Art Pepper - Artworks

The performances on this album are essentially outtakes and leftovers from Art Pepper's 1979 sessions for Artists House, but the quality is quite high. "Body and Soul" and "You Go to My Head" are particularly special, for they are unaccompanied alto solos, and on "Anthropology," Pepper has a rare outing on clarinet. The remaining numbers -- "Desafinado," "Donna Lee," and "Blues for Blanche" -- feature the great altoist with pianist George Cables, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins. AllMusicGuide

Producer John Snyder had always wanted to record Pepper and booked him into a week at the Village Vanguard in New York. At the time, Pepper was under contract to Contemporary Records and label head, Les Koenig, decided he would record the gigs, quashing any notion Snyder had of doing the same. However, Art promised Snyder that he’d record an album for Snyder’s label, Artists House, at some point down the road. Together they wound up making four.

Artworks (originally issued in 1984) features Pepper’s takes on classics including “Body And Soul,” Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee,” and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Desafinado.”

John and Art both kept their promises. John brought Art into the wider world; he put him on the road. Just as he said he would, he brought him to New York and to the Village Vanguard, got his picture in the papers, got him on the radio. From Art, John got his dearest wish. He made these recordings.