The Tragic Story Of Art Pepper Will Break Your Heart

The life of Art Pepper Will Break Your Heart. A jazz great that should have been a jazz icon. He was one of the few alto players to resist the style and tone of Charlie Parker. Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepper is a book written by Laurie Pepper, Art's wife. A great book but not for the faint-hearted, Art Pepper's autobiography is painfully honest as the great saxophonist describes a life of drugs, alcohol and the occasional foray into crime.
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[@tomschnabel6146]

i interviewed Art four or five times from 1979-81 while Laurie was creating the auto biography. I even visited the Peppers in their San Fernando Valley apartment then. Straight Life is one of the most brutally honest of all jazz books. Remembering how Art got hooked early on was something else. Lester Koenig gave him an Oldsmobile Cutless Supreme, and Art was blown away by his reception in Japan. He wasn't forgotten. thank you for this.

[@doktorhulk]

💝

[@gregbelcamino7239]

Pepper is proof that in some instances, you can't kill a gift. But he certainly tried.

[@markcaletgesakaleech7217]

Absolutely one of the most honest biographies ever written. He was a madman and made Chet Baker look like The Beav.

[@nightrider12soul]

Even C Parker.

[@emmetband4931]

I saw Art play at The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco in 1980 or 81. He needed help walking up the steps to the stage but once he began playing it was heaven. He played his heart out that evening.

[@jholtz9970]

Great to see Art Pepper getting some love in 2024. I discovered his music in the 1980s, hearing some tunes on KKGO Jazz 105 FM in LA. For anyone interested, definitely check out the live Village Vanguard recordings, recorded in 1977 in NY. Fantastic band with George Mraz, Elvin Jones, and George Cables.

[@wlacosta]

great bio about a tragic figure of west coast jazz. that photo of him walking up the hill in LA is on Baxter St., one of the steepest hills in the US which has been made famous more recently by skateboarders Don Nguyen and Pedro Delfino who successfully skated down it forwards and backwards, respectively

[@nightrider12soul]

Straight life was one of the most intensive biography.

[@douglasdietz7503]

As a jazz lover, l appreciate your hard work and great content. Thanks for your contribution. Cheers

[@markcaletgesakaleech7217]

The Goat, he could make your dog cry.

[@richardhedd3080]

what a unique and beautiful sound. I've heard that one of his critically acclaimed performances at the Village Vanguard he was so strung out that he was convinced there were narcotics police in the audience just waiting to arrest him.

[@jeffsilverman6104]

Another great profile of a master talent. "I've seen the needle, and the damage done. A little part of it in everyone...."

[@fredfarmer5952]

So good. So very good. Sad and tragic details of Art I never was aware of.

[@Waldvogel45]

I was lucky enoug to be in Australia , Melbourn, when Art was on tour in '81. His playing was blistering , ( I had been an alto fan for 20+ years). His weather worn face radiated humanity and his new lack brogues creaked as he leaned forward, ( yes I was that close). Unforgetable. Thanks for this video.

[@alexcarter8807]

The book by/about him is a must-read. There's also a documentary by/about him. Also, one of the most profound pieces of music I've ever heard was a clarinet piece by Pepper that played on the radio one day a few years ago, and Pepper wasn't really a clarinetist and called the instrument "Puzzling" or "Frustrating" I forget which.

[@bigdawg6404]

One of my all time favorite sax players, I dig every note he played

[@drewweissmann1486]

This is a great channel, but I wish they were longer.

[@condocord7544]

excellent!

[@heifetz14]

Another great video,done with respect for a special musician.

[@nightrider12soul]

Art Pepper life was more crazy and intense then Charlie Parker life.

[@bmuhamad]

My family owned a home & raised on the border of Compton & Los Angeles. Great knowing. The Beach Boys were raised nearby also. Eric Dolphy, & Charles Mingus are slso amazing Los Angeles talent. Think Dexter Gordon is from around here, too.

[@onetrackjazz]

Very cool!

[@schrisdellopoulos9244]

Dolphy and Mingus. Top of the bebop chain.

[@jamesrichardson3322]

​​@@onetrackjazz You should do a video on Ray Brown, Paul Chambers and Scott Lafaro two bass giants of Jazz, men who influenced me to become a Double Upright Bassist. I also play Electric Bass. Bill Evans and I have a lot in common.

[@brianpite0893]

Excellent narrative . Thanks

[@onetrackjazz]

Thanks for listening

[@douglaslarue4264]

What a well-produced Bio.

[@bmuhamad]

Big up. Peace & Wholeness.

[@zephaniarutlokwana2891]

Addiction to many early great musicians , l am confused as to whether it robbed us of longer lifespan of those musicians or was it a stimulant that contributed to such great creativity, expression and talent overall. indeed Art was a white player of note in an black artform. My father discouraged me from playing Jazz in my teens based on addiction which was prevalent to may jazz artists and l left for 35 yrs . Though my love for the artform never completely vanished. l am now back . l think its a matter of discipline that counts .❤ Thanks for the history

[@johnlindstrom9994]

Now, some Jazz musicians are quite straight and brilliant, such as Tony Glausi, who is a very pure trumpeter, and happens to be a Mormon!! His parents are 100% behind him. Is the STIGMA gone?? Hopefully.

[@user-pq6pq3ko3o]

Thank you for this informative piece, i always wondered about him.

