Intensity

This album, reissued on CD with an additional song, “Fine Points,” was altoist Art Pepper’s final one of his early period and was released when he was already serving a long prison sentence due to his addiction to heroin. Assisted by pianist Dolo Coker, bassist Jimmy Bond and drummer Frank Butler, Pepper was just starting to show the influence of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman in his style, freeing up his playing and displaying a greater intensity during his improvisations. Ironically, Pepper sticks to swinging standards such as “I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me,” “Gone with the Wind” and “I Wished on the Moon” as points of departure on the interesting and largely enjoyable set. Excluding a 1973 recording with Mike Vax’s big band, it would be 15 years before Art Pepper led another record date in the studios. – Scott Yanow