Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American jazz musician, most known as an alto saxophonist. He occasionally performed and recorded on tenor saxophone, clarinet (his first instrument) and bass clarinet. Active primarily in West Coast jazz, Pepper first came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known for his emotionally charged performances and several stylistic shifts throughout his career, and was described by critic Scott Yanow as having "attained his goal of becoming the world's greatest altoist" at the time of his death in 1982.
Early life
Art Pepper was born in Gardena, California, United States. His mother was a 14-year-old runaway; his father, a merchant seaman. Both were violent alcoholics, and when Pepper was still quite young, he was sent to live with his paternal grandmother. He expressed early musical interest and talent, and he was given lessons. He began playing clarinet at the age of nine, switched to alto saxophone at 13, and immediately began jamming on Central Avenue, the black nightclub district of Los Angeles.
Career
At the age of 17, Pepper began playing professionally with Benny Carter and then became part of the Stan Kenton orchestra, touring with that band until he was drafted in 1943. After the war, he returned to Los Angeles, and joined the Kenton Innovations Orchestra. By the 1950s, Pepper was recognized as one of the leading alto saxophonists in jazz, finishing second only to Charlie Parker as Best Alto Saxophonist in the DownBeat 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 of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. Some of Pepper's best known albums from the 1950s are Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics, Gettin' Together, and Smack Up. Other recordings from this time appear on The Aladdin Recordings (three volumes), The Early Show, The Late Show, Surf Ride, and Art Pepper with Warne Marsh (also issued as The Way It Was!), which features a session recorded with tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh.
Pepper's career was repeatedly interrupted by several prison stints stemming from his addiction to heroin, but he managed to have several productive "comebacks". Remarkably, his substance abuse and legal travails did not affect the quality of his recordings, which maintained a high level of musicianship throughout his career until his death in 1982.
The 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. After beginning methadone therapy in the mid-1970s, Pepper toured Europe and Japan with his own groups and recorded many albums, mostly for Galaxy Records, a subsidiary of Fantasy Records. Pepper's later albums include Living Legend, Art Pepper Today, Among Friends, and Live in Japan.
Personal life
Pepper 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 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 who was also serving a sentence on drug charges. In the late 1960s, Pepper spent time in Synanon, a rehabilitation program that turned out to be a cult.
His autobiography, Straight Life (1980, co-written with his third wife Laurie Pepper), discusses the jazz music world, as well as drug and criminal subcultures of mid-20th century California. Among the many anecdotes shared from his life, Pepper describes a sexual encounter with a woman while stationed in London during the Second World War that T.J. English says would probably be regarded as rape though the word is not used by Pepper. Soon after the publication of this book, director Don McGlynn released the documentary film Art Pepper: Notes from a Jazz Survivor, discussing his life and featuring interviews with both Art and his wife Laurie, as well as footage from a live performance in a Malibu jazz club. Laurie Pepper also released an interview to NPR.
Pepper died of a stroke in Los Angeles on June 15, 1982, aged 56. He is interred in the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, Hollywood.
Discography
As leader
Surf Ride (Savoy, 1956) – recorded in 1952–54
Two Altos with Sonny Red (Regent, 1959) – recorded in 1952–54
The Return of Art Pepper with Jack Sheldon (Jazz West, 1956)
Playboys with Chet Baker and Phil Urso (Pacific Jazz, 1956) – reissued as Picture of Heath
The Art Pepper Quartet (Tampa, 1957) – recorded in 1956
Collections with Red Norvo, Joe Morello and Gerry Wiggins (Intro, 1957)
Modern Art (Intro, 1957) – recorded in 1956–57
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (Contemporary, 1957)
Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics (Contemporary, 1959)
Gettin' Together with Conte Candoli (Contemporary, 1960)
Smack Up with Jack Sheldon (Contemporary, 1960)
Intensity (Contemporary, 1963) – recorded in 1960
Art Pepper Quartet in San Francisco (Fresh Sound, 1964) – live
Art Pepper Quintet : Live at Donte's 1968 with Joe Romano (Fresh Sound, 1968) – live
The Art of Pepper (Onyx, 1974) – recorded in 1957
Garden State Jam Sessions Bootleg (Lone Hill Jazz, 1975) – live
I'll Remember April : Live at Foothill College (Storyville, 1975)
Living Legend (Contemporary, 1975)
The Trip (Contemporary, 1976)
A Night in Tunisia (Storyville, 1977) – live
Tokyo Debut (Galaxy, 1977) – live. also released as First Live in Japan.
No Limit (Contemporary, 1977)
Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1977) – live
Friday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1977) – live
Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1977) – live
More for Les at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1977) – live
Live in Japan, Vol. 1: Ophelia (Storyville, 1978)
Live in Japan, Vol. 2 (Storyville, 1978)
Among Friends (Interplay, 1978)
Art Pepper Today (Galaxy, 1978)
Landscape (Galaxy, 1979) – live
Besame Mucho (Galaxy, 1979) – live
Straight Life (Galaxy, 1979)
So in Love (Artists House, 1980) – recorded in 1979
One September Afternoon (Galaxy, 1980)
Winter Moon with Howard Roberts (Galaxy, 1981) – recorded in 1980
Roadgame (Galaxy, 1982) – live recorded in 1981
Goin' Home with George Cables (Galaxy, 1982)
Darn That Dream (Real Time, 1982)
Art Lives (Galaxy, 1983) – live recorded in 1981
Tête-à-Tête with George Cables (Galaxy, 1983) – recorded in 1982
Artworks (Galaxy, 1984) – recorded in 1979
APQ (Galaxy, 1984) – live recorded in 1981
New York Album (Galaxy, 1985) – recorded in 1979
Stardust (Victor (Japan), 1985) – recorded in 1979
Art Pepper with Warne Marsh (Contemporary, 1986) – recorded in 1956. reissued tracks from The Way It Was! (1972).
Tokyo Encore (Dreyfus, 1991) – live recorded in 1979