Two more essential Art Pepper reissues, originally recorded in 1960, are the albums Gettin’ Together! and Intensity.

Originally released on either side of Smack Up, these albums underscore just how refreshingly creative Pepper was at the time. Gettin’ Together’s tight “Bijou the Poodle,” penned by Pepper, leads the way, with Jazzwise admiring its “angularity…representing the darker side of the Californian jazz idyll.”

Often described as a sequel to Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Gettin’ Together! once again finds Pepper backed on beat by Miles Davis alums (bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Jimmy Cobb).

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Examiner sums up 1963’s Intensity, the last release of his early period, as Pepper being “well on his way toward a new kind of playing freedom.” Writes AllMusic, “Pepper sticks to swinging standards such as ‘I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me,’ ‘Gone with the Wind, and ‘I Wished on the Moon’ as points of departure on this interesting and largely enjoyable set.”

Track Listing

Whims of Chambers
Bijou the Poodle
Why Are We Afraid?
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
Rhythm-a-ning
Diane
Gettin’ Together