Biography by Matt Collar
With
his lyrical, swinging style, alto saxophonist Art Pepper is recognized
as one of the major jazz stars to emerge out of the West Coast jazz
scene of the 1950s. A gifted soloist by his teens, Pepper initially drew
attention touring as a member Stan Kenton's band before launching his
solo career. He achieved almost instant fame, famously finishing second
behind Charlie Parker as best alto saxophonist (he also occasionally
played clarinet and tenor sax) in the 1952 DownBeat magazine readers'
poll. Along with artists like Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Shelly Manne,
and others, Pepper became synonymous with the laid-back West Coast jazz
sound. However, he was also a heroin addict, and his career was often
sidelined due to drug-related stints in prison. Nonetheless, he remained
a vital performer, issuing albums like 1959's Plus Eleven and 1960's
Intensity. After entering the Synanon drug rehabilitation program in the
late '60s, Pepper resurrected his career. Working alongside his wife
and manager Laurie Pepper, he recorded a series of comeback albums
including 1975's Living Legend and 1980's Straight Life (also the title
of his 1980 memoir) which found him embracing a more muscular, hard bop
and modal sound influenced by John Coltrane. Despite, or perhaps because
of his troubled career, Pepper -- who died of a stroke in 1982 --
remains a dualistic symbol for both the fallen jazz star and journeyman
who never gave up.
Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr. was born in 1925 in
Gardena, California to a merchant seaman father and teenage mother. Both
of his parents struggled with alcoholism and the young Pepper was sent
to live with his paternal grandmother in nearby San Pedro. Growing up,
he expressed an interest in music and started taking clarinet lessons at
age nine and switched to alto saxophone at age 13. By the time he was
15, he was attending jazz and blues jam sessions at largely
African-American clubs on Central Avenue in downtown Los Angeles,
playing with drummer Lee Young, saxophonist Benny Carter, and others. He
was still a teenager when he joined Stan Kenton's band, touring the
U.S. until he was drafted into the Army in 1943. Following his discharge
after World War II, Pepper returned to Los Angeles, where he again
joined Kenton's ensemble, playing alongside bandmates like Conte
Candoli, Lee Konitz, Frank Rosolino, and others.
By the early
'50s, Pepper was a star, widely regarded as one of the best alto
saxophonists in the country. Though he had only appeared on a handful of
recordings, he was popular enough to finish second behind Charlie
Parker in the 1952 DownBeat magazine readers' poll. However, it was also
during this initial career ascent that he was arrested and sent to
prison on drug-related charges stemming from heroin addiction; an issue
that plagued him throughout his career and resulted in a number of
incarcerations. Released from prison in 1956, Pepper quickly made up for
lost time, recording a number of classic albums including Art Pepper
Meets the Rhythm Section featuring Miles Davis bandmates Red Garland,
Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones, Surf Ride with Russ Freeman and
Hampton Hawes, and Playboys with trumpeter Chet Baker. All of these
albums showcased Pepper's fluid, bop-informed improvisational style and
singing tone, solidifying his reputation as one of the architects of the
cool, West Coast jazz sound. There were also sessions with Wane Marsh,
Herb Ellis, Jimmy Giuffre, and others.
Pepper had a number of
well-regarded albums issued in the early '60s including Intensity with
pianist Dolo Coker, Smack Up with trumpeter Jack Sheldon, and Gettin'
Together!, which again found him backed by Miles Davis' rhythm section
of Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. However, while he
remained a popular artist, much of his career was sidelined during the
'60s as he served time in prison, including two stints at San Quentin,
where he played in a group with fellow saxophonist Frank Morgan.
Following his final release from prison, Pepper entered the drug
rehabilitation program Synanon based in Santa Monica. There he met and
eventually married his third wife, photographer Laurie Pepper, who also
became his manager. With the use of methadone, the saxophonist entered a
period of recovery which found him recording more and more throughout
the '70s.
Living Legend arrived in 1975 on Contemporary Records
and found Pepper playing with longtime associates pianist Hampton Hawes,
bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Shelly Manne. The album also
revealed his transition toward a more aggressive, harmonically complex
approach influenced by the work of John Coltrane. Equally earthy and
soulful albums followed including 1976's The Trip, 1977's No Limit, and
1978's Among Friends. In the late '70s, Pepper signed a contract with
Galaxy Records and issued a slew of albums for the label that found him
striking a balance between his earlier West Coast style and
latter-career interest in Coltrane's music. Art Pepper Today arrived in
1979 and featured pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Cecil McBee, and
drummer Roy Haynes.
