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Biography
Infobox musical artist | name = Art Pepper| image = Art Pepper.jpg| caption = Art Pepper in 1979, Los Angeles| image_size =| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name = Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr.| alias =| birth_date = Birth date|1925|9|1| death_date = death date and age|1982|6|15|1925|9|1| origin = Gardena, California , USA| instrument = Alto Saxophone Tenor Saxophone Clarinet | genre = Cool jazz West Coast jazz Bebop|Bop Mainstream jazz Hard bop Post-bop | occupation = Saxophonist | years_active =| label =| associated_acts = Stan Kenton Shorty Rogers | website =| current_members =| past_members =| notable_instruments = Art Pepper (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982),cite book | last = Slonimsky | first = Nicolas | authorlink = | coauthors = Theodore Baker | title = Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, Eighth Edition | publisher=Schirmer Books | year = 1992 | location = New York, New York | pages = | url = | doi = | id = | isbn = born Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr. , was an American alto saxophonist and clarinetist .
About Pepper, Scott Yanow of All Music stated, "In the 1950s he was one of the few altoists (along with Lee Konitz and Paul Desmond ) that was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker " and: "When Art Pepper died at the age of 56, he had attained his goal of becoming the world's great altoist."Allmusic|class=artist|id=p7311/biography|pure_url=yes
Career
Pepper was born in Gardena, California . He began his career in the 1940s, playing with Benny Carter and Stan Kenton (1946–52). By the 1950s Pepper was recognized as one of the leading alto saxophonists in jazz, epitomized by his finishing second only to Charlie Parker as Best Alto Saxophonist in the Down Beat magazine Readers Poll of 1952. Along with Chet Baker , Gerry Mulligan and Shelly Manne , and perhaps due more to geography than playing style, Pepper is often associated with the musical movement known as West Coast jazz , as contrasted with the East Coast (or "hot") jazz associated with the likes of Charlie Parker , Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis . Some of Pepper's most famous albums from the 1950s are Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section , Art Pepper + Eleven - Modern Jazz Classics , '' Gettin' Together (Art Pepper album)|Gettin' Together , and Smack Up . Representative music from this time appears on The Aladdin Records|Aladdin Recordings (three volumes), The Early Show , The Late Show , The Complete Surf Ride , and The Way It Was! , which features a session recorded with Warne Marsh .
His career was repeatedly interrupted by the years he had to spend in jail because of his recurring legal transgressions, stemming from his addiction to heroin , but Pepper managed to have several memorable and productive "comebacks". Remarkably, his substance abuse and legal travails did not affect the quality of his recordings, which maintained a high level of musicianship until his death from a brain hemorrhage .
His last comeback saw Pepper, who had started his career in Stan Kenton 's big band, becoming a member of Buddy Rich 's Big Band from 1968 to 1969. In 1977 and 1978 he made two well received tours of Japan. During this period, he recorded two albums - ''Goin' Home'' with George Cables , and Winter Moon (album)|Winter Moon with a string orchestra - which were among his favorites and which he considered his definitive achievements.Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepper by Art Pepper and Laurie Pepper, Da Capo Press. This book has been widely considered one of the best musician's autobiographies.
Personal life
Pepper lived for many years in the hills of Echo Park, Los Angeles|Echo Park , in Los Angeles. He had become a heroin addict in the 1940s, and his career was interrupted by drug-related prison sentences in 1954–56, 1960–61, 1961–64 and 1964–65; the final two sentences were served in San Quentin . While in San Quentin he played in an ensemble with saxophonist Frank Morgan (musician)|Frank Morgan . In the late 1960s Pepper spent time in Synanon , a drug rehabilitation group.
After beginning methadone therapy in the mid-1970s, Art had a musical comeback and recorded a series of albums including Living Legend (Art Pepper album)|Living Legend , Art Pepper Today , Among Friends , and Live in Japan: Vol. 2 .
His autobiography , Straight Life (1980, transcribed by his third wife Laurie Pepper), discusses the jazz music world, as well as drug and criminal subculture s of mid-20th century California. Soon after the publication of this book, the director Don McGlynn released the documentary film Art Pepper: Notes from a Jazz Survivor ,See the New York Times http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review? _r=2& res=9C06E6D71038F936A25751C1A964948260 review of the movie. discussing his life and featuring interviews with both Art and his wife Laurie, as well as footage from a live performance in Malibu, California|Malibu jazz club. Laurie Pepper also released an interview to NPR .
