Straight Life

Art Pepper · 1957 · Composition by Pepper, same 1957 session; later reused as the title of his 1979 album and of his autobiography.

Context

Composition by Art Pepper, a fast bebop theme cut on January 19, 1957, in Los Angeles for Contemporary, at a session with Miles Davis's rhythm section (Garland, Chambers, Philly Joe Jones). Pepper learned of the session only that same morning and did not know his partners. The album, hailed as a milestone of his career, appears in the Penguin Guide's Core Collection; Pepper would later give this title to his autobiography.

In the genealogy of jazz

This track belongs to West Coast, Hard bop. Among the origins and influences of West Coast: Bebop (Minton's, Monroe's), Cool (Birth of the Cool), Bossa nova, jazz samba.

By the same artist

• You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To (1957)
• Star Eyes (1957)

Sources

• EN: Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section
• jazzfuel.com

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