Art Pepper (September 1, 1925 - June 15, 1982) was an American jazz alto saxophonist. He began his musical career in the 1940s playing with Benny Carter and Stan Kenton. In the 1950s Pepper became one of the leading lights of West coast jazz, along with Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Shelly Manne, and others.
His light yet emotional tone and lyrical phrasing was one of a kind, and the leading voice of the the so-called West Coast jazz movement in the 1950s. His career was interrupted by recurring substance abuse problems but he made a comeback in the mid-1970s and recorded a series of highly acclaimed albums.