In 1980, Pepper published his autobiography,
Straight-Life, co-written with Laurie, in which he openly discussed his
career and issues with drugs and prison. He continued to record often
throughout his later years, issuing albums on the Galaxy and Artist
House labels, including 1980's So in Love and 1984's Artworks. He often
paired with pianist George Cables, issuing two 1982 duets albums with
Tete-a-Tete and Goin' Home. It was at the height of his comeback that
Pepper died of a stroke on June 15, 1982 in Los Angeles at the age of
56. Following his death, Laurie continued to issue many bootleg and
previously unreleased sessions by the saxophonist on her Widow's Taste
imprint. She also paired with Omnivore Records for a series of
compilations detailing his Galaxy and Artist House albums, including
2017's Art Pepper Presents: West Coast Sessions, Vol. 1: Sonny Stitt,
and 2019's Promise Kept: The Complete Artists House Recordings.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/art-pepper-mn0000505047#biography
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Biografía de Matt Collar
Con
su estilo lírico y oscilante, el saxofonista alto Art Pepper es
reconocido como una de las principales estrellas del jazz que surgieron
de la escena del jazz de la Costa Oeste de la década de 1950. Pepper, un
talentoso solista en su adolescencia, inicialmente llamó la atención de
gira como miembro de la banda de Stan Kenton antes de lanzar su carrera
en solitario. Alcanzó fama casi instantánea, quedando en segundo lugar
detrás de Charlie Parker como mejor saxofonista alto (también tocó
ocasionalmente clarinete y saxo tenor) en la encuesta de lectores de la
revista DownBeat de 1952. Junto con artistas como Chet Baker, Gerry
Mulligan, Shelly Manne y otros, Pepper se convirtió en sinónimo del
relajado sonido del jazz de la Costa Oeste. Sin embargo, también era
adicto a la heroína, y su carrera a menudo quedó al margen debido a
períodos en prisión relacionados con las drogas. No obstante, siguió
siendo un intérprete vital, publicando álbumes como Plus Eleven de 1959 e
Intensity de 1960. Después de ingresar al programa de rehabilitación de
drogas Synanon a fines de los 60, Pepper resucitó su carrera.
Trabajando junto a su esposa y manager Laurie Pepper, grabó una serie de
álbumes de regreso, incluidos Living Legend de 1975 y Straight Life de
1980 (también el título de sus memorias de 1980), que lo encontraron
adoptando un sonido más musculoso, hard bop y modal influenciado por
John Coltrane. A pesar de, o quizás debido a su problemática carrera,
Pepper, quien murió de un derrame cerebral en 1982, sigue siendo un
símbolo dualista tanto para la estrella caída del jazz como para
journeyman que nunca se rindió.
Arthur Edward Pepper, Jr. nació
en 1925 en Gardena, California, de padre marinero mercante y madre
adolescente. Sus dos padres lucharon contra el alcoholismo y el joven
Pepper fue enviado a vivir con su abuela paterna en la cercana San
Pedro. Al crecer, expresó su interés por la música y comenzó a tomar
lecciones de clarinete a los nueve años y cambió al saxofón alto a los
13 años. Cuando tenía 15 años, asistía a sesiones improvisadas de jazz y
blues en clubes mayoritariamente afroamericanos en Central Avenue en el
centro de Los Ángeles, tocando con el baterista Lee Young, el
saxofonista Benny Carter y otros. Todavía era un adolescente cuando se
unió a la banda de Stan Kenton, recorriendo los EE.UU. hasta que fue
reclutado por el Ejército en 1943. Tras su baja después de la Segunda
Guerra Mundial, Pepper regresó a Los Ángeles, donde nuevamente se unió
al conjunto de Kenton, tocando junto a compañeros de banda como Conte
Candoli, Lee Konitz, Frank Rosolino y otros.
A principios de los
50, Pepper era una estrella, ampliamente considerado como uno de los
mejores saxofonistas altos del país. Aunque solo había aparecido en un
puñado de grabaciones, fue lo suficientemente popular como para terminar
segundo detrás de Charlie Parker en la encuesta de lectores de la
revista DownBeat de 1952. Sin embargo, también fue durante este ascenso
inicial en su carrera que fue arrestado y enviado a prisión por cargos
relacionados con drogas derivados de la adicción a la heroína; un
problema que lo plagó a lo largo de su carrera y resultó en una serie de
encarcelamientos. Liberado de prisión en 1956, Pepper recuperó
rápidamente el tiempo perdido, grabando una serie de álbumes clásicos
que incluían Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section con los compañeros de
banda de Miles Davis Red Garland, Paul Chambers y Philly Joe Jones, Surf
Ride con Russ Freeman y Hampton Hawes, y Playboys con el trompetista
Chet Baker. Todos estos álbumes mostraron el estilo fluido de
improvisación y el tono de canto de Pepper, informado por el bop,
solidificando su reputación como uno de los arquitectos del sonido
fresco del jazz de la Costa Oeste. También hubo sesiones con Wane Marsh,
Herb Ellis, Jimmy Giuffre y otros.
