Gary Peacock

Career

After being discharged from the Army in 1956, He recalled: "I had a standing invitation for a scholarship at Westlake College of Music. So I went to the school. They said, 'Great. Unfortunately, the school is closing.' So I had to start looking for gigs right away. That ended my scholarly education." He soon established himself as a bass player, participating in sessions with Barney Kessel and Art Pepper,

In 1962, Peacock moved to New York, Peacock recalled that Evans' "sense of harmony was exquisite... The harmonies, and the way that he would voice the harmonies, made a melody not only believable but [so] you wanted to fall in love with it. And because he played low, whatever the bass played, it could be heard; be an integral part of the music." Reflecting on his time with Davis, he stated:

Miles probably said one of the most brilliant, useful, and necessary comments I've ever heard. Somebody was recording with him, and Miles looked at him and said, "What I want to hear is what you don't know." That is really the key: not playing what you know, playing what you don't know. To do that, you have to get very quiet inside, listen, and surrender to whatever that particular musical setting is. So it doesn't make any difference whether I'm playing standards or free stuff, because you're giving up any kind of fixed positions or attitudes you may have about what it should or shouldn't be. And to do that, you have to be vulnerable, to be in a place where you realize that what you're after, you cannot know. It's not conceivable. But it's there. It's the muse. So it's kind of a switch from the self playing the muse to the muse playing the self.

Peacock continued to record with Bley, Williams (Spring, which also featured Herbie Hancock, Sam Rivers, and Wayne Shorter), and others until the late 1960s, when he began experiencing health problems. with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette; together, they would later become known as the Standards Trio due to their focus on jazz standards. This was followed by December Poems, which features four solo bass pieces and two duets with saxophonist Jan Garbarek. From 1977 to 1983, Peacock also taught at the Cornish School of the Arts.

The following decades saw Peacock continuing to play and record in the existing trio contexts, as well as with Marilyn Crispell, Lee Konitz, and Bill Frisell, and with a new trio featuring Marc Copland and Joey Baron.

As leader Eastward (CBS/Sony, 1970) with Masabumi Kikuchi, Hiroshi Murakami Voices (CBS/Sony, 1971) with Masabumi Kikuchi, Hiroshi Murakami, Masahiko Togashi Tales of Another (ECM, 1977) with Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette December Poems (ECM, 1978) with Jan Garbarek Shift in the Wind (ECM, 1980) with Art Lande, Eliot Zigmund Voice from the Past – Paradigm (ECM, 1982) with Tomasz Stanko, Jan Garbarek, Jack DeJohnette – rec. 1981 Guamba (ECM, 1987) with Palle Mikkelborg, Jan Garbarek, Peter Erskine Oracle (ECM, 1993) with Ralph Towner Just So Happens (Postcards, 1994) with Bill Frisell A Closer View (ECM, 1998) with Ralph Towner – rec. 1995 Now This (ECM, 2015) with Marc Copland, Joey Baron Tangents (ECM, 2017) with Marc Copland, Joey Baron

As a member Tethered Moon Trio with Masabumi Kikuchi and Paul Motian First Meeting (Winter & Winter, 1997) – rec. 1990-1991 Tethered Moon (King/Paddle Wheel, 1992) Triangle (King/Paddle Wheel, 1993) Tethered Moon Play Kurt Weill (JMT, 1995) – reissued on (Winter & Winter, 2005) Chansons d'Édith Piaf (Winter & Winter, 1999) Experiencing Tosca (Winter & Winter, 2004)

As sideman With Albert Ayler Ghosts (Debut, 1965) – rec. 1964 New York Eye and Ear Control (ESP-Disk, 1965) – rec. 1964 Spiritual Unity (ESP-Disk, 1965) Spirits Rejoice (ESP-Disk, 1965) Prophecy (ESP-Disk, 1975) – rec. 1964 The Hilversum Session (Osmosis, 1980) – rec. 1964 Albert Smiles With Sunny (InRespect, 1996) – rec. 1964 The Copenhagen Tapes (Ayler, 2002) – rec. 1964 Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings (1962–70) (Revenant, 2004) – compilation

With Paul Bley Mr. Joy (Limelight, 1968) Paul Bley with Gary Peacock (ECM, 1970) – rec. 1964, 1968 Ballads (ECM, 1971) – rec. 1967 Turning Point (Improvising Artists, 1975) – rec. 1964, 1968 Virtuosi (Improvising Artists, 1976) – rec. 1967. also with Barry Altschul. Japan Suite (Improvising Artists, 1977) – live rec. 1976 Partners (Owl, 1991) – rec. 1989 In the Evenings out There (ECM, 1993) – rec. 1991 Annette (Hat ART, 1993) – rec. 1992 Not Two, Not One (ECM, 1999) – rec. 1998

