Art Pepper

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Art Pepper
Image:Art Pepper 1979.jpg Art Pepper in 1979, Los Angeles; photo by Nathan Callahan
Background information
Birth name	Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr.
Born	September 1 1925(1925-09-01)
Origin	Image:Flag of the United States.svg Gardena, California, USA
Died	June 15 1982 (aged 56)
Genre(s)	Cool jazz West Coast jazz Bop Mainstream jazz Hard bop Post-bop
Occupation(s)	Saxophonist
Instrument(s)	Alto Saxophone Tenor Saxophone Soprano Saxophone Clarinet
Associated acts	Stan Kenton

Art Pepper (September 1 1925–June 15, 1982) born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr. in Gardena, California, was an American cool jazz alto saxophonist. He began his musical career in the 1940s playing with Benny Carter and Stan Kenton. In the 1950s Pepper became one of the leading lights of West Coast jazz along with Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Shelly Manne, and others.

Arthur was born in Gardena, California, but lived for many years in the hills of Echo Park, in Los Angeles. He became a heroin addict in the 1940s, and his career was interrupted by drug-related prison sentences in the 1950s and 1960s. In the late 1960s he spent time in Synanon, a drug rehabilitation group at that time. After beginning methadone therapy in the mid-1970s, Art had a musical comeback and recorded a series of highly acclaimed albums.

Examples of Pepper's most famous albums are Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, The Aladdin Recordings (three volumes), Art Pepper + Eleven - Modern Jazz Classics, Gettin' Together, and Smack Up. Representative music from his early period appears on The Early Show, The Late Show, The Complete Surf Ride, and The Way It Was!; and from his prolific late period on The Living Legend, Art Pepper Today, Among Friends, and Live in Japan: Vol. 2.

His harrowing, remarkably well-written autobiography Straight Life (1980)(transcribed by his third wife Laurie Pepper), is a unique exploration into the jazz music world, as well as drug and criminal subcultures of mid-twentieth century California. The documentary film Art Pepper: Notes from a Jazz Survivor, available on DVD, devotes much space to music from one of his late groups featuring pianist Milcho Leviev. There is also an interview with Laurie Pepper available on NPR.

[edit] Discography

1951 Popo - w/ Shorty Rogers Xanadu Records
1952 The Early Show Xanadu Records
1952 The Late Show Xanadu Records
1952 Surf Ride Savoy
1952 A Night at the Surf Club, Vol. 1 [live] EPM
1952 A Night at the Surf Club, Vol. 1 [live] Xanadu
1952 A Night at the Surf Club, Vol. 2 [live] EPM
1952 A Night at the Surf Club, Vol. 2 [live] Xanadu
1952 Art Pepper: Sonny Redd Savoy
1953 Art Pepper Quartet: Volume 1 Time Is
1954 Art Pepper Quintet Discovery
1956 Val's Pal VSOP
1956 The Art Pepper Quartet Tampa/OJC
1956 The Artistry of Pepper Pacific Jazz
1957 Show Time Japanese Import
1957 Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section Contemporary/OJC
1957 The Art of Pepper, Vol. 3 Blue Note
1957 The Art of Pepper, Vol. 1 VSOP
1957 The Art of Pepper, Vol. 2 VSOP
1958 Mucho Calor VSOP
1958 The Art Pepper: Red Norvo Sextet Score
1959 Art Pepper + Eleven: Modern Jazz Classics Contemporary/OJC
1959 Two Altos Savoy
1960 Gettin' Together Contemporary/OJC
1960 Smack Up Contemporary/OJC
1960 Intensity Contemporary/OJC
1963 Pepper/Manne Charlie Parker
1964 Art Pepper Quartet in San Francisco (1964) [live] Fresh Sound
1975 Garden State Jam Sessions [live] Lone Hill Jazz
1975 I'll Remember April: Live at Foothill College Storyville
1975 Living Legend Original Jazz Classics
1976 The Trip Contemporary/OJC
1977 A Night in Tunisia [live] Storyville
1977 No Limit Contemporary/OJC
1977 Tokyo Debut [live] Galaxy
1977 More for Les: At the Village Vanguard, Vol. 4 Contemporary/OJC
1977 More for Les: At the Village Vanguard, Vol. 4 [live] Contemporary
1977 Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard [live] Contemporary/OJC
1977 Friday Night at the Village Vanguard [live] Contemporary/OJC
1977 Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard [live] Contemporary/OJC
1977 San Francisco Samba: Live at Keystone Korner Contemporary
1978 Live in Japan, Vol. 1: Ophelia Storyville
1978 Live in Japan, Vol. 2 Storyville
1978 Among Friends Discovery
1978 Art Pepper Today Original Jazz Classics
1978 Birds and Ballads Galaxy
1979 So in Love APO
1979 New York Album Original Jazz Classics
1979 Artworks Galaxy
1979 Tokyo Encore [live] Dreyfus
1979 Landscape [live] Galaxy/OJC
1979 Straight Life Galaxy/OJC
1980 Winter Moon Galaxy/OJC
1980 One September Afternoon Galaxy/OJC
1981 Art Pepper with Duke Jordan in Copenhagen 1981 [live] Galaxy
1981 Art Lives Galaxy
1981 Roadgame [live] Galaxy/OJC
1981 Art 'N' Zoot WestWind
1981 Arthur's Blues Original Jazz Classics
1982 Goin' Home Original Jazz Classics
1982 Tête-à-Tête Galaxy/OJC
1982 Darn That Dream Real Time
19?? Art Pepper with Warne Marsh Victor
19?? Summer Knows Absord
19?? Art in L.A. WestWind