The late Jim Pepper, the Native American saxophonist who died in 1992, still enjoys a considerable following in the US and Europe. Many remember his association with The Free Spirits, a very early jazz-rock group, who recorded ‘Witchi Tai-To’, his most famous song and one that incorporated elements of his Native American folkloric heritage. It was subsequently covered by a wide range of artists, including Harper’s Bizarre, Ralph Towner, Yes, Jan Garbarek and others and it’s even rumoured that there’s an unreleased version of the song by Motown’s supergroup The Supremes. In 1969, Pepper joined the band Everything Is Everything as saxophonist and lead singer, and their eponymously titled album also included the song. The album reached 69 on the Billboard album chart, marking the only time an authentic Native American chant positioned in the history of the Billboard pop charts. The tune appears on this 1988 session with two other Pepper originals, ‘Bamasso’ and ‘Caddo Revival’ that also feature his ‘American Indian Jazz’. Pepper’s playing had a warm lyricism and an easy melodicism that was widely admired at the time, and can be heard on the Paul Motian composition ‘Lullaby’. Pepper’s discography appearing under his own name only numbers some 11 albums, so this re-release is a welcome opportunity to engage with a musician who might not be so well known today, but is remembered fondly by jazz fans around the world. Indeed, six years after his death, Gunther Schuller arranged, conducted and recorded The Music of Jim Pepper for symphony orchestra and jazz band.