Jefferson Pepper
Encyclopedia
Jefferson Pepper is an American singer-songwriter
, musician
, recording artist and social/environmental activist. He lives in the Conewago Mountains, outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
, USA.
Pepper's music is a mix of Americana
, roots-rock, folk
, punk rock
, bluegrass
and alternative country (alt country). He is known for his use of narrative
in songs about working-class Americans, social issues and for his political protest songs. His songs and musical style have been compared to the work of other artists such as Woody Guthrie
, Bob Dylan
, Neil Young
, John Prine
, Steve Earle
and Billy Bragg
.
. His grandfathers were coal miners and farmers in Tower City, PA and his father was a production mechanic for the American Can Company in Lemoyne, PA. His family attended West Shore Baptist Church, where his mother sang in the choir. Pepper began guitar lessons at the age of twelve. By high school, he had developed an interest in painting. He went on to earn a degree in Fine Art from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, also spending a semester abroad at Crewe-Alsager College in Cheshire, England. During and after college he was involved with several garage bands which mostly played covers by artists such as The Clash
, Patti Smith
, Bruce Springsteen
, The Smiths
, U2
, Tom Petty
, The Grateful Dead
and Creedence Clearwater Revival
. His first original band, Strain (with Pepper as principal songwriter, vocalist and bassist, Duke Jeremiah on drums and John Fritchey on guitar), recorded a six-song demo, Shame, which was not released.
Musicians and special guests on Christmas in Fallujah included: Scott Fisher (Varmints in Heaven, J.C. Fisher) on drums, Joe Allison on fiddle and mandolin, Chris Planas (The Pagan Babies, Third Degree) on lap steel and electric guitar, Mike Argento and John Fritchey on electric guitar, Pat Bowman (Quagmire Swimteam) on keyboards, John Farmer (Bill Monroe
, Flatt and Scruggs, Del McCoury
) on dobro, Doctor Mo (Blind Joe Death) on bass and Ray Eicher on pedal steel. Jefferson Pepper provided all vocals and played acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin and percussion.
Christmas in Fallujah garnered many positive reviews and was widely played on American and European noncommercial and college radio, reaching #23 on the Freeform American Roots Chart in November, 2005, #13 on the Euro Americana Chart in December, 2005 and #1 on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart in January, 2006.
Two songs from the album, Christmas in Fallujah and M-16, were selected for inclusion on Neil Young's website Living With War.
Christmas in Fallujah was also selected as Best Album of the Decade (2000–2010) by music critic Malcolm Carter of Pennyblack Music (UK).
of southern Pennsylvania, sometimes going for weeks at a time without leaving the house. Disillusioned with the social, religious and political climate of the U.S., he became obsessed with the question "What has happened to my country?" He was inspired in part by Howard Zinn's
landmark book A People's History of the United States
and by the Dover Intelligent Design
Trial (Kitzmiller vs Dover School Board) which played out in his backyard of Dover, PA. The result was American Evolution, a 50-song, 3-CD series which traces the evolution of culture, society and music, as well as the evolution of the individual in America. Spanning over 500 years of history, Pepper tells the story of America as seen through the eyes of working people, as opposed to politicians and moneyed elites. The project was recorded at his home studio, The House of Beer Cans, at Stress Free Studios in Harrisburg, PA (by Marshall Deasy) and at Studio X, Smash Recording and Bull Creek Productions in Nashville, TN (by Tim Lorsch).
