Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepperby Art Pepper (Author), Laurie Pepper (Author) Art Pepper (1925 1982) was called the greatest alto saxophonist of the post Charlie Parker generation. But his autobiography, Straight Life, is much more than a jazz book it is one of the most explosive, yet one of the most lyrical, of all autobiographies. This edition is updated with an extensive afterword by Laurie Pepper covering Art Pepper's last years, and a complete and up to date discography by