Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics

1	Move 3:26
2	Groovin' High 3:22
3	Opus de Funk 3:13
4	'Round Midnight 3:32
5	Four Brothers 2:57
6	Shaw 'nuff 2:58
7	Bernie's Tune 2:44
8	Walkin' Shoes 3:31
9	Anthropology 3:19
10	Airegin 3:01
11	Walkin' Original Take 5:15
12	Walkin' Bonus Track / Alternate Take 1 4:54
13	Walkin' Bonus Track / Alternate Take 2 4:58
14	Donna Lee Original Take 3:23
15	Donna Lee Bonus Track / Alternate Take 3:22

Barnes & Noble

Anyone who still believes that West Coast Cool School players couldn't keep in step with the best of the hard swinging players of the East Coast should turn promptly to this gem of a recording. Pepper was in fighting shape in 1956, fronting a frisky mini-big band let loose on arranger Marty Paitch's walloping charts. Pepper shows off his highly personal Charlie Parker-by-way-of-Lester Young saxophone language by ranging over bop ("Donna Lee," "Anthropology"), Cool School ("Bernie's Tune," "Walking Shoes"), and hard bop tunes ("Opus De Funk," "Walkin'). PLUS 11 captures the alto saxophonist during his gloriously confident middle period, before drug addiction, years of incarceration, and the eventual influence of post-bop players brought about a marked change in his style. Steve Futterman

Barnes & Noble

Anyone who still believes that West Coast "cool school" players couldn't keep in step with the best of the hard swinging players of the East Coast should turn promptly to this gem of a recording. 1956 found Pepper in fighting shape, fronting a frisky mini-big band let loose on arranger Marty Paitch's walloping charts. Pepper shows off his highly personal Charlie Parker-by-way-of-Lester Young saxophone language by ranging over bop ("Donna Lee," "Anthropology"), cool school ("Bernie's Tune," "Walking Shoes"), and hard bop tunes ("Opus De Funk," "Walkin'). PLUS 11 captures the alto saxophonist during his gloriously confident middle period, before drug addiction, years of incarceration and the eventual influence of post-bop players brought about a marked change in his style. Steve Futterman

All Music Guide

This is a true classic. Altoist Art Pepper is joined by an 11-piece band playing Marty Paich arrangements of a dozen jazz standards from the bop and cool jazz era. Trumpeter Jack Sheldon has a few solos, but the focus is very much on the altoist who is in peak form for this period. The CD reissue adds two additional versions of "Walkin'" and one of "Donna Lee" to the original program. Throughout, Pepper sounds quite inspired by Paich's charts which feature the band as an active part of the music rather than just in the background. Highlights of this highly enjoyable set include "Move," "Four Brothers," "Shaw Nuff," "Anthropology," and "Donna Lee," but there is not a single throwaway track to be heard. Essential music for all serious jazz collections. Scott Yanow