Musicians and special guests on American Evolution include: Scott Fisher (Varmints in Heaven), Marshall Deasy (Quagmire Swimteam) and Bryan Owings (Shelby Lynne
, Buddy Miller
, Delbert McClinton
, Justin Townes Earle
, Patty Griffin
, Solomon Burke
, Burrito Deluxe
) on drums, Joe Allison on fiddle and mandolin, Mike Argento (Varmints in Heaven), Chris Planas (The Pagan Babies, Third Degree), Jon Shain
, Scott Neubert (Hal Ketchum
, Trace Adkins
), Tom Manche and Kenny Geist (Case 150) on guitars, Tim May (Patty Loveless
, Charlie Daniels
, John Cowan
) on mandolin, dobro and banjo, Ray Eicher on pedal steel, Tim Lorsch (Kris Kristofferson
, Townes Van Zandt
, Lucinda Williams
, Sam Baker
, Kenny Chesney
, Mary Gauthier
, Rodney Crowell
) on fiddle, baritone violin, cello and violin, Fats Kaplin (Pure Prairie League
, Kane Welch Kaplin, Kristi Rose, Hayes Carll
, Nanci Griffith
, Jason Ringenberg
, The Waybacks
, Jorma Kaukonen
) on pedal steel and accordion, Deon Estus (Sting, Tina Turner
), Thom Bissey (Case 150), Dave Francis (Tom Paxton
, Pam Tillis
, Maura O'Connell
) and Rod Goelz on bass, Gene Rabbai (Willie Nelson
, Neil Young
) on keyboards, Randy Stewart on banjo, Bill Nork (Robert Bobby) on dobro and Bill Newton on harmonica. Jefferson Pepper played acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin, harmonica, keyboards and percussion.
American Evolution Volumes 1 and 2 were released in 2008. American Evolution Volume 1 (The Red Album), reached #9 on the Euro Americana Chart in February 2008 and American Evolution Volume 2 (The White Album), reached #11 on the Euro Americana Chart in June 2008. Volume 3 (The Blue Album), has not yet been released.
American Evolution was released to much critical acclaim. A few notable quotes include:
"Amazingly well-crafted..." The Belfast Telegraph (Northern Ireland)
"An impressive and thoughtful project..." Mike Davies, NetRhythms (UK)
"Jefferson's writing is excellent, thought-provoking and original...All considered, lyrically this could easily be one of the strongest CDs to be released [this year]." Cashbox Magazine (USA)
"10 out of 10." Tim Peacock, Whisperin and Hollerin (Ireland)
"One of the better lyricists of our present time." Eduardo Izquierdo, Sonicwave (Spain)
"As music projects go, Jefferson Pepper's latest set of releases is a magnificent achievement in concentrated yet voluminous output...If there is a record which will stand the test of time and encapsulate the uneasiness with which Americans live with their politics and religion, this should be it." Soundfires (UK)
Pepper is married to former York Daily Record reporter Lauri Lebo
(author of The Devil in Dover), who blogs about independent music releases at the American Fallout label.
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
, musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, recording artist and social/environmental activist. He lives in the Conewago Mountains, outside Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, USA.
Pepper's music is a mix of Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
, roots-rock, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
and alternative country (alt country). He is known for his use of narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
in songs about working-class Americans, social issues and for his political protest songs. His songs and musical style have been compared to the work of other artists such as Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie
Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, John Prine
John Prine
John Prine is an American country/folk singer-songwriter. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.-Biography:...
, Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
and Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Stephen William Bragg , better known as Billy Bragg, is an English alternative rock musician and left-wing activist. His music blends elements of folk music, punk rock and protest songs, and his lyrics mostly deal with political or romantic themes...
.
Origins and musical beginnings
Pepper grew up in a rural subdivision in Fairview Township, outside the small town of New Cumberland, PennsylvaniaNew Cumberland, Pennsylvania
New Cumberland is a municipality at the eastern tip of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. New Cumberland was incorporated as a borough on March 21, 1831. The population was 7,349 at the 2000 census...
. His grandfathers were coal miners and farmers in Tower City, PA and his father was a production mechanic for the American Can Company in Lemoyne, PA. His family attended West Shore Baptist Church, where his mother sang in the choir. Pepper began guitar lessons at the age of twelve. By high school, he had developed an interest in painting. He went on to earn a degree in Fine Art from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, also spending a semester abroad at Crewe-Alsager College in Cheshire, England. During and after college he was involved with several garage bands which mostly played covers by artists such as The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
, Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, The Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
and Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Creedence Clearwater Revival was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums....
. His first original band, Strain (with Pepper as principal songwriter, vocalist and bassist, Duke Jeremiah on drums and John Fritchey on guitar), recorded a six-song demo, Shame, which was not released.