Pepper tuvo una serie de
álbumes bien considerados publicados a principios de los 60, incluidos
Intensity con el pianista Dolo Coker, Smack Up con el trompetista Jack
Sheldon y Gettin 'Together!, que nuevamente lo encontró respaldado por
la sección rítmica de Miles Davis de Red Garland, Paul Chambers y Philly
Joe Jones. Sin embargo, aunque siguió siendo un artista popular, gran
parte de su carrera quedó al margen durante los años 60 mientras cumplía
condena en prisión, incluidas dos temporadas en San Quintín, donde tocó
en un grupo con su compañero saxofonista Frank Morgan. Después de su
liberación final de la prisión, Pepper ingresó al programa de
rehabilitación de drogas Synanon con sede en Santa Mónica. Allí conoció y
finalmente se casó con su tercera esposa, la fotógrafa Laurie Pepper,
quien también se convirtió en su manager. Con el uso de metadona, el
saxofonista entró en un período de recuperación que lo encontró grabando
más y más a lo largo de los años 70.
Living Legend llegó en 1975
a Contemporary Records y encontró a Pepper tocando con el pianista
Hampton Hawes, el bajista Charlie Haden y la baterista Shelly Manne. El
álbum también reveló su transición hacia un enfoque más agresivo y
armónicamente complejo influenciado por el trabajo de John Coltrane. Le
siguieron álbumes igualmente terrenales y conmovedores, incluidos The
Trip de 1976, No Limit de 1977 y Among Friends de 1978. A finales de los
70, Pepper firmó un contrato con Galaxy Records y publicó una gran
cantidad de álbumes para el sello que lo encontraron logrando un
equilibrio entre su estilo anterior de la Costa Oeste y el interés de su
última carrera en la música de Coltrane. Art Pepper Today llegó en 1979
y contó con el pianista Stanley Cowell, el bajista Cecil McBee y el
baterista Roy Haynes.
En 1980, Pepper publicó su autobiografía,
Straight-Life, coescrita con Laurie, en la que hablaba abiertamente de
su carrera y sus problemas con las drogas y la prisión. Continuó
grabando a menudo a lo largo de sus últimos años, publicando álbumes en
los sellos Galaxy y Artist House, incluidos So in Love de 1980 y
Artworks de 1984. A menudo se emparejó con el pianista George Cables,
publicando dos álbumes de duetos en 1982 con Tete-a-Tete y Goin ' Home.
Fue en el apogeo de su regreso que Pepper murió de un derrame cerebral
el 15 de junio de 1982 en Los Ángeles a la edad de 56 años. Después de
su muerte, Laurie continuó publicando muchas sesiones piratas e inéditas
del saxofonista en su sello Widow's Taste. También se asoció con
Omnivore Records para una serie de compilaciones que detallan sus
álbumes Galaxy y Artist House, incluido Art Pepper Presents: West Coast
Sessions, Vol. 1: Sonny Stitt, y Promise Kept de 2019: The Complete
Artists House Recordings.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/art-pepper-mn0000505047#biography
1 - Tickle Toe - 2:51
2 - Chili Pepper - 2:57
3 - Susie The Poodle - 3:10
4 - Brown Gold - 3:03
5 - Holiday Flight - 3:06
6 - Surf Ride - 2:49
7 - Straight Life - 2:49
8 - Cinnamon - 3:05
9 - Thyme Time - 2:45
10 - The Way You Look Tonight - 3:43
11 - Nutmeg - 3:10
12 - Art's Oregano - 3:06
Credits:
Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Art Pepper (tracks: 2 to 9,11,12 [Composed By])
Double Bass – Bob Whitlock (tracks: 1 to 3), Joe Mondragon (tracks: 4 to 6), Monte Budwig* (tracks: 7 to 12)
Drums – Bobby White (tracks: 1 to 3), Larry Bunker (tracks: 4 to 12)
Piano – Claude Williamson (tracks: 7 to 12), Hampton Hawes (tracks: 4 to 6), Russ Freeman (tracks: 1 to 3)
Tenor Saxophone – Jack Montrose (tracks: 7 to 12)
Notes:
1 to 3 recorded March 29, 1953
4 to 6 recorded February 7, 1952
7 to 12 recorded December 24, 1953
Label: Savoy Records – SV-0115, Savoy Records – MG 12089
Released: 1991
Genre: Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/6094182-Art-Pepper-Surf-Ride-
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