Pepper’s Pow Wow - smARTfilms: Syncopated Cinema Series

550 Winslow Way East,Bainbridge Island WA 98110

11 October, 2022

Description

In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, BIMA presents a captivating look at the life of Native American jazz saxophone pioneer Jim Pepper, the first widely recognized musician to fuse Native American music with jazz. The documentary soars with diverse musical highlights, including Pepper’s grandfather’s recording of the peyote chant “Witchi Tai To,” which Pepper developed into a crossover hit on both the jazz and Top 40 charts. Pepper’s life and music harmonized two distinct cultures, and serve as a poetic example for all indigenous people, “walking in two worlds with one spirit.” Produced and directed by local filmmakers Sandy Johnson Osawa (M’Kaw) and Yasu Osawa.