Critics and fans alike have hailed Art Pepper (1925-1982) as the greatest alto saxophonist of the post-Charlie Parker generation. During a career spanning forty years, Pepper recorded several incredible and intensely personal albums. Many of those years were also spent wrestling with an overpowering heroin addiction: Throughout his life he was in and out of prison and rehab clinics, appearing in the studio and laying down brilliant music when he was able. In The Art Pepper Companion, many of the most respected names in jazz writing examine Pepper's career, his unique position in the history of jazz, and his troubled life. The contributions in The Art Pepper Companion include Whitney Balliett reviewing Pepper's remarkable autobiography Straight Life; Dan Morgenstern on his live performing; Gary Giddins on Pepper's career in light of racial tensions among black and white jazzmen; and John Litweiler on the transformation of Pepper's post-70s career. In several interviews, Pepper talks of his musical influences, his rough childhood and his drug habit. The book also features a selected discography and rare photos of Pepper at different stages of his career.
For insight into the life and work of a musical legend, The Art Pepper Companion is indispensable.