Art Pepper Quartet '64

For altoist Art Pepper, the 1960s were largely a waste, with long periods spent in prison due to his narcotics addiction. He spent most of 1964 between prison terms and even tried to make a musical comeback. The LP features Pepper with pianist Frank Strazzeri, bassist Hersh Hamel, and drummer Bill Goodwin playing a few originals on a television show (Pepper is interviewed briefly by Ralph Gleason), and performing two lengthy numbers at The Jazz Workshop in San Francisco. Many of the altoist's longtime fans were disappointed by his playing during this period, for Pepper had become very influenced by John Coltrane and fearful that if he didn't sound like 'Trane, he would be regarded as old fashioned. Actually, Pepper, who plays with more intensity here than he often did in the '50s, sounds pretty good during these sets, although the recording quality is not always the greatest, but his fans (along with jazz historians) will find these rare performances quite interesting. ~ Scott Yanow