Art Pepper - Winter Moon (Galaxy, 1980)

This post is by Dan

 

Art Pepper (as, cl); Stanley Cowell (p); Cecil McBee (b); Carl Burnett (d); Howard Roberts (g)

String section: Nate Rubin (concertmaster); John Tenney (vn); Greg Mazmanian (vn); Patrice Anderson (vn); Clifton Foster (vn); Dan Smiley (vn); Audrey Desilva (vn); Elizabeth Gibson (vn); Stephen Gehl (vn); Emily Van Valkenburgh (vn); Sharon O'Connor (vc); Mary Ann Meredith (vc); Terry Adams (vc)

Recorded September 3 and 4, 1980

Many historic jazz figures strived to record a “strings album” at some point in their careers. Charlie Parker and Clifford Brown both created memorable albums backed by string sections. The aspiration to play in front of strings was presumably to elevate jazz to the status of symphony orchestras. The results are not always fan favorites, but the indulgence is not unwelcomed.

Art Pepper’s life story is long and complicated, but his artistry is hard to fault. He recorded Winter Moon in 1980 at the peak of a productive period after returning to activity in the mid-1970s. He died less than two years later at the age of 56. He entered Downbeat's Hall of Fame the same year.

Winter Moon is distinguished both by Pepper's beautiful playing and by the string arrangements of Bill Holman and Jimmy Bond. In addition to five standards, Pepper plays two original compositions. On Blues in the Night, he switches to clarinet (his first axe). It's hard to single out particular tracks because everything is performed at a very high level. This is a legendary altoist/clarinetist playing with a strong jazz group backed by strings perfectly arranged by legends. Everything works perfectly. 

The recording engineers also deserve a shout out for the wonderful balance between the string section and the jazz ensemble. Cecil McBee's bass lines are clearly articulated, as are Carl Burnett's drums. Pepper's sax floats above the large ensemble effortlessly. Short solo spots for Stanley Cowell and Howard Roberts also ensure that this is a JAZZ record, not an exercise in easy listening. 

String section players are often not credited in liner notes. Graciously, producer Ed Michel includes the names of all of the string players on the album cover. Since they play so gorgeously behind the quintet, their contribution to a great recording deserves the acknowledgment. Only violinists and cellists were engaged for the sessions, and not all played in both sessions.