Jim Pepper (b. Salem, Oregon, June 18, 1941; d. Portland, Oregon, February 10, 1992) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and singer of Native American ancestry.

Beginning in the late 1960s, Pepper became a pioneer of fusion jazz, his band The Free Spirits (active between 1965 and 1968) being credited as the first to combine elements of jazz and rock. His primary instrument was the tenor saxophone, and his characteristic incisive, penetrating (though soulful) tone was unique for its time, though a similar timbre was taken up by later players such as Jan Garbarek, Michael Brecker, and David Sanborn.

Of Kaw and Creek heritage, Pepper also achieved notoriety for his compositions combining elements of jazz and Native American music. His "Witchi Tai To" (derived from a peyote healing chant of the Native American Church which he had learned from his grandfather) is the most famous example of this hybrid style; the song has been covered by many other artists.

Film

• Pepper's Pow Wow (1995). Directed by Sandra Sunrising Osawa. Seattle, Washington: Upstream Productions.

External links

• Discography
• Jim Pepper Lives! Web site
• Jim Pepper Tribute at Portland, Oregon Jazz Festival (Feb. 2005)
• "Jim Pepper: The Man Who Never Sleeps" (In Motion Magazine)
• "Jazz and The Politics of Identity: The Legacy of Jim Pepper" (In Motion Magazine)
• NEW Comprehensive Jim Pepper Discography

1941 births | 1992 deaths | Jazz saxophonists | American jazz musicians | Native American musicians

Jim Pepper