The Jazz Session #34: Laurie Pepper on Art Pepper

On the new episode of The Jazz Session, Jason Crane interviews Laurie Pepper, wife of the late alto saxophonist Art Pepper (1925-1982). Laurie has recently put out two sets of previously unreleased live recordings by Art Pepper -- Unreleased Art, Vol. 1: The Complete Abashiri Concert -- November 22, 1981 (Widow's Taste, 2006) and Unreleased Art, Vol. 2: The Last Concert (Widow's Taste, 2007). Both concerts show Pepper at the height of his emotional expression, and still very much in command of his instrument. In this interview, Laurie Pepper talks about the concerts and the process of releasing them, and also gives insight into the troubled and triumphant life of her husband.

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About The Jazz Session & Jason Crane

Jason Crane is the host and producer of The Jazz Session, the weekly jazz interview show. He was born in 1973 in Lenox, Massachusetts, home of Tanglewood and former home of the famed Music Inn and the Lenox School of Jazz. He began his career as a soprano sax player in jazz, latin jazz and funk bands in Arizona, Pennsylvania, and right here on Hilton Head Island. Jason also worked as an on-air host for KUAT and KUAZ in Tucson, AZ; as a news announcer for Bloomberg Radio in Tokyo, Japan; and as Tokyo business correspondent for NPR's Morning Edition; and at WXXI in Rochester, NY. From 2001-2004, Jason was station manager and jazz host at Jazz90.1 in Rochester, NY.

Jason is a regular contributor to All About Jazz and to The Guide, the weekly entertainment magazine of The Island Packet newspaper on Hilton Head Island, SC.

Jason has interviewed hundreds of jazz artists on the radio and for The Jazz Session, including: John Abercrombie, Karrin Allyson, Billy Bang, Gene Bertoncini, Bill Bruford, Don Byron, Jack DeJohnette, Kahil El'Zabar, Wayne Escoffery, Wycliffe Gordon, Benny Green, Fred Hersch, Bill Holman, Charlie Hunter, Norah Jones, Les McCann, Bobby McFerrin, Jane Monheit, Jason Moran, David “Fathead" Newman, Houston Person, Bobby Sanabria, David Sanborn, John Scofield, David Torn, Mirsolav Vitous, Eberhard Weber, Bobby Watson, Jeff “Tain" Watts, Fred Wesley, and Matt Wilson.