Pepper died of a stroke in Los Angeles. http://books.google.com/books? id=Zfn0lH_ZnGsC& pg=PA106& dq=%22Art+Pepper%22+dead+OR+death+OR+died& lr=& cd=4#v=onepage& q=%22Art%20Pepper%22%20dead%20OR%20death%20OR%20died& f=false Rhythm-a-ning: jazz tradition and innovation in the '80s By Gary Giddins. Da Capo Press . p. 106 He is interred in the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery , Hollywood, CA.
Jazz Styles and Analysis: Alto Sax by Harry Miedema. Chicago, Fifth Printing, Feb . 1979. Includes Broadway .
Straight Life: the Story of Art Pepper by Art Pepper and Laurie Pepper. New York and London, 1979. ISBN 0-02-871820-8. Includes the head of Straight Life .
Jazz 2: Sax Alto . Transcribed by John Robert Brown. International Music Publications, Woodford Green, Essex, 1986. ISBN 0-86359-408-5. Includes ' Round Midnight .
The Genius of Art Pepper . Foreword by Laurie Pepper. North Sydney, Warner/Chappell Music, 1987. ISBN 1-86362-012-5. Includes: ''Arthur's Blues ; Blues for Blanche ; Funny Blues ; Landscape ; Make a List Make a Wish ; Mambo de la Pinta ; Mambo Koyama ; Mr Big Falls his J.G. Hand ; Our Song ; Road Game ; September Song ; Tete a Tete . All transcriptions include parts for Alto and Rhythm; Funny Blues also has a part for Trumpet.
Masters of the Alto Saxophone Play The Blues. Jazz Alto Solos. Transcribed by Trent Kynaston and Jonathan Ball. Corybant Productions, 1990. Includes True Blues .
The Art Pepper Collection . Foreword by Jeff Sultanof. Milwaukee, Hal Leonard, 1995. ISBN 0-7935-4007-0. Includes: ''Art's Oregano ; Diane ; Landscape ; Las Cuevas de Mario ; Make a List (Make a Wish) ; Mr. Big Falls his J.G. Hand ; Ophelia ; Pepper Returns ; Sometime ; Straight Life ; Surf Ride (I); Surf Ride (II); That's Love ; The Trip ; Waltz Me Blues .
West Coast Jazz Saxophone Solos transcribed and edited by Robert A. Luckey, Ph.D. Features 15 recorded solos from 1952–1961, including five solos by Art Pepper. Olympia Music Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0-9667047-1-1.
http://chnani.club.fr/ejma/images/releves/birksworks1.pdf Birk's Works
http://www.charlesmcneal.com/transcriptions/%5BGroovinHighAP%5D.pdf Groovin' High
http://www.charlesmcneal.com/uploads/-redpepperblues_AP_.pdf Red Pepper Blues
http://chnani.club.fr/ejma/pepperstareyes.html Star Eyes
http://www.scribd.com/doc/12921298/Art-Pepper-The-Way-You-Look-Tonight-Alto The Way You Look Tonight
http://chnani.club.fr/ejma/toocloose.html Too Close For Comfort
http://scooby-sax.com/Documents/What%20Is%20This%20Thing%20Called%20Love%20--%20Eb.pdf What Is This Thing Called Love?
http://chnani.club.fr/ejma/images/releves/youdbe1.pdf You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
Compositions
Art Pepper's compositions included "The Trip", "Red Car", "Gettin' Together", "Ol' Croix", "Tynan Time", "Minor Yours", "Diane", "Blues at Twilight", "Bijou the Poodle", "Pepper Pot", "Val's Pal", "Chili Pepper", "Art's Opus", "Brown Gold", "Zenobia", "Angel Wings", "Junior Cat", "Pepper Steak", "Straight Life", "Tenor Blooz", "Walkin' Out Blues", "Patricia", "Five More", "Minority", "Mambo de la Pinta", "Surf Ride", "Las Cuevas De Mario", "Our Song", "Among Friends", "That's Love", "Waltz Me Blues", "Labyrinth", "Make A List", "Pepper Returns", "True Blues", "Landscape", "Miss Who", "Mambo Koyama", "Ophelia", "Lost Life", "Dynaflow" with Stan Kenton , and "Funny Blues".
Bibliography
A more extensive bibliography is issued by the http://www.jazzinstitut.de/Jazzindex/Pepper_Art.pdf Jazzinstitut Darmstadt
1956 Art Pepper... Tells the Tragic Role Narcotics Played in Blighting His Career and Life by John Tynan. Downbeat , September 19, 1956, p.& nbsp;16.