Christmas in Fallujah
Pepper's debut solo album, Christmas in Fallujah, was released in October, 2005 on American Fallout Records. The title track was inspired by Pepper's 21 year-old neighbor, David Maples, who was a medic in the US Army stationed in Iraq. Pepper is reported to have taken out a second mortgage on his house to finance the recording, which was completed at Stress Free Studios in Harrisburg, PA with Marshall Deasy at the controls. The songs on Christmas in Fallujah include: Christmas in Fallujah, M-16, Bethlehem PA, Interstate Highway, Stranded, Back To 1999, Christmas Tree, Deceived, Soldier's Joy (traditional), Why?, Armageddon For Sale, This Land is Your Land (by Woody Guthrie), and two hidden tracks, Little Boy Falling and Plastic Illuminated Snowman.Musicians and special guests on Christmas in Fallujah included: Scott Fisher (Varmints in Heaven, J.C. Fisher) on drums, Joe Allison on fiddle and mandolin, Chris Planas (The Pagan Babies, Third Degree) on lap steel and electric guitar, Mike Argento and John Fritchey on electric guitar, Pat Bowman (Quagmire Swimteam) on keyboards, John Farmer (Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
, Flatt and Scruggs, Del McCoury
Del McCoury
Delano Floyd McCoury is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo respectively...
) on dobro, Doctor Mo (Blind Joe Death) on bass and Ray Eicher on pedal steel. Jefferson Pepper provided all vocals and played acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin and percussion.
Christmas in Fallujah garnered many positive reviews and was widely played on American and European noncommercial and college radio, reaching #23 on the Freeform American Roots Chart in November, 2005, #13 on the Euro Americana Chart in December, 2005 and #1 on the Roots Music Report Folk Radio Chart in January, 2006.
Two songs from the album, Christmas in Fallujah and M-16, were selected for inclusion on Neil Young's website Living With War.
Christmas in Fallujah was also selected as Best Album of the Decade (2000–2010) by music critic Malcolm Carter of Pennyblack Music (UK).
American Evolution
Pepper spent the winters of 2006 and 2007 holed up in his cedar-sided home studio in the Conewago MountainsConewago Mountains
The Conewago Mountains or Conewago Hills are a low range of mountains in northern York County, Pennsylvania. They run northeasterly across the county...
of southern Pennsylvania, sometimes going for weeks at a time without leaving the house. Disillusioned with the social, religious and political climate of the U.S., he became obsessed with the question "What has happened to my country?" He was inspired in part by Howard Zinn's
Howard Zinn
Howard Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
landmark book A People's History of the United States
A People's History of the United States
Chapter 7, "As Long As Grass Grows or Water Runs" discusses 19th century conflicts between the U.S. government and Native Americans and Indian removal, especially during the administrations of Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren....
and by the Dover Intelligent Design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
Trial (Kitzmiller vs Dover School Board) which played out in his backyard of Dover, PA. The result was American Evolution, a 50-song, 3-CD series which traces the evolution of culture, society and music, as well as the evolution of the individual in America. Spanning over 500 years of history, Pepper tells the story of America as seen through the eyes of working people, as opposed to politicians and moneyed elites. The project was recorded at his home studio, The House of Beer Cans, at Stress Free Studios in Harrisburg, PA (by Marshall Deasy) and at Studio X, Smash Recording and Bull Creek Productions in Nashville, TN (by Tim Lorsch).
Musicians and special guests on American Evolution include: Scott Fisher (Varmints in Heaven), Marshall Deasy (Quagmire Swimteam) and Bryan Owings (Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne
Shelby Lynne is an American singer, songwriter and actress. The success of the 1999 album I Am Shelby Lynne led to her winning the Grammy Award for Best New Artist, even though she had been active in the music industry for some time...
, Buddy Miller
Buddy Miller
Buddy Miller is a country singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist and producer, currently living in Nashville, Tennessee...
, Delbert McClinton
Delbert McClinton
Delbert McClinton is an American blues rock and electric blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, harmonica player, and pianist....
, Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle , son of Steve Earle, stepson of Allison Moorer, and named for songwriter Townes Van Zandt is an AMA winning, Americana musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. Earle is signed to Bloodshot Records and has four released albums from 2007–2010...
, Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin
Patty Griffin, born Patricia Jean Griffin, March 16, 1964, is an American Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter and musician. She is especially known for her down-home crafting of songs and her connection to musicians including Emmylou Harris, Ellis Paul, and the Dixie Chicks, who have played with...
, Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke
Solomon Burke was an American singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, mortician, and an archbishop of the United House of Prayer For All People. Burke was known as "King Solomon", the "King of Rock 'n' Soul", and as the "Bishop of Soul", and described as "the Muhammad Ali of soul", and as "the most...
, Burrito Deluxe
Burrito Deluxe
Burrito Deluxe is the second album by the country rock group The Flying Burrito Brothers, released in 1970. In between The Gilded Palace of Sin and Burrito Deluxe, the band underwent some personnel changes. Bassist Chris Ethridge left the band out of frustration at the band's lack of success...
) on drums, Joe Allison on fiddle and mandolin, Mike Argento (Varmints in Heaven), Chris Planas (The Pagan Babies, Third Degree), Jon Shain
Jon Shain
Jon Shain is an American folk musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter and recording artist. Since 1986, he has been based in Durham, North Carolina....
, Scott Neubert (Hal Ketchum
Hal Ketchum
Hal Michael Ketchum is an American country music artist. He has released ten studio albums since 1986, including nine for the Curb and Asylum-Curb labels. Ketchum's 1991 album Past the Point of Rescue is his most commercially successful, having been certified gold by the Recording Industry...
, Trace Adkins
Trace Adkins
Tracy Darrell "Trace" Adkins is an American country music artist. He made his debut in 1996 with the album Dreamin' Out Loud, released on Capitol Records Nashville. Since then, Adkins has released seven more studio albums and two Greatest Hits compilations...
), Tom Manche and Kenny Geist (Case 150) on guitars, Tim May (Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and...
, Charlie Daniels
Charlie Daniels
Charles Edward "Charlie" Daniels is an American musician known for his contributions to country and southern rock music. He is known primarily for his number one country hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", and multiple other songs he has performed and written. Daniels has been active as a singer...
, John Cowan
John Cowan
John Cowan is an American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival...
) on mandolin, dobro and banjo, Ray Eicher on pedal steel, Tim Lorsch (Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
, Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
, Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
, Sam Baker
Sam Baker
Samuel or Sam Baker may refer to:*Sam Baker, AKA Samiyam, music artist*Sam Baker , author and former editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine...
, Kenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney
Kenneth "Kenny" Arnold Chesney is an American country music singer and songwriter. Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S...
, Mary Gauthier
Mary Gauthier
Mary Gauthier is an American folk singer-songwriter.-Life and career:Gauthier was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Given up at birth by a mother she never knew, Gauthier was adopted by an Italian Catholic couple in Thibodaux, Louisiana...
, Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music....
) on fiddle, baritone violin, cello and violin, Fats Kaplin (Pure Prairie League
Pure Prairie League
Pure Prairie League, sometimes abbreviated PPL, is an American country-rock band whose roots began between 1964 and 1969 in Waverly, Ohio with Craig Fuller, George Powell, Tom McGrail, Jim Caughlan and John David Call. In 1970 McGrail named the band after a 19th century temperance union mentioned...
, Kane Welch Kaplin, Kristi Rose, Hayes Carll
Hayes Carll
Joshua Hayes Carll , known as Hayes Carll, is a Texas Country singer-songwriter from The Woodlands, Texas ....
, Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith
Nanci Griffith, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter from Austin, Texas.-Biography:...
, Jason Ringenberg
Jason Ringenberg
Jason Ringenberg is an American musician, and lead singer of Jason & the Scorchers. He is also a songwriter and guitarist....
, The Waybacks
The Waybacks
The Waybacks are an American four-piece band based in the San Francisco Bay area of California. Their style has been alternately described as Americana, Progressive bluegrass, rock-n-roll, folk, and acoustic mayhem...
, Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Kaukonen
Jorma Ludwik Kaukonen Jr. is an American blues, folk, and rock guitarist, best known for his work with Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna.-Biography:...
) on pedal steel and accordion, Deon Estus (Sting, Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
), Thom Bissey (Case 150), Dave Francis (Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
, Pam Tillis
Pam Tillis
Pamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis....
, Maura O'Connell
Maura O'Connell
Maura O'Connell is an Irish singer and actress. She is known for her contemporary interpretations of Irish folk songs, strongly influenced by American country music.-Background:...
) and Rod Goelz on bass, Gene Rabbai (Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
) on keyboards, Randy Stewart on banjo, Bill Nork (Robert Bobby) on dobro and Bill Newton on harmonica. Jefferson Pepper played acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin, harmonica, keyboards and percussion.
