Billfort
06-21-2005, 11:31 AM
Artist – Art Pepper
Title – Omega Alpha
Year of Release - 1980
Record Label – BlueNote Classic
Genre - Jazz
This LP was a bit of a surprise for me as it’s the first Art Pepper album I’ve bought and it was a low dollar used find. This is a 1980 BlueNote release of material recorded in 1958 and only available previously on ¼” pre-recorded tape (Omegatape). Alto sax player Pepper was joined here by Ben Tucker on bass, Chuck Flores on drums and Carl Perkins on piano.
I’ve read that this rare 50’s session features Pepper in top form from one of his prime periods. I don’t know how this compares to other recordings of his available but I intend to find out because this one has made me a fan. This is good stuff with great session players really clicking with Pepper’s playing which to me seems refreshingly different to Coltrane’s. I'm new to Jazz and I'm just starting to appreciate the intricacies of it but I do like this album and Pepper’s groove here.
The sound quality is a little deceptive with a LOT of surface noise, ticks and pops that initially put me off but the music is so good and well recorded that the magic cuts through the haze like a knife. If I had to pick one LP that demonstrates how easy it can be to listen around the vinyl noise artifacts while appreciating how good vinyl can convey music, this would be it.
Title – Omega Alpha
Year of Release - 1980
Record Label – BlueNote Classic
Genre - Jazz
This LP was a bit of a surprise for me as it’s the first Art Pepper album I’ve bought and it was a low dollar used find. This is a 1980 BlueNote release of material recorded in 1958 and only available previously on ¼” pre-recorded tape (Omegatape). Alto sax player Pepper was joined here by Ben Tucker on bass, Chuck Flores on drums and Carl Perkins on piano.
I’ve read that this rare 50’s session features Pepper in top form from one of his prime periods. I don’t know how this compares to other recordings of his available but I intend to find out because this one has made me a fan. This is good stuff with great session players really clicking with Pepper’s playing which to me seems refreshingly different to Coltrane’s. I'm new to Jazz and I'm just starting to appreciate the intricacies of it but I do like this album and Pepper’s groove here.
The sound quality is a little deceptive with a LOT of surface noise, ticks and pops that initially put me off but the music is so good and well recorded that the magic cuts through the haze like a knife. If I had to pick one LP that demonstrates how easy it can be to listen around the vinyl noise artifacts while appreciating how good vinyl can convey music, this would be it.