Art Pepper + Eleven "Modern Jazz Classics" - Art Pepper (1LP Vinyl) [CRAFT Recordings]

Art Pepper + Eleven "Modern Jazz Classics" by Art Pepper.

In 1959, alto saxophonist Art Pepper stepped into Contemporary's Los Angeles studio to record one of the most ambitious projects of his career. Rather than the intimate quartet or quintet settings that defined much of his catalog, Pepper surrounded himself with a big band, an ensemble that would inspire the album's title, "Art Pepper + Eleven." The concept was straightforward and thrilling: take a book of modern jazz classics by the era's most important composers and reimagine them for a full band. This Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series reissue brings that vision back to vinyl with all the care it deserves.

The material draws from the finest minds in bebop and beyond. Dizzy Gillespie's "Groovin' High" and "Shawnuff" sit alongside Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight," while Charlie Parker's "Anthropology" and "Donna Lee" bring the frenetic energy of the bop revolution. Sonny Rollins contributes "Airegin," and Gerry Mulligan's "Bernie's Tune" and "Walkin' Shoes" round out the program alongside pieces like "Move," "Opus De Funk," "Four Brothers," and "Walkin'." It is a survey of modern jazz's essential songbook, filtered through Pepper's lyrical, unmistakable alto.

Central to the album's success is the arranging and conducting of Marty Paich, whose charts frame Pepper's solos with color and momentum. The band Paich assembled is a who's who of West Coast talent. The reed section features alto players Bud Shank, Charlie Kennedy, and Herb Geller, tenors Bill Perkins and Richie Kamuca, and Med Flory on baritone, with Bob Enevoldsen doubling on tenor and valve trombone. The brass includes trumpeters Al Porcino, Jack Sheldon, and Pete Candoli, trombonist Dick Nash, and Vincent DeRosa on French horn. Anchoring it all is a superb rhythm section of Russ Freeman on piano, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums.

The sessions unfolded across three dates in the spring of 1959, on March 14, March 28, and May 12, all captured at Contemporary's Studio in Los Angeles. The recording was overseen by two legendary engineers, Roy DuNann and Howard Holzer, whose work gave the label its celebrated clarity and warmth. Lester Koenig produced, and Nat Hentoff supplied the liner notes.

For this edition, the album has been given a genuine audiophile treatment. Bernie Grundman handled the all-analog mastering directly from the original tapes and cut the lacquers himself, with the record pressed on 180-gram vinyl at QRP. Issued on classic black Contemporary Records labels with Contemporary branding throughout the jacket, and featuring Roger Marshutz's cover photo of Pepper and Robert Guidi's design, it is a faithful and beautifully realized presentation of a genuine modern jazz landmark.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Move
A2. Groovin' High
A3. Opus De Funk
A4. 'Round Midnight
A5. Four Brothers
A6. Shawnuff
B1. Bernie's Tune
B2. Walkin' Shoes
B3. Anthropology
B4. Airegin
B5. Walkin'
B6. Donna Lee

Credits:
Bud Shank - Alto Saxophone (A2, A6, B3, B6)
Charlie Kennedy - Alto Saxophone (A1, A5, B1, B5)
Herb Geller - Alto Saxophone (A3, A4, B2, B4)
Marty Paich - Arranged By, Conductor [Conducted By]
Med Flory - Baritone Saxophone
Joe Mondragon - Bass
Robert Guidi - Design [Cover Design]
Mel Lewis - Drums
Howard Holzer - Engineer [Sound], Recorded By
Roy DuNann - Engineer [Sound], Recorded By
Vincent DeRosa - French Horn
Bernie Grundman - Lacquer Cut By
Nat Hentoff - Liner Notes
Bernie Grundman - Mastered By
Roger Marshutz - Photography By [Cover Photo Of Pepper]
Russ Freeman - Piano
Lester Koenig - Producer [Produced By]
Art Pepper - Saxophone
Bill Perkins - Tenor Saxophone (A2 to A4, A6, B2 to B4, B6)
Richie Kamuca - Tenor Saxophone (A1, A5, B1, B5)
Bob Enevoldsen - Tenor Saxophone, Valve Trombone
Dick Nash - Trombone
Al Porcino - Trumpet (A1, A2, A5 to B1, B3, B5, B6)
Jack Sheldon - Trumpet
Pete Candoli - Trumpet (A3, A4, B2, B4)

Notes:
All-analog mastering from the original tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl.

Hype sticker with barcode, catalog number, and Craft Recordings, Contemporary Records and Acoustic Sounds logos:
Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series
• Saxophonist Art Pepper's classic 1960 big band album featuring modern jazz classics by Gillespie, Monk, Parker, Rollins and Mulligan
• Recorded by legendary engineers Roy DuNann and Howard Holzer
• All-Analog mastering from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman
• Pressed on 180-gram Vinyl at QRP

℗ 2021 & © 1959 Craft Recordings. Made in U.S.A.

Contemporary Records branding only on jacket, issued on black Contemporary Records labels.

Title on front cover: Art Pepper + Eleven (no "Modern Jazz Classics")
Title on spine, back cover: Art Pepper + Eleven: "Modern Jazz Classics"
Title on labels: Art Pepper + Eleven "Modern Jazz Classics"

℗ 2021 & © 1959 Craft Recordings. Made in U.S.A.

Back cover:
A3, A4, B1 and B2 were recorded March 14, 1959, at Contemporary's Studio in Los Angeles.
A2, A6, B3 and B6 were recorded March 28, 1959.
A1, A5, B1 and B5 were recorded May 12, 1959.

Track publishers:
A1: Beechwood Music Corp. BMI.
A2: Leeds Music Corp. ASCAP.
A3: B. F. Wood Music Co., Inc. ASCAP.
A4: Advanced Music Corp. ASCAP.
A5: Charling Music Corp. ASCAP.
A6, B3: Consolidated Music Publishers, Inc. ASCAP.
B1: Atlantic Music Corp. BMI.
B2: Criterion Music Corp. ASCAP.
B4, B5: Prestige Music Co. BMI.
B6: Savoy Music Co. BMI.

Artist: Art Pepper

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Contemporary Records

Catalog Number: CR00383

Series: CRAFT Recordings

Release Year: 2022

Country: Germany

Condition: Sealed (New)