Art Pepper

[johnny]

One of the most amazing life stories and a helluva Memoir.
For those that don't know, alto saxophonist, Pepper played with greats blike Benny Carter/Stan Kenton but then went out on his own solo career. One of the most acclaimed musicians he became addicted to heroin and during the 60's, served a few jail sentences for crimes such as robbery/drugs/etc. Pepper's wife wrote his biography entitled "Straight Life." that Art discusses his life and others would chime in often contradicting him. Pepper talks about a lot of ugly stuff such as his is time spent in Folson/San Quentin and then getting out and playing at a top jazz club or making a record date. Synanon got him straight but he had some serious issues with that organization.
The recording session for Straight Life with the Miles Davis group was typical. His wife and producer didn't tell him about it until a few hours beforehand. He had to walk into the studio cold with no music and play with the best jazz musicians at the time. Out of it came an amazing recording session. All of it off the fly. Genius.
One of the reasons why Pepper would have to serve prison time is that he refused to roll over or snitch. As such, he couldn't get a deal like other big names that would get popped for drugs back then.
The memoir is scathing -mostly on himself. Brutally honest.

[eca1094]

Great jazz story

[Noreen]

I would like to read his book. RIP Art.

[eca1094]

[Northern Lights]

Somewhere Over the Rainbow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWihboDSrdg

The Way You Look Tonight
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAbTIdDbSY0

[Northern Lights]

http://www.artpepperdisco.blogspot.com/

[johnny]

Art Pepper was a troubled man who overcame much. His biography, Straight Life, is one of the most powerful ones I have ever read. The great part is that Art would tell a story and then one of the other persons involved would call bs on it, or elaborate on it, etc.

At the same time he was one of the best Alto Sax Players he was also resorting to crime to pay for his heroin habit. So in between stints at Folsom, San Quentin, etc he would be out and playing some of the best Jazz around.

From Wiki

"Pepper lived for many years in the hills of 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.^[1] While in San Quentin he played in an ensemble with saxophonist 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 Today, Among Friends, andLive in Japan: Vol. 2. His autobiography,^[3] Straight Life (1980, transcribed by his third wife Laurie Pepper), discusses the jazz music world, as well as drug and criminal subcultures 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,^[4] discussing his life and featuring interviews with both Art and his wife Laurie, as well as footage from a live performance in Malibu jazz club. Laurie Pepper also released an interview to NPR."

Finding out one morning that you got a record date with the best jazz rhythm section at the time. You are responsible for the entire session. AND you manage to pull it off with one of the best Jazz Albums of all time.
Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section (Philly Jo Jones, Red Garland, and Paul Chambers) Art completely pulls music out of his ass to make it happen.

Nice story of that date

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC04bkiNrlc

The Trip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVST7vr10d0

great doc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb9zxNEc8uQ

[MirrorDimly]

Fantastic add. A brilliant musician. Dang, I didn't know he'd spent so much time in the slammer!
It still fascinates me how the heroin-addicted jazz musicians of that era - surviving day to day, downtrodden, no formal education - became geniuses at both their instruments and the language of bebop. I have seven years of college, have studied bebop for twenty years, and am a gifted musician, yet I'm not 1/100th the player as those guys were. (Maybe I should try some drugs...kidding)

[johnny]

Fantastic add. A brilliant musician. Dang, I didn't know he'd spent so much time in the slammer!
It still fascinates me how the heroin-addicted jazz musicians of that era - surviving day to day, downtrodden, no formal education - became geniuses at both their instruments and the language of bebop. I have seven years of college, have studied bebop for twenty years, and am a gifted musician, yet I'm not 1/100th the player as those guys were. (Maybe I should try some drugs...kidding)

i know what you mean. and that record date with the miles davis rhythm section of paul chambers bass, red garland piano, and philly joe jones drums, was the best of its day. between them and art you gotta have one of the greatest 'all junkie bands' around. each of them had serious substance abuse issues.

that record date is over 50 years ago and it still holds up.

[MirrorDimly]

i know what you mean. and that record date with the miles davis rhythm section of paul chambers bass, red garland piano, and philly joe jones drums, was the best of its day. between them and art you gotta have one of the greatest 'all junkie bands' around. each of them had serious substance abuse issues.

that record date is over 50 years ago and it still holds up.

Absolutely. All those guys were killin'. I was really into Red Garland in school, and will always love Philly Joe. My Jazz History prof told us how the record companies would pay cash at the lunch break, so the musicians could go buy their stuff and get high before the afternoon session.

[johnny]

Absolutely. All those guys were killin'. I was really into Red Garland in school, and will always love Philly Joe. My Jazz History prof told us how the record companies would pay cash at the lunch break, so the musicians could go buy their stuff and get high before the afternoon session.

spot on. red garland is a treat to listen to over and over.
the thing was that these guys just got together that day to play and came up with great album.

amazing isn't it, the talent level of these folks.

what philly jo jones did with a very simple drum kit puts a lot of these modern day 'musicians' too shame.

[johnny]

here is a nice one hour youtube clip called 'art pepper, notes from a jazz survivor.'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qb9zxNEc8uQ