About

In the aftermath of Charlie Parker, no alto saxophonist blazed a more brilliant alternative path than Art Pepper. The L.A. native forged a lyrical detour bypassing bebop, despite his love of Bird, and recorded a series of classic albums including Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section, + Eleven and Getting’ Together!.

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." 

This new edition is on 180-gram vinyl pressed at QRP with (AAA) lacquers cut from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman and is presented in a tip-on jacket. — (via AllMusic)

↓
Label: Craft Recordings, Contemporary Records
Series: Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, Stereo, 180 g
Country: Worldwide
Reissued: Feb 23, 2024 / Original Release: 1962
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop, Cool Jazz
⦿

File under: Jazz – Saxophone