Release Date: February 20, 2026
Label: Omnivore Recordings
Produced by: Laurie Pepper, Cheryl Pawelski
Liner Notes: Kirk Silsbee
Original Recordings: Dave Quarin
Restoration & Mastering: Michael Graves, Osiris Studio
In February 2026, Omnivore Recordings released Art Pepper – Live at the Cellar (1959), a remarkable archival collection capturing legendary alto saxophonist Art Pepper during a week-long engagement at Vancouver’s legendary jazz club The Cellar Jazz Club in 1959.
Art Pepper, photo courtesy of Dave Quarin
“These tapes place the listener directly inside The Cellar in 1959—just a few feet away from Art Pepper at the height of his powers.”
The recordings document Pepper performing with pianist Chris Gage, bassist Tony Clitheroe, and drummer George Ursan, delivering inspired interpretations of bebop standards, ballads, and Pepper originals. Captured during a period widely regarded as one of the peaks of his artistry, the performances reveal Pepper’s unmistakable tone, melodic lyricism, and fearless improvisational approach in an intimate club setting.
The Original Recordings
The performances were originally recorded in 1959 by saxophonist and Cellar manager Dave Quarin, who documented many of the club’s performances during its brief but historically important run.
Quarin’s tapes provide an extraordinary “in-the-room” perspective on Pepper’s engagement at The Cellar. Recorded live in a working jazz club with a small audience and minimal equipment, the tapes preserve not only Pepper’s performances but also the atmosphere of the venue itself.
Because the recordings were made across multiple nights and sets, the microphone was placed in different locations throughout the engagement, resulting in shifts in perspective, balance, and ambience from set to set.
Restoration and Mastering at Osiris Studio
For this release, the production team worked directly from Dave Quarin’s original 1959 tapes, ensuring that the historic source material remained at the center of the restoration process.
Audio restoration and mastering were handled by Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, who worked closely with producer Laurie Pepper to shape the overall sound of the project.
One of the key technical challenges was the changing microphone placement between sets. Each reel captured Pepper and the band from slightly different vantage points in the room, creating noticeable variations in tonal balance and spatial perspective.
Graves’ goal was to preserve the authenticity of the recordings while making the listening experience cohesive across the entire release. Through careful restoration and mastering, the performances unfold naturally from set to set, allowing the listener to experience the music as a continuous document of Pepper’s remarkable run at The Cellar.
A Rare Document of Art Pepper in His Prime
More than six decades after these performances were recorded, Live at the Cellar (1959) offers an extraordinary window into Art Pepper at the height of his creative powers. The recordings capture the spontaneity, intimacy, and energy of a small jazz club in the late 1950s—placing the listener just a few feet from one of the greatest alto saxophonists in jazz history.