Bandleader Lee Young hired seventeen year old Art Pepper to play in his band at the Club Alabam on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. Lee describes young Art, and what the world was like before the war on Central,

Art describes jamming and performing on Central Avenue in the Club Alabam. American musical history from someone who got to live right in the heart of it.

ART QUITS THE COBRAS AND GETS INTO THE MUSIC THING

Art meets the love of his life (until me, of course). Incidental music is Art's tune, Patricia, performed in Nice in 1980. I'm pretty sure the band is Art, Milcho Leviev, Bob Magnusson, Carl Burnett

Art describes his early sexual experiences

Art's "cousin" Johnny talks about Art as a child and as a young man. He gives a fuller picture of Art's adventurous father and difficult mother and has shows a different side of Grandma. I apologize for being a few days late with this episode. I'm just starting this...

This is a long one, Interviews with Art's stepmother Thelma Pepper, and with Sarah Schecter Bartold, the woman who raised Art's mother, Ida AKA Millie. Thelma talks about Art's grandmother and then about his mother. This is American history, touching and inspiring.

Musical interludes and the music at the end, Art's original, Blues at Twilight, from The Art Pepper Quartet, recorded in 1956 with Russ Freeman, Ben Tucker, Gary Frommer. Available online at http://artpepper.bandcamp.com and from Omnivore Recordings.

At 9, Art starts performing in waterfront bars and gets paid.

He keeps his father from throttling his grandmother.

This episode is "explicit" in that it includes violence, and dirty words.

Author's note: This is one of my favorite episodes.

Music snippets heard here:

Straight Life by Art Pepper: with Smith Dobson, Jim Nichols, Brad Bilhorn. Unreleased Art Pepper Volume VIII, live at the Winery—Widow's Taste/Omnivore Recordings

When You're Smiling: with Roger Kellaway, David Williams, Carl Burnett. Unreleased Art Pepper Volume 2, The Last Concert—Widow's Taste.

That Crazy Blues by Art Pepper: with Frank Strazzeri, Hersh Hamel, Bill Goodwin—Unreleased Art Pepper Volume 4, The Art History Project—Widow's Taste

Listen to more Art Pepper music at http://artpepper.bandcamp.com

And buy Straight Life in paper or kindle on Amazon