While not the last to be issued -- a distinction belonging to the uniformly brilliant
Intensity (1960) -- this title was the final recording
Art Pepper (alto sax) documented prior to his lengthy incarceration(s) stemming from an addiction to heroin. In fact, his arrest came quite literally hours after the conclusion of the October 25, 1960 sessions. Remarkably, his personal demons rarely (if ever) dissipated his talents or resulted in less than enthusiastic recordings. Nowhere is proof more readily available than on these sides, which project
Pepper at the peak of his craft. "Smack Up" is a cover of
Harold Land's intense melody, establishing the entire quintet of
Jack Sheldon (trumpet),
Pete Jolly (piano),
Jimmy Bond (bass), and
Frank Butler (drums). As they deftly maneuver through,
Jolly holds the rhythm section together behind
Pepper and
Sheldon. Although comparatively brief, the pianist's solo forebears the essential and contrasting textures that
Jolly consistently provides. The five/four time signature of "Las Cuevas de Mario" is reminiscent of
Dave Brubeck, as the blues-infused tune wafts between a buoyant riff from
Jolly. The tasty chord progressions prime
Pepper and
Sheldon to trade a few counterbalancing phrases. The jumping "Bit of Basie" is an extension of a 12-bar blues, unraveling into an ample playground for
Jolly,
Bond, and
Butler -- all of whom rally around the soloists.
Butler's instantaneous interjections are also worth particular mention here. "How Can You Lose" is a tip of the sax to one of
Pepper's earliest supporters,
Benny Carter. This reading is almost cautionary, predicating
Pepper's imminent fate, as is the resigned intonation of
Sheldon's muted trumpet. "Maybe Next Year" is a gem, allowing the combo to vacillate from the hard bop heard on the majority of the LP. There is a stately sophistication in the intermittently twisting melody perfectly suited to
Jolly's refined phrasing.
Ornette Coleman's "Tears Inside" returns the band to a lively setting, with
Jolly and
Bond beaming in their collective support.
J.R. Monterose's "Solid Citizens" is presented in two takes.
Bond's infectious boogie woogie immediately establishes the tenure while
Pepper wails over the top of the compact score. Perhaps owing to the song's stylistic variation, it was not considered appropriate for the initial release of
Smack Up (1961). What most immediately stands out is the apparent difficulty that
Pepper encounters with the development of his contributions.
Bond and
Butler hold down the fort with his impermeable backbeat swinging from tip to tail. When removed from the album's context, "Solid Citizens" may be the proverbial "one that got away." [This remastered edition contains bonus tracks.] ~ Lindsay Planer