Search - Art Pepper & Hollywood All-Stars :: Art Standards

Go Hollywood?

George H. Soule | Edwardsville, Illinois United States | 02/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This collection of Art Pepper's Galaxy recordings is a "best of" selection from sessions he made between 1979 and 1982 that were gathered together for a boxed set. The nine songs on the disc place Pepper in a variety of settings--with Bill Watrous on trombone and Jack Sheldon on trumpet with Pete Jolly, and with Russ Freeman on piano and Carl Burnett on drums. There is a gloriously lyrical version of "Begin the Beguine" featuring Watrous and a classic rendition of "You'd Be So nice To Come Home To" as well as a simply wonderful version of "Night and Day." The latter track may be among the best recordings of that song ever. Four of the tracks feature Sonny Stitt on alto. "Bernie's Tune," "How High the Moon," "My Funny Valentine," and "Imagination" contrast Stitt and Pepper (and it's fun trying to distinguish them) and at the same time demonstrate that Art Pepper may very well have been the greatest alto player since Bird. He was certainly as great an improviser and a greater risk taker than either Stitt or Lee Konitz, who is featured on two tracks in the collection. All in all this is a great collection of the always lyrical and original Art Pepper."

Standards Sounding Good

R. Angeloni | Northern California, USA | 03/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Art Pepper was perhaps one of the top jazz alto saxophonists ever, and this album of standards, recorded shortly before he died but after he cleaned up from a life of drugs, is an excellent representation of how good he was.
Art Pepper's saxophone playing has been descibed as "warm." and that's very apparent here as he plays and improvises jazz classics such as "Begin the Beguine," "Night and Day," "My Funny Valentine," and "The Shadow of Your Smile." Each and every song on the CD is a gem.
Despite a difficult life of drugs and jail terms (for an interesting read on his life read his autobiography, "Straight Life,") Art Pepper turned out some great music. If you like jazz, the saxophone, or the classics, this will not disappoint."

Peppy standards by Art Pepper

rash67 | USA | 10/10/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This set of standards was culled from the multi CD (5?) Galaxy set of late Art with the Hollywood All-Stars and, while I have not yet sprung for the many CD set, it seems they must have gotten the cream of the crop here.But I like standards!Art is very up here, plays these standards with pep, so the speak, high bebop energy. Great tunes. Mostly swing and uptempo. Great invention. He (mostly) avoids his occational tendency to put squeaks and squawks in the music. The CD is uniformly high quality, tuneful and should not be overlooked by beboppers and Pepper fans. Happy music."