Customer Reviews

Complete Village Vanguard Sessions

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I made a few calls, and it turns out that JVC leases the origional tapes from Contemporary Records to remaster the material in 24-bit, 96-k fidelity. I ordered the set, and have been quite pleased with the sound and packaging. No muddy mids and highs you get with the early 90's reissues.

For the discerning listener, this is the only option for Art Pepper fans.

Art Pepper,
Saxophonist extrodinaire, drug addict, music visionairy,artistic contemporary. Many of these terms have been used to describe the inigmatic Arthur Pepper, however, within the scope of musician, this man was clearly a master of his medium. Perhaps in the same vein as [Charlie] Parker. Live at the Village Vanguard finds Pepper surrounded by an excellent group of musicians. The repititions of selection may be a bit redundant for many, however, none of the material is done in the same manner, and IMHO, allows the material to remain fresh and new. I highly recommend this pricey boxset to Pepper neophytes as well as to old school Pepper fans.

This is one of my favorite Art Pepper discs. He has played some tremendous music throughout his career and his trainwreck of a life. In the beginning, he was a total master of the West Coast School. It was light and reedy. His recordings from the laste 50's on the Contemporary label really swing. He played with some of the most talented rythm sections in the world. However, in this recording, Pepper has shown that he continued to grow. He is one of the rare sax players that can assimilate Coltrane's influence without losing his own individual sound.

I really love Coltrane's sound. He was a one of a kind genius, but when so many other sax players tried to take in the lessons of Coltrane. It is not that unusual. Many classical composers after Wagner absorbed Wagner's sound, but lost their individuality. Not Pepper. He got the energy and toughness from Trane, but still kept his own identity. Pepper sounds tough, original, and contemporary. He continued to grow to the end.

The band is wonderful. Elvin Jones on drums and the fabulous George Cables on piano. There is a fair amount of repetition because the recordings take place over several days. Art Pepper's announcements are sort of funny. The show the kind of asshole he really was. Reading his autobiography confirms this in spades. All of this makes the set even more interesting.

The sets are so cheap from the Amazon Market place vendors that you are paying only [...] What a deal!! The box set is very nicely done. Buy it. I have never regretted it. I really love live performance recordings anyway.

This box set is great, but JVC released a completely remastered version of this set a little while ago. It's like 250.00, but if you want the best in sound, then search for it in jazz imports section. jb

Art Pepper really seems to have a style all to himself. He plays very straight forward, but there's enough undercurrent of his own feelings, his own passion so that the playing dosen't feel rote and uninspired.

This collection is 7 discs of great live music from Art at the Vanguard. Sure, many of the tunes are repeated, but unless you sit down and listen to this straight through, you won't notice.

All of the songs are long and stretched out with plenty of interesting solo space given. Regardless of what you think of Art's choices in life, this is deep, complex, life-afiriming music.

Having listened to the music of Art Pepper for years now, I just recently came across this complete 9-CD-set of his recordings at the village vanguard from 1977.
I am not able to write about what I hear on this CDs with expert words but I can describe my experience as follows: enjoyment from the beginning to the end and I am touched by the playing of all four of them all the way trough from Thursday to Saturday. I am greatful to have it. jean

I've always felt that Pepper's greatest work came late in his life, when he was once again addicted to the substances that landed him in jail in the 1960s. He plays with passion and emotion that, quite honestly, make you wonder if this is the same guy from those 50s and 60s straight bop recordings. It is raw. And it is incredibly powerful. The man was truly at his artistic peak in this period. He alternates between sax and clarinet. Being a master of both, Pepper kills it on every solo. And the backing band...wow.

If you want to hear Pepper at his most exposed, his most powerful, get this set. Also look into the great stuff that his widow, Laurie, is releasing (thank you Laurie!): his final shows. His last concert, which I believe was at the Kennedy Center in D.C., has been released. The final track is a truly heart-wrenching solo of "When You're Smiling."

RIP Art, you were one of the greats.

The great late Art Pepper made an unforgettable live presentation on July 1977 in Village Vanguard with the great rhythm section. George Cables is marvellous on piano, George Mraz plays bass as well as with Bill Evans and Elvin Jones on drums reminds me from the golden days of John Coltrane classic quartet. Even the spoken narrative intros by Art Pepper are fascinating. Sadly Art Pepper could'nt live longer as he passed away only 5 years after these brilliant Village Vanguard dates. In Art Pepper we really had a new "Bird" vein in 1970's. Check also his brilliant records from late 50's and early 60's. Highly recommended ! Long live the memory of Art Pepper.