1957 Art Pepper Quartet by John Tynan. Downbeat , May 16, 1957, p.& nbsp;34.
1960 Art Pepper: Profile of a Comeback by J. McKinney. Metronome , lxxvii, September 1960, p.& nbsp;26.
1960 The Return of Art Pepper by John Tynan. Downbeat , xxvii/8, 1960, p.& nbsp;17.
1960 End of the Road by John Tynan. Downbeat , xxvii/25, 1960, p.& nbsp;13.
1964 http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp? sect=stories& subsect=story_detail& sid=29 ''Art Pepper's not the Same by John Tynan. Downbeat , xxxi/22, 1964, p.& nbsp;18.
1965 "Jazz Discographies Unlimited" Presents "Art Pepper". A Complete Discography Compiled by Ernie Edwards, Jr. Ernie Edwards Jr. et al. Jazz Discographies Unlimited, Spotlight Series, Vol. 4. Oct . 1965. 22pp.
1973 ''Art Pepper: 'I'm Here to Stay!' by C. Marra. Downbeat , xl/4, 1973, p.& nbsp;16.
1975 ''Pepper's Painful Road to Pure Art by L. Underwood. Downbeat , xlii/11, 1975, p.& nbsp;16.
1979 Straight Life: the Story of Art Pepper by Art Pepper and Laurie Pepper. New York and London, 1979. ISBN 0-02-871820-8. Includes a discography.
1979 Art Pepper: Rewards of the Straight Life by P. Welding. Downbeat , xlvi/18, 1979, p.& nbsp;16.
1979 The Contemporary Art of Pepper by Chris Sheridan. Jazz Journal International , Vol. 32, No. 9, September 1979, p.& nbsp;9.
1979 http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/art%20pepper_1.htm The evolution of an individualist ; Interview with Les Tomkins.
1980 http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/art%20pepper_2.htm ''At Ronnie's ; Interview with Les Tomkins.
1980 http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/art%20pepper_3.htm A rich past, and a bright future ; Interview with Les Tomkins.
1981 http://www.jazzprofessional.com/interviews/art%20pepper_4.htm New fields still to conquer ; Interview with Les Tomkins.
1981 The Whiteness of the Wail by Gary Giddins, in Riding on a Blue Note . New York, O.U.P., 1981, pp.& nbsp;252–257. (An article originally published in July 1977.)
1986 Art Pepper: I Want to Play so Bad by David Nicholson Pepperell. Wire Magazine , Issue 28, June 1986, pp.& nbsp;26–31.
1986 Art Pepper, 1926-1982 by Gary Giddins, in ''Rhythm-a-ning: Jazz Tradition and Innovation in the 80's . New York, O.U.P., 1986, pp.& nbsp;106–108. (An article originally published in June 1982.)
1992 Straight Life by Ted Gioia, in West Coast Jazz: Modern Jazz in California, 1945-1960 . New York and Oxford, O.U.P., 1992, pp.& nbsp;283–307 (Chapter Fourteen). ISBN 0-19-508916-2.
2000 The Art Pepper Companion: Writings on a Jazz Original by Todd Selbert. Cooper Square Press, 2000. ISBN 0-8154-1067-0; ISBN 978-0-8154-1067-6.
References
Reflist
External links
http://www.jazzdisco.org/pepper/ The Art Pepper Discography Project
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=1124424 NPR Interview With Laurie Pepper
http://home.ica.net/~blooms/ The Art Of Pepper
http://www.vintners.net/~mikel/art_pepper/ MikeL's Unofficial Art Pepper website
Use mdy dates|date=August 2010 Persondata | NAME = Pepper, Art | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = September 1, 1925 | PLACE OF BIRTH = | DATE OF DEATH = June 15, 1982 | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Pepper, Art Category:1925 births Category:1982 deaths Category:People from Gardena, California Category:Cool jazz saxophonists Category:West Coast jazz saxophonists Category:Mainstream jazz saxophonists Category:Bebop saxophonists Category:Post-bop saxophonists Category:Hard bop saxophonists Category:American saxophonists Category:American jazz alto saxophonists Category:Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Category:American jazz musicians of Italian descent Category:Savoy Records artists Category:Galaxy Records artists Category:Xanadu Records artists Category:Contemporary Records artists Category:Fantasy Records artists Category:People from Echo Park, Los Angeles
