Art Pepper: An Afternoon in Norway: The Kongsberg Concert

This album is not just music; it is a glimpse into one of the most compelling stories in Art Pepper's musical history from the impossibly handsome alto saxophonist with Stan Kenton's orchestra to a drug-fueled inmate in San Quentin, culminating in a glorious renaissance.

The sheer logistics surrounding this album are impressive. Consider this whirlwind: finishing a stint at Ronnie Scott's, early on early Sunday morning, a dash to Heathrow airport, a flight to Oslo, Norway, a car pickup at the airport, and then straight onto the stage, on Sunday afternoon, ready to play the final concert of the Kongsberg Jazz Festival.

This Norwegian performance followed a productive period at Ronnie Scott's, which yielded a 4-CD set indicating the group was in excellent form. Indeed, the recorded evidence from Ronnie Scott's, the album recorded in Geneva and now Kongsberg reveals a period where Pepper's style had evolved into a potent blend of lyricism, power and emotional directness.

It is difficult not to be swept away by the intensity of Pepper's story, the bravura of his playing, and the profound poignancy that permeates his music. At the heart of his improvisation lies a cry that resonates with the very essence of the blues. Pepper's smooth tone can give way to cries and squawks with the rapid interpolation of notes at first seemingly irrelevant. This transcends mere sentimentality; it is the same visceral quality found in all the great saxophone players: John Coltrane, Sidney Bechet, Stan Getz, Paul Gonsalves and Charlie Parker. Pepper possessed it in abundance, a fact underscored by Laurie Pepper. This late period renaissance, as his wife notes, made Pepper acutely aware of his limited time.

Before "Blues for Blanche," we hear Pepper's charming description of his cat, the namesake of the piece and a clear nod to Blanche Du Bois, the iconic character from Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. Occasionally, a faint influence of Ornette Coleman can be detected in Pepper's playing, perhaps subtly present here. The track opens with Pepper playing over bass and drums. Eventually, Milcho Leviev's solo emerges as a prime example of his assertive and idiosyncratic style. Tony Dumass' bass solo follows, delivering a resonant, woody sound with remarkable depth, power and elasticity.

"Straight Life" is fast and furious, with notes pouring out of Pepper pell-mell. This is improvisation at its most urgent, with no room for autopilot. Leviev enters with sly, rippling single notes, building a low-level intensity before Carl Burnett's drumming solo, reminiscent of the styles of Philly Joe Jones and Elvin Jones.

"Make A List, Make A Wish" has a fine solo from Leviev, a Bulgarian pianist renowned for his fusion of jazz with Bulgarian folk music. The solo builds slowly and increases in complexity. He played a significant role in Pepper's live recordings in 1980. In the notes Laurie Pepper described Leviev as difficult and challenging, suggesting that while Art felt more comfortable with George Cables, Leviev pushed him harder and ultimately influenced his playing. delivering solos that matched the saxophonist's intense musicality.

"Caravan" is the only track on the album not written by Pepper. He weaves an intro that is underpinned by Burnett as Pepper searches for counter melodies until the main melody emerges. The bass of Dumas surges and propels. It is exhilarating as the group's vitality takes hold. The solo from Leviev is both percussive and pointillistic, setting out a string of ideas before the group convergence, leading to a quiet finish.

The whole album is compelling: Pepper and Leviev: two great soloists backed by a bassist and drummer who are responsive to all the changes.

The generous Zev Feldman presentation for the limited edition includes recollections by Laurie Pepper (who co-authored the 1979 autobiography Straight Life: The Story of Art Pepper) (Da Capo press, 1996), Dumas and Burnett. There are notes from journalist Marcus Myers; appreciations by saxophonists John Zorn and Rudresh Mahanthappa; and an interview with Pepper himself at Kongsberg.

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