”It took me a lifetime to do it," Art Pepper said of Winter Moon, "and if somebody doesn't like it . . . well, they don't know what to listen for." This is Art with strings playing ballads as nobody else could: tender, touching, funky, and impassioned. The charts by the legendary Bill Holman and by Jimmy Bond both fueled his fire and banked the flames. They were perfect for this gig. So were the sidemen: Stanley Cowell, one of the finest (and most underrated) jazz pianists of our time; Cecil McBee, who empathized with Art as no other bassist ever did; Carl Burnett, Art's favorite drummer; and the wonderful Howard Roberts. The critics knew what to listen for. They loved it.

with Stanley Cowell, Howard Roberts, Cecil McBee, Carl Burnett, and strings