Pepper, Art

Art Pepper
natal chart (Placidus)
natal chart English style (Equal houses)
natal chart with Whole Sign houses

Name	Pepper, Art Gender: M
Birthname	Arthur Edward Pepper
born on	1 September 1925 at 13:40 (= 1:40 PM )
Place	Gardena, California, 33n53, 118w18
Timezone	PST h8w (is standard time)
Data source	BC/BR in hand Rodden Rating AA Collector: Steinbrecher
Astrology data	08°54' 26°03 Asc. 21°18'

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Art Pepper
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Biography

American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist, a longtime figure in West Coast jazz. He was the star saxophone player with Stan Kenton's orchestra in the '40s. His career faltered when he went too far into drug abuse, but he turned it around and rebuilt his reputation.

Art Pepper’s phenomenal musical gifts developed early. From the time he took up the saxophone at the age of 12, he proved such a natural talent that soon he was jamming around L.A. with musicians like Zoot Sims and Dexter Gordon. He served in the military from 1944 to 1946 and then had some of his happiest days when he played lead alto with Stan Kenton from 1947 to 1952. But after this meteoric rise, his demons took over. He was an addict, thief, alcoholic, womanizer and wild man.

The 1950s found Pepper recording frequently both as a leader and a sideman resulting in at least two classics ("Plays Modern Jazz Classics" and "Meets the Rhythm Section"). He spent two periods in jail due to drug offenses during 1953-1956. Pepper was in top form during his recordings for Contemporary label of 1957-1960 but then his career was sidetracked with long prison sentences during the 1960s. In his occasional gigs between jail terms, he adopted a harder tone influenced by John Coltrane that disturbed some of his longtime followers. He recorded with Buddy Rich in 1968, then became seriously ill, leading to a rehab at Synanon from 1969 to 1971.

Pepper began his serious comeback in 1975 and with the help of his wife, Laurie, he not only returned to his former level but topped himself. He played with startling emotional intensity. Occasionally he showed his versatility by playing clarinet. His recordings from that period for Contemporary and Galaxy rank with the greatest work of his career. Pepper's autobiography "Straight Life" is a brutally honest book that details his sometimes-horrifying life.

When Art Pepper died on 15 June 1982 in Panorama City, California of natural causes he had attained his goal of becoming one of the world's great altoists.

Link to Wikipedia biography

Relationships

• associate relationship with Baker, Chet (born 23 December 1929)

• associate relationship with Carter, Ron (born 4 May 1937)

• associate relationship with Davis, Richard (born 15 April 1930)

• associate relationship with Flory, Med (born 27 August 1926). Notes: Music collaborators

• associate relationship with Kenton, Stan (born 15 December 1911). Notes: Music collaborators

• associate relationship with Payne, Don (born 7 January 1933). Notes: Music collaborators

• associate relationship with Shank, Bud (born 27 May 1926)

Events

• Social : Joined group 1944 (Military, two years)

• Social : Joined group 1947 (Played with Stan Kenton)

• Social : Institutionalized - prison, hospital 1953 (Three years jail term, drug offenses)

• Work : Gain social status 1957 (Three years, best top work)

• Social : Institutionalized - prison, hospital 1969 (Two years in rehab)

• Social : Change of Lifestyle 1975 (Serious comeback, working back up)

• Death, Cause unspecified 15 June 1982 (Age 56)
  chart Placidus Equal_H.

Source Notes

B.C. in hand from Steinbrecher

Categories

• Diagnoses : Psychological : Abuse Alcohol

• Diagnoses : Psychological : Abuse Drugs (Rehab)

• Family : Relationship : Marriage - Compatible (Supportive wife)

• Lifestyle : Work : Travel for work (Tours)

• Passions : Criminal Perpetrator : Prison sentence (Two jail sentences)

• Vocation : Entertain/Music : Group/ Duo (Stan Kenton's orchestra)

• Vocation : Entertain/Music : Instrumentalist (Alto Tenor saxophone)

• Vocation : Military : Military service (Two years)

• Vocation : Writers : Autobiographer