Jim Pepper House

Hello Mr. Cruz-Visited "jim pepper house" for the ...

2008-12-11T15:24:00.000-08:00

Hello Mr. Cruz-
Visited "jim pepper house" for the first time today-the link over at Jim Pepper Lives was a little wacky but I finally figured out how to get it to work. So I just had to write. First off-a big "Thank You". A wonderful site for a wonderful musician and person. Love the story about how you got into Jim's music and just love the synchronicity of the whole thing. I'm going to paste in here an email I sent to Bugsy Siegel regarding Jim, he had asked for any recollections of Jim's concerts so I sent this along:
"Hello Bugsy- Saw your post re: Jim Pepper on Jazz Corner and thought that I would write. Ah. where to begin?
I guess the beginning wouldn't hurt. I'm shaky on the dates so bear with me.
I'm 16 or 17 listening to WNEW 102.7 in New York, back in the hey day of free form radio,when a piece of music comes on that totally blows me away. It's "Witchi Tia To" from "Pepper's Powwow" . Sonically It speaks to me as very few compositions have ever done before or since. A world opens-here is truth. Needless to say, I run out and buy the album. I listen to it. And listen to it again. And again. And I STILL listen to it.
His music has gotten me though some rough times in my life. It's always been there for me. How can you explain that to someone?
Jim opened me up to a world I didn't know existed. He led me to Coltrane, Pharaoh Sanders. Alice Coltrane,Don Cherry-the list goes on.
Let's fast forward to the mid 70's. I'd been searching for any info on Jim-where was he playing,did he ever play in New York,what was he up to? Then a friend of mine calls: " Are you interested in going to see Jim Pepper? He's playing in some Buddhist Temple downtown." Was I interested? Oh yeah. So we go. In a little room at the Temple. Never been to a Buddhist Temple. Maybe 25-30 people . Tops.
Stage is about 5 feet away from my seat. I can't stop smiling. I'm going to see Jim Pepper. The rest of the audience is smiling. We're all smiling like Cheshire cats. Like quiet Cheshire cats. After all, we're in a Buddhist Temple.
Jim's a little late. Suddenly there is a flurry at the back of the room and Jim and his keyboard player come in. My first impression?
This guy is like a force of nature-he's like a wind that just blew in. The monks rush over. Greetings are exchanged. Jim's rubs his hands together-takes a deep breathe and says: "Hey can we get a drink in here?" We crack up, take up a collection and send out for beers.
And Jim and his keyboard player (forgive me I never got his name) ROCKED! He PLAYED that night. Did it matter to him that it was only a small audience of 20-30 people? I don't think so -He PLAYED. And I think that was part of his genius. I imagine he would have played like that, even if there was no one there. I often think of that night. How I had the great good fortune to sit in a Buddhist Temple on the lower East Side and listen to Jim Pepper play his incredible music."

You got the right of it when you wrote that Jim's music reached deep down in you-it had the same effect on me and still does.

I would love any information regarding the Jim Pepper Festival as it becomes available. My dad's family is from Oregon. My Grandfather was a homesteader and vet in Portland and around Hebo and although I live in New York,(how the family got to New York is a whole other story) I've always promised myself a trip back home to Oregon. So this would be great opportunity to combine two of my favorite things.
So thank you for the website and thank you for your work getting the recognition for Jim and his music that it so richly deserves.
Pepper indeed does live.
Best regards,
John Collier

this is for caren I found photos of jim that I too...

2007-10-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

this is for caren I found photos of jim that I took at the vanguard feb 26, 1987 & from my birthday party 87'
you should have them

call me 646-750-9570

doc

Hi Sean,Beautiful picture of the sax on stage! Ho...

2007-06-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hi Sean,
Beautiful picture of the sax on stage! Hope all is well ... Dana sent me a bunch (like 1000!) of his photos from that weekend... and I want to send both him and you CDs with my photos if you let me know where to send them -- you should have my email address...)

By the way, the sax is actually late 1930s vintage, not late-50s (1938, to be exact, based on its serial number). Guess it came to earth a little early, waiting to fall into Jim's hands!

Greetings to Dana, and to all the Pepper family, especially Mother Floy. Please give her my regards.

Warmest regards,
Bill Siegel

HiI Am so pleased to have found this! Pepper was a...

2007-03-02T22:28:00.000-08:00

Hi
I Am so pleased to have found this! Pepper was a friend of my mom. He and the band Russell Ferrante, David haskell, Ratzo, and Brent used to jam, record and compose in our living room. That's where Water was written. I had no idea that he had had a happy and productive end to his life and career. I thought that a few studio tapes and dusty albums were all that was left. I remember looking for eagle feathers on the beach with him and watching the last full solar eclipse. His music was such an important part of my childhood. He was an inspiring man. The photos took me right back. I hope that this comment doesn't get lost like the last one, I have never done this blog stuff. I just had a riff come through my head today and thuoght to google, glad I did. It's great to know that I can still find his music. Growing up in Southeast Alaska with Pepper's music was awesome, I'd like to share the music with my children. Thanks

Sean, could you start a Jim Pepper myspace page? T...

2006-11-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

Sean, could you start a Jim Pepper myspace page? That would be cool. See www.myspace.com

andy plymale
andyplymale@charter.net

Hi Sean,[I know I left a previous comment on your ...

2006-10-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Sean,
[I know I left a previous comment on your blog -- and I hope it wasn't lost somehow ...]

I've been reading more from your Jim Pepper House blog, and would love to learn more about your interest in Pepper. As I said in my comment on your blog, I'm very much interested in gathering material on Pepper, his music, and his legacy dor a series of articles, interviews, and possible book. Any information, stories, tips, or direction you might be willing to share would be greatly appreciated (I travelled to Portland in 2004 for the Jazz Festival's Tribute To Pepper and met several of his old Portland crowd, including Gordon Lee, Dan Balmer, Jack Berry, and of of course, his mother Floy. And if Portland weren't such a travel expense, I'd love to be involved in what I understand will be an annual series of Pepper tributes. What a wonderful way to honor his memory!)

thanks,
Bill

Hi!I just came across your Jim Pepper House while ...

2006-10-23T10:38:00.001-07:00

Hi!
I just came across your Jim Pepper House while doing some research for my own work on Pepper's music. Whata wonderful addition to the small, but growing online world of Jim Pepper!

Please take a look at my (admittedly primitive) web site, also dedicated to Pepper. I'm now working on a series of interviews with musicians who worked with Pepper, as well as reviews of his recordings, and am looking for all the information and leads that I can find.

When I started my online Pepper advernture, just a few years ago, there was almost nothing available, which prompted me to start writing about him. then I started meeting a whole new generation of Pepper fans and Pepper-inspired musicians -- the legacy lives on!

You can find my site at www.zayde.net/jim pepperlives as well as some of my articles at www.allaboutjazz.com and www.inmotionmagazine.com (just search for my name on those sites, as there are several articles at each site).

Thanks for your contribution -- please keep up the good work!

[What gave you the inspiration to start Jim Pepper House?)

- Bill Siegel
bmsiegel@adelphia.net