Gary Peacock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gary Peacock
Peacock performing in July 2003
Background information
Birth name	Gary George Peacock
Born	(1935-05-12)May 12, 1935 Burley, Idaho, U.S.
Died	September 4, 2020(2020-09-04) (aged 85) Olivebridge, New York, U.S.
Genres	Jazz, avant-garde jazz, free jazz
Occupation(s)	Musician, composer, educator
Instruments	Double bass
Years active	1956–2020
Associated acts	Paul Bley, Albert Ayler, Masabumi Kikuchi, Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Paul Motian, Marc Copland

Gary George Peacock (born May 12, 1935 – died September 4, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist. He played a big upright bass, which is a key instrument in jazz music. Gary recorded many albums on his own. He also played and recorded with some of the most important jazz musicians. These included saxophonist Albert Ayler and pianists Bill Evans, Paul Bley, and Marilyn Crispell.

Gary was also a very important part of Keith Jarrett’s famous “Standards Trio.” In this trio, he played with pianist Keith Jarrett and drummer Jack DeJohnette. This group played together for over thirty years and made more than twenty albums! Jack DeJohnette admired Gary’s "sound" and "buoyancy," which means his playing felt light and lively. Marilyn Crispell called Gary a "sensitive musician" with a great sense of harmony.

Early life

Gary Peacock was born in Burley, Idaho, on May 12, 1935. His dad helped grocery stores with their business, and his mom took care of their home. Gary grew up in Yakima, Washington. He went to Yakima Senior High School there.

When he was younger, Gary played the piano, trumpet, and drums. When he was 15, he heard live jazz music for the first time. He went to a concert that featured famous musicians like Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown. This experience changed his life. Gary said that while playing drums for his class, he felt like the music was playing him, not the other way around. He knew then that music was the path he needed to follow.

After high school in 1953, Gary went to the Westlake School of Music in Los Angeles. But then he was drafted into the Army. While he was stationed in Germany, he played piano in a jazz trio. One day, the group's bass player left. Gary was asked to switch to bass, even though he didn't want to at first. He said he "just sort of figured it out." He learned very quickly because there weren't many bass players around. This meant he got to play with many different musicians. Gary felt that the bass "felt natural" to him.

Career

After leaving the Army in 1956, Gary stayed in Germany for a while. He played with many musicians there before returning to Los Angeles. He had a scholarship offer for a music school, but it closed down. So, he had to start finding music jobs right away.

In Los Angeles, Gary became a well-known bass player. He was influenced by other great bassists like Paul Chambers and Scott LaFaro. He started recording with musicians like Don Ellis and Clare Fischer. He also began playing with pianist Paul Bley. They would go on to record nine albums together.

Gary moved to New York in 1962. There, he played with Paul Bley and other jazz legends. He joined Bill Evans' trio, which included drummer Paul Motian. They recorded the album Trio 64 in 1963. Gary loved Bill Evans' sense of harmony, saying it made melodies beautiful. In 1964, Gary also played briefly with Miles Davis' famous quintet. He learned a lot from Miles Davis, who paid attention to every detail in the music.

Later in 1964, Gary joined Albert Ayler's trio. They toured and recorded, including the important album Spiritual Unity. Gary continued to record with many artists until the late 1960s. At this time, he had some health problems. He decided to take a break from music.

He became interested in macrobiotics and Eastern philosophies. He moved to Japan for two and a half years to study the language, history, and philosophy. He said that studying Japanese helped him feel a "sense of spaciousness."

By 1970, Gary started playing music again while still in Japan. He recorded albums like Eastward and Voices. In 1972, he came back to the United States. He studied biology at the University of Washington and graduated in 1976.

He started playing with Paul Bley again. In 1977, he recorded Tales of Another with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette. This group later became known as the Standards Trio. They focused on playing classic jazz songs, called "standards." This trio became one of the most famous jazz groups. Gary also recorded December Poems, which included solo bass pieces. From 1979 to 1983, he taught music at the Cornish School of the Arts.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Gary released many albums under his own name. He also toured a lot with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette. He played in another trio called Tethered Moon with Masabumi Kikuchi and Paul Motian. In later years, he continued to play and record with his trios and other musicians like Marilyn Crispell and Bill Frisell.

Death

Gary Peacock passed away on September 4, 2020, at his home in Upstate New York. He was 85 years old. The cause of his death was not shared.

Attitude toward music

Gary Peacock had a special way of thinking about music. He once said that it's good to always feel like a "beginner." This means always being open to learning new things. He also believed it was important to be fully present when playing. He said that realizing life has no guarantees helped him focus deeply on his music.

Discography

Gary Peacock recorded many albums as a leader and with other musicians.

As leader

• Eastward (CBS/Sony, 1970)
• Voices (CBS/Sony, 1971)
• Tales of Another (ECM, 1977) with Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette
• December Poems (ECM, 1978)
• Shift in the Wind (ECM, 1980)
• Voice from the Past – Paradigm (ECM, 1982)
• Guamba (ECM, 1987)
• Oracle (ECM, 1993)
• Just So Happens (Postcards, 1994)
• A Closer View (ECM, 1998)
• Now This (ECM, 2015)
• Tangents (ECM, 2017)

As a member

Tethered Moon This was a trio with Masabumi Kikuchi and Paul Motian.

• First Meeting (Winter & Winter, 1997)
• Tethered Moon (King/Paddle Wheel, 1992)
• Triangle (King/Paddle Wheel, 1993)
• Tethered Moon Play Kurt Weill (JMT, 1995)
• Chansons d’Édith Piaf (Winter & Winter, 1999)
• Experiencing Tosca (Winter & Winter, 2004)

As sideman

With Albert Ayler

• Spiritual Unity (ESP-Disk, 1965) and many others.

With Paul Bley

• Paul Bley with Gary Peacock (ECM, 1970) and many others.

With Marc Copland

• My Foolish Heart (Jazz City, 1988) and many others.

With Marilyn Crispell

• Nothing Ever Was, Anyway: Music of Annette Peacock (ECM, 1997) and others.

With Keith Jarrett

• Standards, Vol. 1 (ECM, 1983)
• Standards, Vol. 2 (ECM, 1983)
• Changes (ECM, 1984)
• Standards Live (ECM, 1986)
• Still Live (ECM, 1989)
• Changeless (ECM, 1989)
• Tribute (ECM, 1990)
• The Cure (ECM, 1991)
• Bye Bye Blackbird (ECM, 1993)
• At the Deer Head Inn (ECM, 1994)
• Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note (ECM, 1995)
• Tokyo '96 (ECM, 1998)
• Whisper Not (ECM, 2000)
• Inside Out (ECM, 2001)
• Always Let Me Go (ECM, 2002)
• Up for It (ECM, 2003)
• The Out-of-Towners (ECM, 2004)
• My Foolish Heart (ECM, 2007)
• Yesterdays (ECM, 2009)
• Somewhere (ECM, 2013)
• After the Fall (ECM, 2018)

With Tony Williams

• Life Time (Blue Note, 1964)
• Spring (Blue Note, 1966)

With others

• Bill Evans, Trio 64 (Verve, 1963)
• Don Ellis, Essence (Pacific Jazz, 1962)
• Chick Corea, Live In Montreux (GRP, 1981)

Filmography

Gary Peacock also contributed to films and television.

Film

Composer

Performer

Soundtrack

Television

Performer

See also

In Spanish: Gary Peacock para niños