Living Legend (Art Pepper album)

Living Legend
Studio album by Art Pepper
Released	1975
Recorded	9 August 1975
Genre	Jazz
Length	49:00
Label	Contemporary/OJC
Producer	Lester Koenig
Art Pepper chronology
Intensity (1960) Living Legend (1975) The Trip (1976)

Living Legend is a 1975 jazz album by saxophonist Art Pepper playing with Hampton Hawes, Charlie Haden and Shelly Manne.

This was Art Pepper's 'comeback' album, the first to be released after his long absence due to drug addiction and incarceration in San Quentin prison. Pepper had been finally released in 1966 and for a while only played tenor saxophone, showing how much of an influence John Coltrane had been on him in the intervening years. In 1968 Buddy Rich asked him to join his big band on alto; Pepper borrowed an alto and, in his words, quoted in the sleeve notes to this album, 'discovered I was able to say everything I wanted to say and I didn't have to sacrifice my individuality to be accepted or to be modern'.

Following two operations for a ruptured spleen, Pepper moved into Synanon, a rehabilitation centre for recovering addicts, and began the slow return to full-time performing and recording.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide	[3]

AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow awarded the album 4 stars, writing that "Pepper displays a more explorative and darker style than he had previously. He also shows a greater emotional depth in his improvisations and was open to some of the innovations of the avant-garde in his search for greater self-expression." ^[1]

Track listing

1. "Ophelia" – 7:51
2. "Here's That Rainy Day" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 5:40
3. "What Laurie Likes" – 6:45
4. "Mr. Yohe" – 7:10
5. "Lost Life" – 5:52
6. "Samba Mom-Mom" – 8:23

(Recorded on 9 August 1975.)

All songs written by Art Pepper unless otherwise noted.

Personnel

• Art Pepper  – alto saxophone
• Hampton Hawes  – piano, electric piano
• Charlie Haden  – bass
• Shelly Manne  – drums

References

1. Yanow, Scott. Art Pepper: Living Legend – Review at AllMusic. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
2. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 1142. ISBN   978-0-141-03401-0.
3. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 160. ISBN   0-394-72643-X.

• Richard Cook & Brian Morton. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD 4th edition. Penguin, 1998. ISBN   0-14-051383-3