Customer Reviews

The Art Pepper Companion: Writings on a Jazz Original

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a collection of various articles written about the tragic life of jazz artist and brilliant alto saxophonist Art Pepper. Through photographs and the perspectives of different writers Art Pepper emerges as a gifted tortured "soul". He mesmerized audiences with his innovative rendering of "Caravan," "Over The Rainbow", "When You're Smiling", "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men", and "Here's That Rainy Day", yet his life was a roller coaster of triumphs and failures. He died at age 56 of a cerebral hemorrhage in Los Angeles.In one article, "A Tribute to Art Pepper," by Arthur F. Kinney, this passionate musician is described as " an honest man - never cruel, never angry - but he could make you nervous because you never knew what he was going to say. I hear in his music and his tone his warmth and his humanity. When he played it wasn't an analytical thing; it was emotional, from his heart. He was eccentric, not like many of us, but he gave his love freely and we, most of us, cannot imagine what he went through. He wanted to go out roaring, and he did." After you finish this collection about a gifted and troubled artist, try reading, "Shipmates" by Lorraine Seeley, and "Red Willow's Quest", by Heidi Skarie. Both are tributes of a different genre but each will capture your interest as does this mosaic of Art Pepper.

Compiled and edited by Todd Selbert, The Art Pepper Companion: Writings On A Jazz Original is an anthology of essays by a vast variety of music critics on the often troubled career and life of famous jazz musician Art Pepper. A diverse selection of perspectives adds an extra dimension of appreciation to the distinctive and memorable impression of his work. The Art Pepper Companion is essential reading for the legions of Art Pepper fans, and a welcome contribution to personal and academic 20th Century American Music History Studies collections.