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Dave Peck

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dave Peck is recognized as an outstanding composer, arranger and pianist. He is known for his introspective style and rich harmonic coloring and has been described as “…a formidable musical voice, lyrical and insightful” and “…an absolute artist with a unique command of his instrument and the language of music”. Downbeat magazine says Peck’s playing is “lyrical and pastel, swinging and bluesy, with a ringing crystalline touch.” and Cadence Magazine says he “…can hang with the currently feted crop of young lions”.

Dave has appeared on Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland. Ms. McPartland said “Dave Peck is a pianist and composer who possesses great musicality, a sensitive touch and a lively sense of swing.” His performances and compositions have been heard on Jazz After Hours, National Public Radio's Jazz Alive, Jazz Journal, New Jazz Northwest, and Northwest Jazz on KPLU FM as well as VH1 and Canadian Broadcast Television. His music is featured internationally on terrestrial, satellite and internet jazz radio.

Peck’s award winning recordings on his own Let’s Play Stella label are all featured on the Jazz After Hours Best of the Year lists. Trio, 3 and 1 and Good Road have all won the Earshot Recording of the Year awards. In addition 3 and 1 was in the radio Top 10 and featured in the Cadence Magazine 2003 Writer's Poll. Earshot Jazz magazine calls it "An album of intense musical and emotional range, 3 and 1 is a monumental recording." Out of Seattle, which features Joe La Barbera and Jeff Johnson, was in the top 20 of the Jazzweek chart. Cadence says of this recording “Dave Peck’s trio can sweep you off your feet…” It made several “Best of the Year” lists including Top 10 Notable Jazz CD’s of 2002 on WBEZ Chicago. Good Road was a ‘WDET Detroit Highly Recommended New Jazz CDs of 2005’ and Dave and the trio were voted ‘Earshot Northwest Acoustic Jazz Ensemble of the Year’. JazzTimes said “Good Road is a find!”

From 1978 through 1996 Dave performed as a sideman, most notably, as pianist and composer for legendary saxophonist Bud Shank. Their collaboration from 1985-2000 led to the CD, Tales of the Pilot, Bud Shank plays the music of David Peck, released on Capri Records. Dave's compositions for Shank can also be heard on the Contemporary/Fantasy label on both Live at Jazz Alley and Tomorrow's Rainbow. And as pianist with Shank he can be heard on Live at Jazz Alley and The Lost Cathedral.

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100
Album Review

Dave Peck: Good Road

Read "Good Road" reviewed by Robert R. Calder


Especially for Musicians would be a great subtitle for this recording. It's easy to imagine a queue of saxophonists and other hornmen outside the Peck ranch demanding to play with him. On most tracks the guy's harmonic command and invention send him teetering on the edge of a completely new composition. The one tune of his own is of course an exception. His sometime partner Bud Shank elsewhere recorded a set of Peck originals.Possibly the least consistent track ...

157
Extended Analysis

Dave Peck: Good Road

Read "Dave Peck: Good Road" reviewed by Jason West


Dave Peck Good Road Let's Play Stella 2005

Extended intros and cadenzas, embellished harmonic signposts, hints of melodic foreshadowing, frenetic bursts of rhythmic energy, and pregnant moments of ballad magic drive Good Road to the edge of the proverbial cliff and blissfully over.Seattle pianist and composer Dave Peck has released five trio recordings in the past seven years on his Let's Play Stella record label: Trio (1998), The Piano (1999) and 3 ...

109
Album Review

Dave Peck: Out of Seattle

Read "Out of Seattle" reviewed by Jim Wilke


Dave Peck’s fourth CD Out of Seattle represents a slight shift in his approach. After two well-received trio albums ( Trio, 1998; 3 and 1, 2000) with longtime associates Chuck Deardorf and Dean Hodges, Peck chose to record this time with Jeff Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums – to “kick me into a different space,” he said. Nothing wrong with that, as Jeff and Joe are two of the best players in the kind of music Dave ...

135
Album Review

Dave Peck Trio: 3 in 1

Read "3 in 1" reviewed by Dave Nathan


One of the more enduring combinations of musical instrumental expression, whether it be for jazz or classical, is the piano trio. The great jazz pianists from Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum through Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson to Brad Mehldau and Keith Jarrett have used this vehicle to present their personal jazz expressions. With this offering, Seattle-based Dave Peck has made a legitimate claim to be admitted to this exalted company. On the jazz scene as a performer, arranger and ...

