Art Pepper - The Return of Art Pepper [Spain Import]

The Return of Art Pepper announced the alto saxophonist's comeback, recorded in 1956 and released the following year. This limited Spanish import comes on 180 gram vinyl with a bonus track.

Pepper had been one of the brightest voices of West Coast jazz before addiction and prison stalled his career, and this date for the Jazz: West label proved he had lost none of his fire. He recorded it at Capitol Studios in Hollywood with a superb band: Jack Sheldon on trumpet, Russ Freeman on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Shelly Manne on drums, the cream of the Los Angeles scene at the time.

Most of the material is Pepper's own. Pepper Returns opens with a confident, bright-toned statement, Sheldon's trumpet trading ideas with the alto. Patricia, played without the trumpet, is a tender feature that shows off the warmth and lyricism in Pepper's sound. Mambo de la Pinta brings a Latin bounce, while Angel Wings glides along with relaxed, melodic grace.

Throughout, Freeman's crisp piano and Vinnegar's walking bass keep the swing effortless, and Manne's drumming adds sparkle without ever crowding the soloists.

For collectors of West Coast jazz, this album is a vital chapter in the story of one of the music's most compelling and troubled figures.