Art Pepper - Art Pepper Meets The Rhythm Section (Mono) (2022) [Hi-Res]

Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section reunited the saxophonist with Miles Davis' crew of the time: pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. By all accounts, the early 1957 session should have been a disaster. Recently released from federal prison, Pepper was still struggling with a heroin addiction and was completely out of practice. The gig had been arranged by Pepper's girlfriend (something he didn't know until a few hours before the sessions began), and he discovered at the last minute that - after not playing for several months - the cork in the mouthpiece of his horn had come loose. "In the end, though, the session proved to be more of a triumph than a disaster," Phillips says. "The camaraderie between Pepper and the Rhythm Section resulted in one of Art's best recordings."

Jazz writer and broadcaster Neil Tesser, who penned the new liner notes for the reissue, says the music in this set "reveals an obvious camaraderie, true artistry and a distinct lack of self-doubt or intimidation - perhaps because Pepper actually had a lot in common musically with the Rhythm Section." He adds, "The 'meeting' between Pepper and this rhythm section was less a matter of confrontation or even creative friction than a handshake in the midst of a bridge spanning East and West Coast idioms."

"The Man I Love", a performance recorded at this session but not included on the original album, is included as a bonus track.