Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepper. Art Pepper

my pants in speculating about drugs and race and everything else. My essay was more presumptuous than knowledgeable. You can imagine how surprised (and relieved) I was when Laurie called the day it came out in The Village Voice and said, “Art wants to meet you. He wants to know how come you know so much about him.” It never occurred to me to say: It’s all there in his music.

      —Gary Giddins

      (This introduction incorporates portions of “Art Pepper Talks Straight,” from The Village Voice, February 18, 1980, and “Endgame,” the notes to Art Pepper’s The Complete Galaxy Recordings, 1989, by permission of the author.)

      Gary Giddins, jazz critic for The Village Voice, is the author of Riding on a Blue Note, Rhythm-a-Ning, Celebrating Bird, Satchmo, Faces in the Crowd, and a forthcoming biography of Bing Crosby.

      What is the use of talking and there is no end of talking. There is no end of things in the heart.

      Ezra Pound

       For their contributions to this book we wish to thank:

	Karolyn April	Jerry Maher
	Sarah Bartold	Shelly Manne
	Benny Carter	Johnny Martizia
	Ann Christos	Don Menza
	June Christy	John Noble
	Bob Cooper	Millie Noble
	Sammy Curtis	Marty Paich
	Alan Dean	Thelma Pepper
	Hersh Hamel	Marie Randall
	John Koenig	Freddy Rivera
	Steve Kravitz	Lee Young

      Special thanks to Todd Selbert for everything.

      Contents

       Cast of Characters

       Part 1 1925–1954

	1.	Childhood 1925–1939
	2.	Patti 1930–1944
	3.	The Avenue 1940–1944
	4.	The Army 1944–1946
	5.	Heroin 1946–1950
	6.	On the Road with Stan Kenton’s Band 1946–1952
	7.	Busted 1952–1953
	8.	The Los Angeles County Jail 1953
	9.	The U.S. Public Health Service Hospital at Fort Worth 1953–1954

       Part 2 1954–1966

	10.	The Los Angeles County Jail: Integration 1954–1956
	11.	Diane 1956–1958
	12.	Suicides 1958–1960
	13.	Stealing 1960
	14.	The Los Angeles County Jail: The Hole 1960–1961
	15.	San Quentin 1961
	16.	San Quentin: Learning the Ropes 1961–1964
	17.	The Check Protector 1964–1965
	18.	San Quentin: Tattoos 1965–1966

       Part 3 1966–1978

	19.	Christine 1966–1968
	20.	On the Road with Buddy Rich’s Band 1968–1969
	21.	Synanon 1969
	22.	Synanon: Laurie 1969
	23.	Synanon: Games, Raids, the Trip 1969–1971
	24.	The Return of Art Pepper 1971–1978

       Conclusion

       Afterword

       Discography by Todd Selbert

       Index

      This is a true story, a tape recorded narrative by Art Pepper (and those who’ve known him) which I have transcribed and edited. In order to avoid embarrassing a number of people, some details have been changed and pseudonyms are occasionally used. Attitudes, intentions, and feelings attributed by Art Pepper to anyone besides himself should be understood by the reader to be Art’s impressions, not fact.

      —Laurie Pepper

      Cast