Many times over the years, I've pulled this book off the shelf and opened it up to any random page and just started reading and was immediately drawn in to the point where I didn't want to put the book down, even though I've read it all the way through a couple of times. It's just that kind of book that grabs you and won't let go. The danger with reading it like that though, is while most of the book is written in Art Pepper's "voice", portions of the book are instead narrated by people who knew Art. These portions have the narrator's name in bold brackets at the beginning of their narrative. So if their narrative runs to a few pages (most are shorter), you might think when you just open it and start on any page that you're reading Art Pepper's words, but you're actually sometimes reading some very insightful observations by people who knew him very well. Still, just opening to any page of the book and reading it is fascinating and fun, especially after you've read it all the way through at least once.
This is one of the three best books I've ever read. To me, it is truly a timeless classic. You don't have to know who Art Pepper is. You don't have to be into jazz music. Just sit back and let this gripping story of a great musician and his tragic addictions take you on an unforgettable journey. When the journey is over you'll probably want to check out Art Pepper's music, or maybe the music of some of the others mentioned in the book.
I have to say this: Art holds nothing back. This book is not for the faint of heart. There are stories in this book that will wrench you to your very soul. Art was a great musician, but a very flawed man. But he was also very honest. He tells you things about himself in this book that NO man would ever admit to doing -- things that will make some people judge him very harshly. I won't spoil it by being more specific. I will just say that when you're reading this book, no matter how crazy some of the stuff in it is, you know it's the truth because no man would ever tell these things to his wife and to the whole world unless he's just a brutally honest person. We're talking deepest, darkest secrets here.
Speaking of Art's wife, Laurie Pepper, who co-authored the book, I can't say enough about the fantastic job she did culling together all of these interviews she did with Art and his acquaintances, relatives, etc., and fashioning it into a very readable book that just flows very nicely from beginning to end. She has also recently published a follow-up to this book called "Art Pepper: Why I Stuck with A Junkie Jazzman". I just bought it but haven't had a chance to read it yet. But after reading "Straight Life" I know I won't be disappointed with her new book. Looks like it's very highly rated here on Amazon, too, just like this book.
I honestly think that men will like this book a bit more than women because it's told from a man's standpoint with often crude sexual language that might be offensive to some women. Also, some of Art's exploits and encounters with women will probably be off-putting to some women. But that's one of the book's strengths -- Art is laying it all on the line here and he doesn't care what you think about him. He's not sugar-coating or hiding anything, he's giving you every graphic detail about some of the horrible things he did, mostly as a result of his addiction to drugs. He's putting it all out there and just letting the chips fall where they may. A lot of his music in his later life was like that also.
As far as the music itself, I've read at least one review of this book that complained that there's not enough info about Art's music and his thoughts on music here. There's actually a good portion of that here, but it's overshadowed by the larger story of his life. I'm a musician myself, but I wasn't at all disappointed with any lack of music talk because there's plenty of it and because his overall story is so amazing. I think another reviewer said that this book isn't about music -- it's about life. That's so true. I've gained many great insights into life from reading this book.
The portions of the book that deal with his various periods of incarceration are simply riveting, but there's so much more that is equally fascinating.
Whether you're a jazz fan, or simply a music fan, or someone interested in the study of addiction and addictive behavior, or someone interested in the minute details of being locked up behind bars and what really goes on in jail/prison, this book is a must read. When you finish it you'll probably see the world a bit differently, having seen it through Art Pepper's eyes for awhile.
You've just got to read this book. I usually only review CDs. That's how much of an impact "Straight Life" made on me. I just had to share how I felt about it. The only other book I think I've reviewed is Chuck Negron's "Three Dog Nightmare" which is a similar story to Art Pepper's. But that book is about a pop star in one of the most successful groups of all time. As good as that book is, and I highly recommend it, I feel this book is even better.
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Top reviews from other countries
Pete Peterson
Straight Life a brutally-honest account of Art Pepper's life and career
Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2014Scott Mavor
What a great book. I don't think I
Reviewed in Canada on September 15, 2016