American Evolution Volumes 1 and 2 were released in 2008. American Evolution Volume 1 (The Red Album), reached #9 on the Euro Americana Chart in February 2008 and American Evolution Volume 2 (The White Album), reached #11 on the Euro Americana Chart in June 2008. Volume 3 (The Blue Album), has not yet been released.
American Evolution was released to much critical acclaim. A few notable quotes include:
"Amazingly well-crafted..." The Belfast Telegraph (Northern Ireland)
"An impressive and thoughtful project..." Mike Davies, NetRhythms (UK)
"Jefferson's writing is excellent, thought-provoking and original...All considered, lyrically this could easily be one of the strongest CDs to be released [this year]." Cashbox Magazine (USA)
"10 out of 10." Tim Peacock, Whisperin and Hollerin (Ireland)
"One of the better lyricists of our present time." Eduardo Izquierdo, Sonicwave (Spain)
"As music projects go, Jefferson Pepper's latest set of releases is a magnificent achievement in concentrated yet voluminous output...If there is a record which will stand the test of time and encapsulate the uneasiness with which Americans live with their politics and religion, this should be it." Soundfires (UK)
Globaltopia
In January 2010, Pepper launched Globaltopia.org, an interactive, educational website dealing with solutions for sustainable human societies. Topics such as global warming, peak oil, renewable energy, population control and environmental issues are discussed.Pepper is married to former York Daily Record reporter Lauri Lebo
Lauri Lebo
Lauri Lebo is an author, radio station owner and reporter from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Working for the York Daily Record, Lebo was the principal local reporter covering Kitzmiller v...
(author of The Devil in Dover), who blogs about independent music releases at the American Fallout label.
Discography
| PROJECT | YEAR | PROJECT TITLES AND SONGS |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | CHRISTMAS IN FALLUJAH 1. Christmas In Fallujah / 2. M-16 / 3. Bethlehem, PA / 4. Interstate Highway / 5. Stranded / 6. Back To 1999 / 7. Christmas Tree / 8. Deceived / 9. Soldier's Joy (Traditional) / 10. Why? / 11. Armageddon For Sale / 12. This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie) / 13. Little Boy Falling (Hidden Track) / 14. Plastic Illuminated Snowman (Hidden Track) |
|
| 2008 | AMERICAN EVOLUTION VOLUME 1 (THE RED ALBUM) 1. Can't Go Home / 2. Columbus Day / 3. The Sheep And The Goats / 4. Lewis And Clark Homecoming / 5. Trail Of Tears / 6. Can't Come Back / 7. Appomattox / 8. Rockefellers / 9. Only Survivor / 10. Riverbank Blues / 11. Dam In The River Of Life / 12. Fine Fine Day / 13. I Don't Wanna Be Alone / 14. Stranger In The Glass / 15. Paperback Romance / 16. Wood And Wire / 17. Primates Swingin' |
|
| 2008 | AMERICAN EVOLUTION VOLUME 2 (THE WHITE ALBUM) 1. On And On / 2. Civilized Savior/ 3. Real Good Time / 4. Disposable Me, Disposable You / 5. Collection Of Angels / 6. Break The Chain / 7. Good Morning Mrs. Stine / 8. Ben / 9. Land That I Love/ 10. The Ballad Of Betty Wulfrum / 11. Doin' It Right / 12. Crucify / 13. One Percent / 14. The Cryin' Land / 15. Coming Down / 16. Orphans Of Endorphins / 17. Another White Line |
|
| unreleased | AMERICAN EVOLUTION VOLUME 3 (THE BLUE ALBUM) 1. Open Up The Window (And Let Reality In) / 2. Broken Lullabies / 3. Daddy Needs A Little Help / 4. The Corporate Machine / 5. Preaching To The Choir / 6. 21 In The 21st Century / 7. Disney World View / 8. Freedom Ain't Free / 9. Bedford Village / 10. Government Things / 11. Famous For Being Famous / 12. Plasticville / 13. Dear Katrina/ 14. Dover Darlin' / 15. Noel / 16. Ten Mile Chunk Of Cosmic Garbage / 17. Talking 911 Terrorist Blues (Hidden Track) |