Art Pepper wrote Patricia for the daughter from whom he estranged

PatriciaArt Pepper (1956 & 1978)

Her father made no contribution to Patricia Pepper’s happiness in life, but jazz musician Art Pepper did compose a beautiful ballad for her, Patricia.

Jazz saxophonist Art Pepper, Los Angeles ca. 1957.Image Redferns

Twice alto saxophonist Pepper (1925-1982) recorded the – textless – song. First in 1956, when he had just composed it and felt he had outdone himself. The second time was in 1978 on his comeback record, Art Pepper Today, with a version lasting more than ten minutes in which it seems as if he is improvising his passionate lack.

This recording has a strange history attached to it. In the studio, pianist Stanley Cowell played his fingers loose with a beautiful tune, and everyone fell silent – ​​even Pepper himself.

‘Really beautiful,’ said Art, ‘Whose is it?

“It’s yours,” Cowell replied. “You wrote it for your daughter Patricia.” Then Pepper recorded it.

Art Pepper and his wife Laurie, London, 1979.Image Getty Images

Just as he no longer knew about that ballad after 32 years, he probably no longer knew what Patricia looked like. One of history’s greatest jazz players had ruined his existence through persistent drug use, and had never gotten around to a cozy, orderly family life.

For Art Pepper, the dope had been love at first sight. He rolled from prison to rehab, got a little clean, made a comeback, turning to coke and booze until his heart had had enough, at age 56. In the meantime, he had amazed everyone with his musical skills. Like Chet Baker, he was one of the leaders of the West Coast jazz scene in the 1950s, in Los Angeles and the surrounding area.

That turbulent trade and walk was described in Straight Life, dhe autobiography from 1980, for which he signed with his last wife Laurie. There is no better book about rough post-war jazz life.

Biography Art Pepper

Patricia appears eleven times in the 500-page book. He is not there when she is born on January 5, 1945 and the last time she is mentioned in the book, he realizes that she has become ‘a stranger’ to him, because they have no contact. “I have erected a barrier between us that I dare not cross,” was what he said.

Patricia was raised largely by Pepper’s parents and later by his ex, Patti. Pepper wrote in the autobiography that the absolute low point in his life was when Patricia once surprised him in prison and she did nothing but cry at the sight of her dad.

Laurepepper’s autobiography: Why I stuck with a junkie jazzman

After Pepper’s death, Laurie took charge of his musical legacy. She sees it as her task to keep her ‘junkie jazzman’ permanently under the attention and releases dusted recordings under her own management. She cannot tell what happened to Patricia either.

John & Paul