Craft Recordings recently reissued the album Chet, in mono, after it had previously reissued the album in stereo. Reversing the process, Craft Recordings recently reissued Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, in stereo after having already reissued the album in mono.
Pepper had a long and wide-ranging career as a leader and as a sideman, particularly on many sessions as part of Stan Kenton’s bands. Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, his first for Contemporary and a major breakthrough for the alto saxophonist, came after he spent several years as a band leader. With plenty of big band dates under his belt, Pepper was obviously comfortable in a big band setting. While this release could be filed under big band, personnel-wise it may not quite fit that description, but its revolutionary and may be his most iconic album.
There is a slight West-Coast vibe, as Pepper was from the California jazz school, but it boasts some New York players and approaches that have a grittier feel. This fresh jazz feel is greatly aided by the support from the three sidemen who played with Pepper on the date: Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones, who at the time were the rhythm section for Miles Davis.
The playing is exquisite and the interplay relaxed. The recording sounds like it was captured live and the listener has the feeling of being right in the room. Some songs have a cool lyricism, while others burn hot. There are many interpretations of the great American songbook composers here as well as three Pepper compositions, including one co-written with Garland and one co-written with Chambers.
The album was mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original master tapes and it was pressed on 180-gram vinyl at QRP. This is a must-have audiophile jazz classic that will be a nice companion to the mono reissue. The Contemporary label was a trailblazer in stereo recordings and this one is a jewel in its stereo crown.
Calling your album Jazz Giant may seem a little bold, but in the case of saxophonist Benny Carter, it’s not bragging, it’s the truth. Sideman, band leader, arranger, composer, legend, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 1987 and class act, Carter is one of the most celebrated jazz artists of all time, yet is somewhat unknown to the casual music fan.
Carter only recorded two albums for Contemporary. This, his first, was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Lester Koenig. The album came after his association with Norman Granz and various Verve labels and was a major leap forward. Mixing New York players with some of the cool new West Coast players of the time made for an album that had the romantic, easy-going swing we had come to expect from this understated player, with a supporting cast that makes this a jazz album with a wide canvas.
As hard as it is to believe, Carter is supported here by Ben Webster, Andre Previn, Barney Kessel, and Shelly Manne. How’s that for a heavyweight and diverse supporting cast? Carter is one of the few players of that time who could command such support. And, the album also features Frank Rosolino, Jimmy Rowles, and Leroy Vinnegar.
As diverse as those players would appear to be on paper, this album has a cohesive, seamless feel, as if these musicians had been playing together for decades. The two Carter compositions here, “A Walkin’ Thing” and “How Can You Lose,” along with the nearly eight-minute “Old Fashioned Love,” are long jams that never seem indulgent or that include overextended solos.
Like the Pepper release, this album was mastered by Bernie Grundman from the original stereo master tapes and pressed on 180-gram vinyl at QRP. This is another must-have, audiophile jazz album from the vaults of Contemporary, reissued in glorious stereo by Craft Recordings.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
Art Pepper, Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
A+
Benny Carter, Jazz Giant
B+
