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ART Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman Laurie Pepper 9781494297572 Books

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ART Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman Laurie Pepper 9781494297572 Books

I knew Art Pepper. He played with my big band. I knew him when he was in Synanon and I was donating my time to them to help musicians in trouble. I was in awe when I first met him and I am still in awe of his talent all these years later. Laurie was the best thing that ever happened to him. This book tells it like it was and is a story of true love and devotion. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves jazz music or who wants to find out more about what makes jazz musicians "tick." Art had a hard life and his addictions only made things worse, but with Laurie's help he lived longer than he might have and was able to create even more great music.


Tags : ART: Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman [Laurie Pepper] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <b>Art Pepper </b>told his sexy, sordid, and exciting true adventure stories to his lover, Laurie, who put them in a book. She quizzed him (and those who knew him) unrelentingly over seven years,Laurie Pepper,ART: Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1494297574,Biography & Autobiography,Biography & Autobiography Personal Memoirs,Biography Autobiography,BiographyAutobiography,Memoirs,Personal Memoirs

ART Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman Laurie Pepper 9781494297572 Books Reviews

Anyone who read "Straight Life" (autobiography of alto jazz legend Art Pepper) saw it was co-authored by Laurie Pepper, his wife. Now we learn more about both their lives, separately and together. One very great read; couldn't put it down. This era in jazz is so crucial to it's understanding, and pretty much every jass hero can be found in this work. Extremely well written by Ms. Pepper.
I am a saxophone player and embarrassingly missed Art Pepper when he was alive. After a 6 year interruption in my own musical quest, due to family matters, I returned to music and began devouring all things musical again. One thing that I stumbled across was the Art Pepper documentary "Notes From A Jazz Survivor." I was so moved by Art's music, and the story of his and Laurie's life together that it inevitably led me to read the book "Straight Life" and listen to all things Art Pepper.

I hadn't read a book cover to cover in quite some time, but was enthralled with Laurie's writing style and the beautiful way that she helped Art tell his story in "Straight Life." The vivid portrait she helped to paint in the telling of that story moved me deeply. I finished that book in a matter of days, feeling both sad that it was over, and wishing there was more of Art and Laurie's life to experience.

Now comes this book, Laurie's follow up, which fulfilled that desire for more, and then some. The story told from Laurie's perspective is perhaps even more evocative and compelling than the story told in "Straight Life". Her honesty, humor and lyrical descriptive prose made this book a riveting joy to read. She describes scenes, and the emotional detail of events with such beauty and insight that I found myself re-reading sections much the same way one might be captivated and rendered speechless by a beautiful piece of music, and needing immediately to hit replay to experience it again. Laurie's narrative is truly that magical.

I highly recommend this book to musicians and lovers of Art Pepper, but also to anyone who appreciates a life story told with honesty, humor and humility. This is more a life portrait than a mere recounting of events. You can see, smell, taste and feel the world that Laurie describes, and again I'm left wanting more. I eagerly await the next musings from the great author/artist Laurie Pepper.
This is a lovely book and I highly recommend it. It is as much about Laurie Pepper as Art and that turns out to be a good thing, as Laurie is a pretty interesting individual. I thought the writing was of a high quality. There are a handful of sections throughout the book where Laurie beautifully describes the indescribable during profound moments of observation about people and life. She is honest about the topics and the people she writes about and most importantly, about herself--her strengths and her weaknesses.
Although I’ve read “Straight Life” a couple of times over the years prior to reading this book, I don’t feel it’s a prerequisite to enjoying this book. Nor do I think you have to be greatly familiar with Art’s music - wouldn’t hurt though. This book does a nice job picking up from “Straight Life” where Art enters Synanon (and meets Laurie) and then takes us through the final years to the end of Art’s life. It’s definitely a warts and all ride to the end. We get to see that it wasn’t all smooth sailing when Art and Laurie left Synanon.
There seems to be a never-ending river of people on the sidelines and out of the limelight that serve great artists out of love and respect--facilitating beauty entering into our world. It’s rather obvious but still merits pointing out that Art was very lucky to have Laurie in his life.
When so many of these types of books fall short discussing artists and their lives, it’s real nice to run across one that doesn’t dumb things down, is thoughtful, and just works. Thank you Laurie.
Yes, yes, yes - read it. You won't be able to stop. Whether your main interest is Jazz and its history, or memoir by women, Laurie Pepper takes you on an extraordinary journey, her life with jazz artist Art Pepper, the great, the good, the bad and the awful of it. Most of us, love or no, would not, could not have stuck it out with someone as sly and cunning and talented as Art Pepper. Most of us wouldn't have had the patience to see and appreciate his humor and his music and work hard to protect them. But we can be glad that Pepper did, otherwise we'd never have been able to share her experience safely. We, well at least most of us, would probably have run, screaming to some safe haven and a cup of tea.

Art Pepper was a musical genius. He was, like many geniuses, especially musical geniuses, charming, amusing, and difficult. Laurie's two main tasks in their relationship seemed to be getting and keeping him straight (off drugs) and getting him and his group to the stage on time. She gives us the nitty gritty on what it took to do this.

"Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman" opens to us a love affair, a marriage, as well as the 'jazz scene' of the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's and Art and Laurie's travels in Europe and Asia. Art played. Laurie saw the insides of airports, hotels, clubs, eateries, hotels and airports - not a Cook's Tour.

She doesn't spare us, herself, or Art. The title says it all Art Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman. But do read the whole story. Fascinating. Ms. Pepper's truth comes shining through humor, affection, love, and loss, but most of all love.
I knew Art Pepper. He played with my big band. I knew him when he was in Synanon and I was donating my time to them to help musicians in trouble. I was in awe when I first met him and I am still in awe of his talent all these years later. Laurie was the best thing that ever happened to him. This book tells it like it was and is a story of true love and devotion. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves jazz music or who wants to find out more about what makes jazz musicians "tick." Art had a hard life and his addictions only made things worse, but with Laurie's help he lived longer than he might have and was able to create even more great music.