Art Pepper - Neon Art Vol. 2

Art Pepper Neon Art, Volume Two

All tracks previously unissued

Recorded live from Art's concert tour of Japan in 1981

In cooperation with Art's widow, Laurie Pepper and her label, Widow's Taste Music, Omnivore Recordings is proud to release the second volume in a series of previously unissued live recordings by Art Pepper, called Neon Art.

From his early recordings with Stan Kenton's and Shorty Rogers' bands and sessions with Chet Baker, Henry Mancini or Quincy Jones, to his own recordings, such as classics made for Contemporary and Galaxy Records (The Art Pepper Quartet and Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section), Art Pepper built a legacy of recordings that can only be described as legendary. Thankfully, he also left us a narrative, tracing the history of his life and the roadmap with details of his great recordings in the form of the book, "Straight Life" (DaCapo, 1979), which Art and Laurie authored together.

The second volume of Neon Art features three tunes drawn from the unissued performances of his 1981 tour of Japan. Side one features Art's composition, Mambo Koyama, while side two features his wonderful renditions of the classic "Over The Rainbow" and Allen's Alley. Cut at Capitol Records by Ron McMaster, this second volume is aimed at both the longtime Art Pepper aficionado and collector and to those just coming to know Art's work. It's an entry point into the multifaceted, colorful world of Art Pepper!