Contributed by Chris Gedos

Listen to this 1953 cut of the altoist Art Pepper lay down Charlie Parker’s “Yardbird Suite”, written back in ’46 at the height of postwar jubilation. Suburban tracts, the Marshall Plan and the G.I. Bill do indeed apply! This is a happy freewheelin’ take on a happy, freewheelin’ composition, capturing the spirit of 1940’s Tommy Dorsey-era New York. Pepper, however, was a native Angeleno who lived for much of his life in Echo Park. A colossal performance almost criminal it’s so good, by one of the Gods of West Coast Jazz. I think the name of the gentleman on the piano is Russ Freeman, BTW.

Art Pepper (All Music)

Rating 9.5