter, piano; Herbie Lewis, bass; Lenny McBrowne, drums.
Recorded at Rex Productions Studio, Los Angeles, March 1960
Tracks #2,3,8: Teddy Edwards, tenor sax (out #2); Ronnie Ball, piano; Ben Tucker, bass; Al Levitt, drums.
Recorded at Sound Enterprises, Los Angeles, September 12, 1959
Tracks #7,10: Teddy Edwards, tenor sax; Joe Castro, piano; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Billy Higgins, drums.
Recorded at Sound Enterprises, Los Angeles, September 12, 1959
Track #5: Terry Trotter, piano; Herbie Lewis, bass.
Recorded at Rex Productions Studio, Los Angeles, March 1960
HELYNE STEWART - LOVE MOODS (1961)
14. Love Is Here To Stay 3:22
(George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin)
15. I Hadn't Anyone 'Til You 3:49
(Ray Noble)
16. My Heart Belongs To Daddy 2:04
(Cole Porter)
17. That Old Feeling 3:01
(Lew Brown / Sammy Fain)
18. This Love Of Mine 3:48
(Henry W. Sanicola, Jr. / Sol Parker / Frank Sinatra)
19. The Man I Love 3:11
(George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin)
20. Why Don't You Do Right? (Give Me Some Money Too) 2:56
(Kansas Joe McCoy)
21. How Deep Is The Ocean 3:25
(Irving Berlin)
22. Easy To Love 3:35
(Cole Porter)
23. Besame Mucho 3:24
(Sunny Skylar / Consuelo Velázquez)
24. My Silent Love 3:05
(Edward Heyman / Dana Suesse)
25. This Can't Be Love 2:13
(Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers)
Personnel on "Love Moods":
Helyne Stewart, vocals
Tracks #14,19,21,24: Teddy Edwards Septet
Jack Sheldon, trumpet; Frank Rosolino, trombone; Art Pepper, alto sax; Teddy Edwards, tenor sax, arranger; Pete Jolly, piano; Jimmy Bond, bass; Frank Butler, drums.
Recorded at Contemporary Records, Los Angeles, January 20, 1961
Tracks #15,16,17,18,20,22,23,25: Teddy Edwards Quartet
Teddy Edwards, tenor sax, arranger; Phineas Newborn, Jr., piano; Leroy Vinnegar, bass; Milt Turner, drums.
Recorded at Contemporary Records, Los Angeles, August 21 & 22, 1961

TONI HARPER - Night Mood (1960-1989) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Toni Harper's final RCA session pairs the singer with arranger Marty Paich to create the richly atmospheric after-hours album that she was born to make. By alternating between pop standards and jazz originals, Night Mood underscores the complete breadth of Harper's talents. Even better than her sophisticated and poignant interpretations of chestnuts like "Round Midnight" and "My Ship" is a swinging rendition of "Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week" that deserves serious consideration as the song's definitive treatment. Paich's soulful arrangements further enhance the dusky beauty of Harper's vocals, even making room for some lovely alto saxophone solos courtesy of the great Art Pepper. by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1    In The Still Of The Night    2:39
Cole Porter
2    Paradise    2:52
Brown-Clifford
3    'Round Midnight    3:37
Hanighen-Williams-Monk
4    The Meaning Of The Blues    3:09
Troup-Worth
5    Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week)    2:58
Cahn-Styne
6    Night After Night    3:04
Beal-Bialas
7    Just Go    2:47
Hamilton
8    A Sleepin' Bee    2:41
Capote-Arlen
9    My Ship    3:20
Gershwin-Weill
10    You And The Night And The Music    2:09
Dietz-Schwartz
11    Petals On The Pond    2:54
Ellis-Narbert
12    Where Flamingos Fly    3:17
Courlander-Thea-Brooks
Credits :
Art Pepper (as)
Toni Harper (vo)
Marty Paich (arr, cond) unidentified orchestra