135
Album Review

Dave Peck: 3 and !

Read "3 and !" reviewed by Jason West


With3 and 1, pianist Dave Peck, acoustic bassist Chuck Deardorf and drummer Dean Hodges have combined to produce a musical work of art. Here is melody and harmony. Here is humor and sadness. Here technique and musicianship wed personality and communication. And here is improvisation – the heart of this music we call jazz –revealing Peck and company as one of the most sensitive, lyrical piano trios in the world to date.All tunes, 8 standards and one original, ...

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67

Education

Dave Peck Improv Clinic This Wednesday - Free!

Dave Peck Improv Clinic This Wednesday - Free!

Source: Seattle Jazz Scene

Pianist Dave Peck will be presenting a free improvisation clinic at The Seattle Drum School this Wednesday, October 27 at 7:30pm. The clinic will include discussions of the use of musical vocabulary in jazz improvisation, visualization as a learning technique for acquiring vocabulary and muscle memory, and theme and development in improvisation. Players of all melodic instruments are welcome. Peck will also be performing solo on Friday at The Chapel Performance Space. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 SEATTLE DRUM SCHOOL ...

162

Event

Dave Peck Birthday Bash at Tula's This Weekend

Dave Peck Birthday Bash at Tula's This Weekend

Source: Seattle Jazz Scene


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Performance / Tour

Dave Peck at Jazz Alley - Monday, June 14

Dave Peck at Jazz Alley - Monday, June 14

Source: Seattle Jazz Scene

MONDAY, JUNE 14, 7:30PM JAZZ ALLEY 2033 6th Avenue Seattle WA 98121 Reservations: 206-441-9729

Dave Peck - piano Jeff Johnson - bass Joe La Barbera - drums

Pacific Northwest pianist Dave Peck returns to Jazz Alley to debut his newest recording Modern Romance. Recorded live at Jazz Alley in the fall of 2007 this set of standard songs from the Great American Songbook continues the trios exploration into ...

107

Performance / Tour

Dave Peck at Tula's This Weekend

Dave Peck at Tula's This Weekend

Source: Seattle Jazz Scene


94

Recording

Pianist Dave Peck Debuts Second Trio Recording, 'Good Road'

Pianist Dave Peck Debuts Second Trio Recording, 'Good Road'

Source: All About Jazz

PIANIST DAVE PECK DEBUTS SECOND TRIO RECORDING, 'GOOD ROAD,' FEATURING BASSIST JEFF JOHNSON AND DRUMMER JOE LA BARBERA

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Dave Peck is recognized as an outstanding composer, arranger and pianist and is known for his introspective style and rich harmonic coloring. Born in Tacoma, Washington in 1954, his father was a professional choir director and his mother was a singer who also played the trumpet. Playing trumpet and piano in high school, trumpet was Peck's ...

An Evil Clown And A Leap Of Faith by Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz "The core collective under Evil Clown is Leap of Faith, which when expanded to the Leap of Faith Orchestra includes players from Metal Chaos Ensemble, String Theory, Turbulence and Mekaniks. The common denominators in these collectives is the presence of PEK in each, and a completely unorthodox approach to creative improvisation. An unfamiliar listener, dropping into an Evil Clown recording may find themselves submerged in world of musical anarchy but there is a hidden order behind the apparent mayhem...."

On Leap of Faith Orchestra - Possible Universes... The highly capable improvisers engaged by PEK are participating in the composer's unique method of Frame Notation… Along with strings and three basses, a large assortment of percussion instruments, and two tubas, the orchestra utilizes an assortment of non-conventional devices such as bullroarers, claves, flex-a-tones, slide whistles, wind sirens, crank sirens, bells, Tibetan bowls, ratchets and a tube-o- phone… Possible Universes works in a surprisingly paradoxical way, allowing structure and freedom to coexist, while constantly challenging the ear. It's not quite like anything else. - Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Modern Romance

Let's Play Stella Records
2010

buy

Good Road

Let's Play Stella
2005

buy

Out of Seattle

Let's Play Stella
2002

buy

3 in 1

Let's Play Stella
2000

buy

Trio

Let's Play Stella
1998

buy

Solo

Let's Play Stella
1996

buy

Videos

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