Jim Pepper | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jim Gilbert Pepper II |
| Born | June 18, 1941 Salem, Oregon, United States |
| Died | February 10, 1992 (aged 50) Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Genres | Jazz, Native American |
| Occupations |
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| Instrument(s) | Tenor and soprano saxophone, flute, percussion |
Jim Gilbert Pepper II (June 18, 1941 – February 10, 1992) was a jazz saxophonist, composer and singer of Kaw and Muscogee Creek Native American heritage.
He moved to New York City in 1964, where he came to prominence in the late 1960s as a member of The Free Spirits, an early jazz-rock fusion group that also featured Larry Coryell and Bob Moses. Pepper went on to have a lengthy career in jazz, recording almost a dozen albums as a bandleader and many more as featured soloist or sideman. Pepper and Joe Lovano played tenor sax alongside each other in an acclaimed band led by drummer Paul Motian, recording three LPs in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Motian described Pepper's playing as "post-Coltrane". Don Cherry was among those who encouraged Pepper to bring more of his Native culture into his music, and the two collaborated extensively. Pepper died of lymphoma aged 50.