With Marc Copland My Foolish Heart (Jazz City, 1988) with John Abercrombie, Jeff Hirshfield All Blues at Night (Jazz City, 1989) with Tim Hagans, Bill Stewart At Night (album)|At Night (Sunnyside, 1992) with Billy Hart Paradiso (Soul Note, 1995) with Billy Hart Softly (1998 album)|Softly (Savoy, 1998) with Mike Brecker, Tim Hagans, Joe Lovano, Bill Stewart What It Says (Sketch, 2004) Modinha - New York Trio Recordings Vol. 1 (Pirouet, 2006) trio with Bill Stewart Voices - New York Trio Recordings Vol. 2 (Pirouet, 2007) trio with Paul Motian Insight (Pirouet, 2009)

With Marilyn Crispell Nothing Ever Was, Anyway: Music of Annette Peacock (ECM, 1997) – rec. 1996 Amaryllis (ECM, 2001) – rec. 2000 Azure (ECM, 2013) – rec. 2011 In Motion (Intakt, 2016) – rec. 2014

With Clare Fischer First Time Out (Pacific Jazz, 1962) Surging Ahead (Pacific Jazz, 1962)

With Toninho Horta Once I Loved (Verve, 1992) From Ton To Tom (VideoArts Music, 1998)

With Keith Jarrett Standards, Vol. 1 (ECM, 1983) Standards, Vol. 2 (ECM, 1983) Changes (ECM, 1984) – rec. 1983 Standards Live (ECM, 1986) – rec. 1985 Still Live (ECM, 1989) – rec. 1986 Changeless (ECM, 1989) – rec. 1987 Tribute (ECM, 1990) – rec. 1989 The Cure (ECM, 1991) – rec. 1990 Bye Bye Blackbird (ECM, 1993) – rec. 1991 At the Deer Head Inn (ECM, 1994) – rec. 1992 Standards in Norway (ECM, 1995) – rec. 1989 Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note (ECM, 1995) – rec. 1994 Tokyo '96 (ECM, 1998) – rec. 1996 Whisper Not (ECM, 2000) – rec. 1999 Inside Out (ECM, 2001) – rec. 2000 Always Let Me Go (ECM, 2002) – rec. 2001 Up for It (ECM, 2003) – rec. 2002 The Out-of-Towners (ECM, 2004) – rec. 2001 My Foolish Heart (ECM, 2007) – rec. 2001 Yesterdays (ECM, 2009) – rec. 2001 Somewhere (ECM, 2013) – rec. 2009 After the Fall (ECM, 2018) – rec. 1998 The Old Country (More From The Deer Head Inn) (ECM, 2024) - rec. 1992

With Robert Kaddouch 53rd Street (Odradek, 2016) High Line (Odradek, 2016)

With Bud Shank Holiday in Brazil (World Pacific, 1958) Latin Contrasts (World Pacific, 1958) Slippery When Wet (World Pacific, 1959) New Groove (Pacific Jazz, 1961) Barefoot Adventure (Pacific Jazz, 1961)

With Tony Williams Life Time (Blue Note, 1965) – rec. 1964 Spring (Blue Note, 1966) – rec. 1965

With others Franck Amsallem, Out a Day (OMD, 1990) –also with Bill Stewart Bill Carrothers, Home Row (Pirouet) – also with Bill Carrothers, Bill Stewart Chick Corea, Live In Montreux (GRP, 1981) – also with Joe Henderson and Roy Haynes Lowell Davidson, Lowell Davidson Trio (ESP-Disk, 1965) Don Ellis, Essence (Pacific Jazz, 1962) Bill Evans, Trio 64 (Verve, 1964) Barney Kessel, Barney Kessel's Swingin' Party (Contemporary, 1963) Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons, The Cry! (Contemporary, 1962) Misha Mengelberg, Driekusman Total Loss (VaraJazz (Netherlands), 1981) Don Pullen, New Beginnings (Blue Note, 1988) Ravi Shankar, Improvisations (World Pacific, 1962) John Surman, Adventure Playground (ECM, 1991) Ralph Towner, City of Eyes (ECM, 1988) Mal Waldron, First Encounter (RCA Victor (Japan), 1971) Jimmy Woods, Awakening!! (Contemporary, 1962) Hōzan Yamamoto, Ginkai (Philips, Nihon Phonogram, 1971) – also with Masabumi Kikuchi

Filmography Film Composer Year Title Credit Notes 1961 Toys on a Field of Blue composer short film 1964 New York Eye and Ear Control musician surfing documentary 1985 Keith Jarrett: Standards himself (bass guitar) direct-to-video documentary 2020 ECM50 – 2015 Gary Peacock himself episode in 50-part documentary series on ECM Records

Soundtrack Year Title Credit Notes 2001 Mostly Martha "Never Let Me Go" & "U Dance" performed by: (credited w/Keith Jarrett & Jack DeJohnette) soundtrack

Television Performer Year Title Credit Notes 1962 Frankly Jazz himself (musician: bass) (TV series) original air date: November 10, 1962