Ryan Davis on Jim Pepper – Pepper’s Pow Wow

A while back, I’d have said that if you were a regular with RSTB, then Ryan Davis’ name should be familiar. Given the year he’s had, though, if you’re unfamiliar with Ryan now, you’re just not paying attention. A long overdue acclaim has come to Davis’ latest album with the Roadhouse Band, his assembled stable of Kentucky killers, many of which also double as Equipment Pointed Ankh. The new record was a reaffirmation of his work over the years no only solo, but with State Champion and as the head of the vaunted Sophomore Lounge. Davis upended the expectations of Americana and created a record that resonated with a wide range of lost souls this year. It almost seems impossible, but I’ve never had Ryan in the Hidden Gems hotseat, but here we are to rectify that. Read below as Davis goes deep on the debut solo album from Jim Pepper.

“A record that I’ve long cherished as a hidden gem, though I’m not even sure how hidden it is at this point,” muses Davis, “is Pepper’s Pow Wow by Native American (of Kaw & Creek Nations, to be exact) saxophonist and composer Jim Pepper.”

“I couldn’t tell you for 100% certain where I first crossed paths with this record, but I know it was around 2007-2008 and, if I’m not mistaken, I’m pretty sure I learned of Pepper from an issue of Steve Krakow’s Galactic Zoo Dossier magazine — which, if you’re unfamiliar, is a hidden gem of a publication itself, with a deep array of hand-written, hand-illustrated artist profiles and interviews stemming largely from underloved psychedelic rock/soul/jazz universes of yesteryear.

The record appealed to me at the time when I found it because I was just starting to have some initial interest in jazz, but was already very much immersed in early ’70s songwriter music, especially of the more idiosyncratic “outsider” nature. This record marries those sounds with an incredibly natural ease and surprisingly ear-wormy charm. And while Pepper comes from a more true “fusion” background, having started his career with jazz-rock outfit The Free Spirits upon moving to NYC from Oklahoma in the early ’60s, Pepper’s Pow Wow is not really a fusion record so much as it is a folk record made by jazz musicians (including but not limited to Ornette Coleman — who first encouraged Pepper to embrace his Native roots through the music he was playing, and Don Cherry — who would soon do his own renditions of Pepper’s “Witchi-Tai-To” by way of his Organic Music Theatre performances around that same time.”

“The whole album is amazing, “notes Davis, “but I’d guess “Witchi Tai To” is probably Pepper’s most well known song (derived initially from ancient peyote chants). Again, if I’m remembering correctly, I was playing this record in the van on a solo tour I did with my friend Dominic Cipolla (The Phantom Family Halo) 15 years ago or so, and he became obsessed with it as well. Shortly after that tour, Dominic hit the road with the Bonnie “Prince” Billy band, shared the record with Will who ALSO became quickly enamored with it, and there soon began a PFH/BPB super-jam of “Witchi Tai To” performed at some of the shows on that tour. My old band State Champion would cover “Newly-Weds Song” in those days as well, which is one of the more “straight” rock (ie less Native American/jazz-influenced) tunes on the album.”

“For those of you who are interested in Jim Pepper’s legacy beyond just checking out the music on this record, which I obviously could not encourage more, there’s also a documentary from the mid ’90s, I believe of the same name (Pepper’s Pow Wow) by Sandra Osawa, from whom I was eventually able to hunt down a copy of the DVD after some insistent digging. The film combines biographical information with some really touching, inspiring, personal moments and goes fairly deep into Pepper’s truly unique life and approach to composition, collaboration, education and beyond.”

Truly the gem that Ryan makes it out to be, Pepper’s album is somewhat accessible as long as you’re flexible on formats. The original LP and a few ‘70s reissues can be had without totally breaking the bank, but a CD reissue from 2021 on Wounded Bird makes this less of a scavenger hunt than it’s been in the past. Worth your time no matter where you track it down, as is Ryan Davis and The Roadhouse Band’s latest fried Americana opus. Pick ‘em both up for a perfect pairing.

Support the artist. Buy it HERE.