Artist description "This splendid group effort is jazz in the finest sense...It lives, breathes, dances and transcends. It is a long overdue reminder of the fine original contribution Jim Pepper made to American music, and it is a sterling testament to the ongoing excellence of Chuck Florence." --Dr. Lloyd Anderson, jazz historian

Music Style Acoustic Jazz

Similar Artists Jim Pepper, Ben Webster, Eric Dolphy

Artist History After living his early years in Detroit and working with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Brother Jack McDuff, and the Detroit Symphony, Chuck left the fast lane 25 years ago to live in the Mission Mountains of Montana on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Gigs continued though with Jaki Byard, Alan Dawson, Joe Williams, Joe Lavano, Nat Nadderly, Roy Haynes, James Moody, Larry Coryell, etc... After performing with the sons of Gunther Schuller and learning that Ed had been Jim Pepper's bass player, Florence organized a Montana tour ( including the Salish-Kootenai College) to perform Pepper's music. Their last concert was recorded live: "Remembering Jim Pepper".

Group Members Chuck Florence - Tenor Sax George Schuller-Drums ............ Nicole Kampgen-Vocals,Alto ...... Ed Schuller-Bass,Vocals ............ Craig Hall–Guitar

Instruments Sax, Guitar, Bass, Drums, Vocals

Albums Jack Walrath in Montana --(Labor Records LAB 7005-2)........ Home On The Range(Cadence Jazz CJR 1052)...........Remembering Jim Pepper (Saxophile Records #0428)

Press Reviews On his new disc, Montana saxophonist Chuck Florence pays tribute to Jim Pepper, the Native American jazz composer and player, and the combination proves potent: Mixing the hardest, most potent playing he's ever put on disc with a variety of Native American textures, Florence turns in an album of impressive range, power and beauty. The disc documents a concert, supported by a crackerjack band, performed in Helena in 1995. It's taken a while for the disc to emerge----Florence has been trying to handle all the details of the release---but it's more than worth the wait: This is Florence's best album and likely the best recorded work from a Montana-based musician this year.-------McInally, Missoulian Editor..................................."This is perfect music for the talents of Chuck Florence. Like Jim Pepper, he's a jazz warrior...This guy fills the air with sound like arrows and lead!" --Jon A. Jackson, novelist................................. Florence’s tribute to Jim Pepper is a series of moving tunes spiked with vocal chants that capture the spirit of the tenor player who died in 1992 at age 50. Pepper was a Native American, and his roots are present in much of his music. Florence incorporates into the program four Pepper tunes, plus two by Don Cherry (with whom Pepper worked) and one by bassist Schuller (who recorded numerous times with Pepper’s band). Florence is a spirited tenor player, one who takes flight with zealous solos and maintains the high flight pattern. He has a slightly biting tone that gives his music its muscular edge. Pitted against the stimulating guitar playing of Hall, Florence is continually spurred onward with vigorous, hard-edged soloing. The two get combative on Cherry’s "Mr. DC," using Pepper’s arrangement of the tune. It is the most aggressive song on the disc, allowing Florence to cut loose with some wild blowing.Adding authenticity to the performance is the chanting that accompanies several tunes. Kampgen, who also doubles on alto, does much of the vocalizing, including English language verses that spin off the Indian chants. She is accompanied on the vocalizing by Ed Schuller, and the two project the essence of Pepper’s music. Schuller’s arco introduction to "Drakumba" is particularly gripping. The band works with material that is very inspirational. All selections have the rhythm and drive of American Indian music, and the special spiritualism that marks the lifestyle of the people is present in the songs. Florence has done a commendable job in presenting the music of Pepper and has created a very fine Jazz album in the process. It has many attributes that make it a worthwhile listening experience.------Cadence Magazine............................ AMG EXPERT REVIEW - 4 stars.....................The difference between Chuck Florence's first session as a leader, 1992's Home on the Range, and 1999's Remembering Jim Pepper may be a little startling, at least on the surface. Home on the Range is a fairly straight-ahead session, but listen closer and it's clear that Florence is a dynamic, adventurous saxophonist -- even when he played a standard like "Besame Mucho," he took it in unpredictable directions. On Remembering Jim Pepper, he embraces that maverick sprit and runs with it, resulting in a rich, satisfying album that works even for listeners unfamiliar with the subject of the tribute. Pepper was one of the leading lights of Native American jazz, and he fused hard bop with R&B and Native American folk music. Florence picks up on each strand on this terrific record, which was recorded live in concert at the Myrna Loy Theater in Helena, MT, on August 25, 1995. In the liner notes, Florence affirms a quotation from Pepper: "Improvisation... was not, for me, sitting in a row with ten other jokers playing the same thing. It was about expressing myself." That is the driving force on this record, and the entire band (drummer George Schuller, vocalist/alto saxophonist Nicole Kampgen, bassist/vocalist Ed Schuller, and guitarist Craig Hall) takes this attitude to heart. Amazingly, even when the music is at its densest -- and it can get quite complex -- it is never cluttered or overwhelming. In fact, it's inviting. Some listeners might find that the vocals and chants may take them out of the groove, but that's their loss, since it's part of a complex tapestry of sounds and styles that is a tribute not only to Pepper's musical aesthetic but to Florence's abilities as a musician and leader. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Location St. Ignatius, Montana - USA

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