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Art Pepper - Smack Up (1960) Genre: Jazz

Amazon.com:

Along with 1957's Meets the Rhythm Section, which featured Miles Davis's band behind him, 1960's Smack Up forms the cornerstone of the altoist's first classic period. As the title may or may not hint at, Pepper would soon after vanish from the scene, the result of heroin addiction and related prison terms. Buoyed by the presence of trumpeter Jack Sheldon, Pepper intently runs through six saxophonist-penned cuts (plus two alternate takes) from the books of the legendary (Benny Carter), the contemporary (Harold Land's title track, Buddy Collette, Jack Montrose, Ornette Coleman), and the obscure (Duane Tatro). His own blues "Las Cuevas de Mario" would become a staple of his mid-1970s repertoire (his second classic period). No matter what baggage he brought with him into the studio, Pepper always seemed to rise to the occasion. --Marc Greilsamer



Reviewer:

The title of this recording, Smack Up (which has been reissued on CD with two takes of the otherwise -unknown "Solid Citizens" added), is ironic and inadvertently truthful. Within a short period, Art Pepper would begin spending many years in jail due to his heroin addiction; this was his next-to-last album from that period. Despite the bleak future, the great altoist (who never seemed to make an uninspired record during his unstable life) is in excellent form in a quintet with trumpeter Jack Sheldon, pianist Pete Jolly, bassist Jimmy Bond, and drummer Frank Butler. Highlights of this fine album include Harold Land's title cut, the five/four blues "Las Cuevas de Mario," and Ornette Coleman's "Tears Inside." [The 1989 CD reissue adds two takes of "Solid Citizens" as bonus tracks.]

Allaboutjazz.com:

Art Pepper’s reckless lifestyle tended to overshadow his superb musicianship, and the circumstances surrounding Smack Up are certainly no exception. Shortly after recording it in 1960, he spent three years in jail for heroin possession, and one can only wonder if the title of the record is a play on words. Nevertheless, Pepper is in good form, as he usually was despite his troubles, darting over the changes and stitching together sharp, boppish lines without hesitation. Featuring a crack rhythm section and a subtle accompanist in trumpeter Jack Sheldon, one can easily expect a set of expertly played jazz.

However, this album is different from the usual West Coast program of standards and show tunes, in that it features songs composed by other saxophonists associated with the Contemporary label, from the famous (Carter) to the infamous (Coleman) to the downright obscure (Duane Tatro and Jack Montrose). Most of these songs are inspired originals that never would have been recorded again had Pepper not resuscitated them, and the varied selection of artists and styles gives the album a wider reach than Pepper’s other records, or most West Coast records for that matter.

The end result is a set that runs through various directions of music from the high-powered swing of Buddy Collette’s “A Bit of Basie” to the hard bop of “Smack Up” to the edgy leanings of the Tatro tune “Maybe Next Year.” The quintet even explores a soulful groove more commonly found on Blue Note releases with Pepper’s own “Las Cuevas de Mario” (in 5/4) and Montrose’s “Solid Citizens.” Appropriately Jolly sits out for the Coleman tune while Pepper and Sheldon wander over the changes, a little more tentatively than Ornette did.

But the strength of the album, other than the terrific playing, is just that it sounds different, an unexpected foray into little known songs that features energy and swing in equal doses. Perhaps the novelty of the music forced the musicians to approach the material more creatively or purposefully, but whatever the reason, Smack Up is one of the highlights of Pepper’s career, a record that shows that despite his sordid life, he was a master on his instrument.

Personnel:

Art Pepper - alto saxophone

Jack Sheldon - trumpet

Pete Jolly - piano

Jimmy Bond - bass

Frank Butler - drums

Tracks:

1. Smack Up

2. Las Cuevas de Mario

3. A Bit of Basie

4. How Can You Lose

5. Maybe Next Year

6. Tears Inside

7. Solid Citizens [Take 33]

8. Solid Citizens [Take 37]

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Rating:
2.5 out of 5 by Book123