Straight life has been praised by critics, including terry castle, who called it one of the greatest, saddest autobiographies ever written. This edition is updated with an extensive afterword by laurie pepper covering art peppers last years, and a complete and uptodate discography by todd selbert. But his autobiography, straight life, is much more than a jazz book it is one of the most explosive, yet one of the most lyrical, of all autobiographies. Ironically, given the notoriously stark, shocking honesty of the book, its an unusually and atypically mellow album, rather less intense than was usual for the late period of peppers career. Art pepper best of straight life, youd be so nice to come home to and more hits. Art pepper s straight life may be the rawest autobiography anyone ever needs to read, drenched in drugs, sex, suicides, cult fiends, prison, mom issues, spousal abuse and rape, with a dash of jazz history. Art pepper 1925 1982 was described as the greatest altosexophonist of the postcharlie parker generation.
Art pepper best of straight life, youd be so nice to. He was a deeply troubled, madly gifted artist, an addict. He expressed early musical interest and talent, and he was given lessons. Art pepper 19251982 was called the greatest alto saxophonist of the postcharlie parker generation.
Art pepper succeeded in becoming one of the finest alto saxophonists of all time despite. Straight life by art and laurie pepper da capo was published in 1979. Peppers composition straight life is a contrafact of after youve gone, and it was also recorded for peppers 1957 album art pepper meets the rhythm section. Art pepper alto sax, red garland piano, paul chambers bass, philly joe jones drums from the album art pepper meets the rhythm section. Straight life is pretty definitive and serves as a perfect introduction to pepper s second and most rewarding period. Pepper was not the only jazz musician to use the title. Early in his memoir, straight life, the late jazz legend art pepper relates a story about being in the u. But his autobiography, straight life, is much more. Looks like its very highly rated here on amazon, too, just like this book. She has also recently published a followup to this book called art pepper. Art peppers straight life goes straight to youtube. Altoist art pepper recorded many albums for the galaxy label during 19791982. But his autobiography, straight life, is much more than a jazz bookit is one of the most explosive, yet one of the most lyrical, of all autobiographies. All this history makes a pretty gripping story as its told by art with his wife laurie pepper in their book, straight life dacapo.
Pepper s longtime heroin addiction is the focus here, with all the pathetic, harrowing, strangely selfcongratulatory tales of degradation that one has come to expect in addict. And here, a hundred and twenty years later, in the autobiography straight life, is the alto saxophonist art pepper speaking of his childhood. Once, on a day when he had some free time, he met a young woman on the street near piccadilly circus. Straight life, the story of art pepper from the book of the same name.
This is however a book about a man who continually bounced back from personal crisis. Seven of the nine sequences that comprise this movie are completed. This book is an honest account of a life which was anything but straight. Pepper reused the title for his 1979 autobiography straight life. It was a critical success and remains a classic of its kind, the subject of college literary and music studies. Provided to youtube by iipdds straight life art pepper red pepper blues. The story of art pepper by art pepper, laurie pepper. Art pepper was born in gardena, california, on september 1, 1925. Art pepper is a gifted, muchrecorded alto saxophonist hes played with benny carter, stan kenton, buddy rich, and in smaller groups, but the musical interest in this long, dank memoir is barely incidental. Not only is there a superior version of pepper s famous title cut but very emotional and explorative renditions of september song and nature boy. The stories of art pepper my straight life movie is a trilogy. Not for the fainthearted, art peppers autobiography is painfully ho. One time when my father had been at sea for quite a while he came home and found the house locked and me sitting on the front porch, freezing cold and hungry.
He did five years in san quentin and his descriptions of life there are relentless and brilliant. Laurie pepper a world famous saxophonist tells the story of his successful career as a jazz musician, his problems with drug addiction, and the time he spent in hospitals, prisons, and drug rehabilitation centers. The story of art pepper by art pepper, 9781841950648, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Art s story told through his own words and the words of those who loved him or at least were fascinated by his incredible gift and witnessed his every attempt to blow it to smithereens.
Why art peppers straight life is still the most harrowing. But his autobiography, straight life, is much more than a jazz book,it is one of the most explosive, yet one of the most lyrical, of all autobiographies. But his autobiography, straight life, is much more than a. If it had, theres a good chance that no nightclub would book art pepper, nor any record label sign him to a deal.
Art pepper s straight life goes straight to youtube art pepper was a selftaught jazz legend. This edition is updated with an extensive afterword by laurie pepper covering art peppers last years, and a complete and uptodate. Art pepper 1925 1982 was described as the greatest altosaxophonist of the postcharlie parker generation. Publisher synopsis straight life demonstrates again and again that pepper had the ear and memory and interpretative lyricism of a firstrate novelist. In the tradition of mezz mezzrows really the blues, straight life is an oral history about the vainest and most eccentric type of modern artist, the jazz musician, and receives its first uk. Inscribed to charley dig this i know youll identify art pepper 980. He had no illusions nor did hehave any remorse or selfpity. Art told me his story, i wrote it down, and i fell in love with and married that complex and inspiring man. The story of art pepper is the autobiography of jazz saxophonist art pepper, cowritten with his wife, laurie pepper. Why i stuck with a junkie jazzman which covers some of the same ground, but with an entirely different perspective. The story of art pepper paperback march 22, 1994 by art pepper author. Gives you the most palpable sense of the agony and the ecstasy, the unreasonableness and eventual reasonableness of his life.
Signed copies of this book here signed around time of publication are very. I just bought it but havent had a chance to read it yet. Art peppers straight life may be the rawest autobiography anyone ever needs to read, drenched in drugs, sex, suicides, cult fiends, prison, mom issues, spousal abuse and rape, with a dash of jazz history. He played with miles davis and was hailed as one of the greatest alto players to follow in the. The life story of the american jazz saxaphonist art pepper, the man who could never live the straight life, always on the run, a heroin addict. Why art peppers straight life is still the most harrowing jazz.
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