[@onetrackjazz]

Glad it was helpful!

[@cdog9559]

Excellent . The LP Cover "Art Pepper + 11" in it's simplicity for me is iconic . The track "Move" by Denzil Best (drummer) recorded by Art Pepper is "the real deal"

[@onetrackjazz]

Cool, thanks!

[@jerrychetty2524]

Thank you for your channel and awesome biographies of such iconic artists. I first knew of art pepper from the Michael connelly novels featuring the character Harry Bosch, then I checked out the music

[@onetrackjazz]

Glad you like them!

[@moradchebout4632]

super merci

[@lencuriel]

At 4 minutes 10 seconds Buddy Rich sure looks like a doppelganger for Dave Weckl.

[@AJ_MD]

Straight Life is an eye opening book and agreed Art Pepper's saxophone playing was sublime however, it's hard to get out of your head the things he's done and notably missed in this video.... being a repeated domestic violence perpetrator. There's no excuse for domestic violence.

[@Kezleu]

good evening the musicians of this era can be paid half money and half hero. the trick was obvious.

[@johnnyloungejazz5477]

Yes It did piss me off. Every-time you thought he got it he lost it. So sad

[@josephhancook8287]

Straight Life blew my mind. I read it when I was a young Bassist and 27 years later, still feel it's one of the best Autobiographies, or Biography. Everytime I see that books cover, I can help but know EXACTLY what he was feeling during the shoot.

[@jean-pierrefoz5900]

Please listen to one of the most delicate version of "Historia de un amor", partr of the album *Art Pepper Presents "West Coast Sessions!" Volume 5: Jack Sheldon*. Really hard to imagine that it may get better than that ... Seminal sax intro with a truly killer tone.

[@johnsharpe734]

Unique sound…..a giant ….an individual alto voice……

[@slugoz7709]

sad story

[@paulkreider9441]

Many decades of fan of Art Pepper. What is it about genius that makes the immortals behave so destructive. Those crossroads demons are a bitch. I subscribed.

[@onetrackjazz]

Thanks!

[@saxfish]

< ! wOw¡ Now I´m going to listen to Art PePPer!¡! Thanks for the Push¡>

[@onetrackjazz]

Enjoy!

[@JRM---516]

Great presentation!

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

@2'30" THE WICKED PICKETT (left). (?). A Man And A Half ...

[@nicolasfrost17]

Please do a video on Charles Mingus!

[@onetrackjazz]

Right now I'm during research for a video about Thelonious Monk, but stay tuned my friend.

[@nicolasfrost17]

@@onetrackjazz Amazing!

[@b.deville3236]

Nice, but my favorite jazz musicians are Grover Putz, Billy Turpentine, and Big Tarpaper Roll Spangler McGee.

[@onetrackjazz]

I'll check them out and maybe do some videos...thanks

[@shujishoji2984]

ｎｉｃｅ！

[@eur1gys]

Good stuff !!! What’s track that is played in the background?

[@onetrackjazz]

"Answers To Be Found" by Oakwood Station

[@eur1gys]

@@onetrackjazz This is what Shazam told me - i thought it's a mistake, expected Art Pepper's track. Thanks for the clarification !

[@kwootamuckbear9294]

When I learn the sax….🤔🎵🎶🎵🙏🏾

[@fosbury68]

“..drink scotch whiskey all night long. And die behind the wheel”.

[@lucullus6127]

Why has Straight Life never been translated / published in other languages / countries ??

[@onetrackjazz]

I wonder that as well, maybe one day I'll ask Laurie Pepper

[@williamgregory1848]

I urge people to read Art Pepper's autobiography (be warned, it’s NOT for the faint-hearted!) It’s painfully honest as the alto saxophonist describes a life of drugs, alcohol and the occasional foray into crime, having spent five of his best years incarcerated in San Quentin. But don’t get me wrong, Art Pepper was a horrible person who made Stan Getz look like Jimmy Stewart. (He literally boasts of sexually assaulting a woman while stationed in London during World War II.) But few modern autobiographies can truly rival 'Straight Life' in sheer horror and power. It’s a rhapsodic riff on self-destruction and it’s also one of the greatest (and most tragic) books ever written.

[@ber334]

Sounds like me

[@mikewinburn]

Gotta ask…. Why would the story “piss [me] off”?… it didn’t. What did i miss?

[@onetrackjazz]

Because he was so talented, so may young artist wish they had his gift. he should be famous, but he pissed it away.

[@mikewinburn]

@@onetrackjazz - yes, i'd agree with that. He did leave a nice body of work. I wonder what it would have been had he had all his faculties.

[@onetrackjazz]

man, he could have been right up there with Miles or at least Coltrane

[@sulevisydanmaa9981]

​@@onetrackjazz I DISAGREE "he is the topcat on alto after Bird. Jackie Mac and Cann A beat him to & fro in any approach. Dolphy 2, and several others. Would have liked to hear of his influences when growing up ? Prez and Getz, but who else ? Benny C ? O er

[@tonyprice1612]

Very informative. But are any of these videos uplifting? All I have seen are this, Chet and Getz. Really depressing lives…

[@user-yh9sn1ye1j]

this great book would never find a publisher today

[@artielarengano9287]

Do Chet Baker next

[@onetrackjazz]

stay tuned my frend

[@wallymc8938]

@@onetrackjazz Do Baker when he was with Mulligan.