Born: February 16, 1945 Primary Instrument: Saxophone
From the 1970s through the 1990s, the sound of Pete’s tenor could be heard on television and motion picture sound tracks and recordings. The son of a famous bassoon player, Don Christlieb, Pete began his musical journey on the violin at age 7. At 12, he was introduced to the sounds of jazz through the recordings of Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis and Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley. The violin was replaced by the tenor sax, but not without opposition. At 17, Pete enrolled in the Greyhound school of music through his association with the bands of Si Zentner, Woody Herman, Louis Bellson and even a short but delightful stint with Count Basie.
Today he can be heard with his own recently formed 10 piece group, The Tall and Small Band, with his own quartet, and with the Bill Holman Orchestra, both live and on CD. Electing to follow in his father’s footsteps as a studio musician, Pete has played in the wind section on the Star Trek shows, and has had featured solos on CDs like Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable.”
During this long career, Pete has maintained a healthy interest in drag racing and is the proud owner of two national championships for Blown Alcohol Dragsters. Some people will do anything to avoid practicing the clarinet!
