Live At The Winery, September 6, 1976 is made up of six songs inner-dispersed with Pepper's grateful and sincere stage banter. The disc opens with possibly Pepper's most passionate reading of the Juan Tizol classic "Caravan." Written for the Duke Ellington orchestra, "Caravan" was composed with a Middle Eastern flavor in mind, but in the hands of Pepper and local pianist Smith Dobson, it is a samba bullet shot from a Latin jazz gun. Pepper gives a long introduction before steering into the familiar theme, fighting a guerrilla war for the next ten minutes of exhilarating performance.
Pepper follows with an angular original composition, "Ophelia" from Living Legend, that would show up many more times in his live performances. A ballad master, Pepper presents "Here's That Rainy Day" also from Living Legend and earlier, displaying the complete command of the form that would reach its pinnacle on Winter Moon (Galaxy, 1980). The band follows with "What Laurie Likes," a blues-funk piece suggesting Pepper's future masterpiece "Red Car" from his next studio recording.
Pepper closes with his be bop-infused "Straight Life" and "Saratoga Blues" demonstrating that he is a master of that idiom also. "Caravan" is a revelation on this recording as is "Make a List (Make a Wish)" from Art Pepper: Unreleased Art, Vol. III; The Croydon Concert, May 14, 1981 (Widow's Taste, 2008). Pepper was capable of reinvention, evolution and perfection in his quest to become the greatest alto saxophonist. Mission accomplished.
- Art Pepper - alto saxophone
- Smith Dobson - piano
- Jim Nichols - bass
- Brad Bilhorn - drums
This recording was made from the soundboard at a jazz festival held at the Paul Masson Winery on the afternoon of September 6, 1976.
01. Caravan (Tizol-Mills) - 10:55
02. Talk: Band Intros - 1:46
03. Ophelia (Pepper) - 8:28
04. Here's That Rainy Day (Van Heusen-Burke) - 10:41
05. Talk: About Smith Dobson; Intro to What Laurie Likes - 0:39
06. What Laurie Likes (Pepper) - 13:12
07. Straight Life (Pepper) - 6:18
08. Saratoga Blues (Pepper) - 9:56
