Track Listing

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) (Bonus Track)
8. Solid Citizens (Take 37) (Bonus Track)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #193544 in Music
• Released on: 1991-07-01
• Number of discs: 1

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

Customer Reviews

Art Pepper redux
I recently added this album to my Art Pepper collection. It has some great sounds and very reminiscent of a bygone era.

Smack Up: Perfect title

Art's second-to-last Contemporary album during the classic 1956-60 period, and it's consistently top-notch. The title track is the highlight, a real handsome Harold Land tune taken up-tempo. Jack Sheldon plays a lyrical trumpet when heard; unfortunately, he's not featured prominently here. Frank Butler's drumming is extremely inventive throughout. Pepper's playing is relaxed and imaginative, especially on the 5/4 blues LAS CUEVAS DE MARIO. Indicative of an awareness of Things To Come, Art even includes an Ornette Coleman composition in this set - TEARS INSIDE. Drug addiction was beginning to take its toll on Art's life, and it wasn't long after this date that he was busted and began a long jail term. This is an album anyone would be proud of, though.

Middle Art
This album is a very important example of the ending part of the first section of Art's career. I own all his later box set (Galaxy, Village Vanguard, Hollywood all stars) and a lot of his earlier albums. I think this one stands clearly among the two periods even if it has been recorded at the end of the first. He was no more the impressive shining alto player who recorded Plus Eleven, Rhythmn section or Surf ride some time earlier and the one who won placed second behind Charlie Parker in a 1951 "Down beat" polls (Smack up is from 1960). Here he played already different for what I can hear and compare. Slower, with a different sound. He had a slightly different use of space and ideas. You can hear they were not in the fifties no more. you can hear that the change of decade has changed the view of things for what I am concerned. Even if its not a blue note album absolutly not that kind of sixties sound here. It is still a west coast record from Art, but even if the program is still "fifties", blues and originals but in "that fifties vein" something had already changed. It's there, in the air, you can breathe that. It is a nice album, with very strong soloing from the guys and from the always splendid Art of course. It's a transition album in a sense. When we were able to hear Pepper again he changed again and was ready for his definitive come back and affirmation in the seventies which was a splendid period for him artistically. Even if I am totally in love with his albums from the full fifties. Sonically it is a very well recorded album, unfortunatly the cover its not one of "those" fantastic covers from the fifties.