Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American jazz musician best known as an alto saxophonist. He sometimes played and recorded on tenor saxophone, clarinet (his first instrument), and bass clarinet. Pepper was mainly active in West Coast jazz and first gained recognition as a member of Stan Kenton's big band. He was noted for his powerful and expressive performances and for making several changes in style during his career. A critic named Scott Yanow said that at the time of his death in 1982, Pepper had "achieved his goal of becoming the world's greatest alto saxophonist."

Early life

Art Pepper was born in Gardena, California, United States. His mother was a 14-year-old runaway, and his father was a sailor. Both parents heavily drank and had temper problems. When Pepper was very young, he was sent to live with his grandmother on his father’s side. He showed early interest and ability in music and received lessons. He started playing the clarinet at age nine, then switched to the alto saxophone at 13. Soon after, he began playing music with others on Central Avenue, which was the black nightclub district of Los Angeles.

Career

At the age of 17, Pepper started playing professionally with Benny Carter and later joined the Stan Kenton orchestra. He toured with that band until he was called to military service in 1943. After the war, he returned to Los Angeles and became part of the Kenton Innovations Orchestra. By the 1950s, Pepper was known as one of the top alto saxophonists in jazz. In the 1952 DownBeat magazine Readers Poll, he was named the second-best alto saxophonist after Charlie Parker. Along with Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, and Shelly Manne, Pepper is often linked to the West Coast jazz movement. This connection is more related to where he lived than his playing style, which contrasts with the East Coast jazz of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miles Davis. Some of Pepper’s most famous recordings from the 1950s include Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section, Art Pepper + Eleven – Modern Jazz Classics, Gettin' Together, and Smack Up. Other recordings from this time are found on The Aladdin Recordings (three volumes), The Early Show, The Late Show, Surf Ride, and Art Pepper with Warne Marsh (also released as The Way It Was!), which includes a session with tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh.

Pepper’s career was often interrupted by time spent in prison due to his addiction to heroin. However, he had several successful returns to music. His drug use and legal problems did not lower the quality of his recordings, which remained highly skilled throughout his career until his death in 1982.

During his final comeback, Pepper, who had begun his career in Stan Kenton’s big band, joined Buddy Rich’s Big Band from 1968 to 1969. After starting methadone treatment in the mid-1970s, Pepper toured Europe and Japan with his own groups and recorded many albums, mostly for Galaxy Records, a part of Fantasy Records. His later recordings include Living Legend, Art Pepper Today, Among Friends, and Live in Japan.

Personal life

Art Pepper lived in the hills of Echo Park, Los Angeles, for many years. He became a heroin addict in the 1940s, and his career was interrupted by prison sentences related to drug use from 1954–56, 1960–61, 1961–64, and 1964–65. The last two sentences were served at San Quentin. While in San Quentin, he played music with saxophonist Frank Morgan, who was also in prison for drug-related charges. In the late 1960s, Pepper joined Synanon, a rehabilitation program that later was discovered to be a cult.

His autobiography, Straight Life (1980, written with his third wife, Laurie Pepper), describes his experiences in the jazz music world and the drug and criminal groups of mid-20th century California. He shared stories from his life, including an event during World War II when he was stationed in London. T.J. English noted that this event might be considered rape, though Pepper did not use that word.

After the book was published, filmmaker Don McGlynn made a documentary called Art Pepper: Notes from a Jazz Survivor, which covered Pepper’s life. The film included interviews with Art and Laurie Pepper, as well as footage from a live jazz performance in a Malibu club. Laurie Pepper also gave an interview to NPR.

Art Pepper died of a stroke in Los Angeles on June 15, 1982, at age 56. He is buried in the Abbey of the Psalms Mausoleum at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood.

Discography

• 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

Transcriptions

Published transcriptions:

• Jazz Styles and Analysis: Alto Sax by Harry Miedema. Chicago, Fifth Printing, February 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 beginning 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, with an introduction 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 includes 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, with an introduction 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. Includes 15 solos recorded between 1952 and 1961, with five by Art Pepper. Olympia Music Publishing, 1996. ISBN 0-9667047-1-1.

Transcriptions available on the Internet:

• "Anthropology"
• "Birk's Works"
• "Groovin' High"
• "Red Pepper Blues"
• "Star Eyes"
• "The Way You Look Tonight"
• "Too Close For Comfort"
• "What Is This Thing Called Love?"
• "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To"