Jim Pepper

Jim Pepper was a trailblazing Native American jazz saxophonist and composer, best known for blending traditional Indigenous music with contemporary jazz and rock. A member of the Kaw Nation and of Muscogee heritage, Pepper gained recognition in the late 1960s as a member of the band The Free Spirits and later with his group Everything Is Everything, with whom he recorded the groundbreaking track “Witchi Tai To.” Based on a Native peyote chant taught to him by his grandfather, the song became a crossover hit and remains his most well-known work.

Throughout his career, Jim Pepper collaborated with major names in jazz like Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman, incorporating elements of Native music into jazz improvisation to create a sound that was distinctly his own. With albums like "Pepper's Pow Wow" and "Comin’ and Goin’," he pushed musical boundaries while honoring his cultural roots. Pepper's innovative fusion and dedication to his heritage have left a lasting mark on both jazz and Indigenous music communities.