[NewMusic] Peacock: A baboon's ass?

[Phillip Greenlief]

----Original Message-----
On Behalf Of George Cremaschi
Subject: Re: [NewMusic] Peacock: A baboon's ass?

Gary Peacock? I'd rather discuss how he hasn't even
remotely followed up on the incredible promise of his
fantastic playing with Albert Ayler in 1964 - playing
that was as radical a step forward on his instrument
as was Ayler's and Sonny Murray's in their still-frightening
trio. Music that has blown away almost everyone who has
tried to emulate it. Music that continues to make most
post-jazz improv I hear sound puerile in comparison. Peacock's
career has been a forty-year slide into complete irrelevancy.

-George

PG:
I'm not sure I'm total agreement with you, but I get your point. Yes,
that trio with Ayler and Murray is a one-of-a-kind thing - unlikely that
anything like that is going to come along again and totally shake up the
troops. Although I highly admire that group and its music, I'm not sure
Peacock of all people can be held "responsible" for the group sound. He
never would have played that way had it not been for Albert out front
leading the pack as only he could.

I'm in agreement with Damon that he also did excellent work with Paul
Bley, and that recording Not One, Two is an excellent piano trio. 

For my money, one of his greatest achievements is the ECM recording,
Mister Major (I think that's what it was called)...it was Peacock's date
as a leader. It's the same trio with Jarrett and DeJohnette, but it's a
totally different approach - Jarrett is playing inside the piano about
half the time and when he isn't, it's a lot of texture and color stuff;
he was also laying out a lot. There's nothing remotely "standard(s)"
about it. As much as I like some of those "standards" recordings (or
used to - it's been years since I listened to one of those discs), I
always thought Peacock sounds out of tune and the tone of his bass is
pretty thin on a lot of those recordings...personally, I'd much rather
hear Mark Helias play "jazz" any day of the week. 

When Peacock was sick and couldn't play SFJazz with Marilyn Crispell and
Paul Motion a few years back, I was initially disappointed that I wasn't
going to get to hear the "original" trio - but Mark Helias was on the
gig and he really sounded great with that band - better than those
recordings that have Peacock on them.