Peter Ind

This British bass player has been a professional musician since he was in his early twenties, and literally played his way over to the United States by working on the house band (or should we say ship band) on the Queen Mary for three years, beginning in 1949 before finally settling in New York City in 1951. From this new home base, Peter Ind taught music as well as performing and recording with pianist and composer Lennie Tristano and Tristano disciple, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, with whom Ind worked regularly between 1954-1957. Being associated with Tristano and the musicians who played with him meant a certain style of playing, sometimes described as "cool." These players created quite elaborate melodies, their improvisations sometimes influenced as much by Bach as by "Bird" jazz giant Charlie Parker. A bassist in one of these groups had to develop a very even approach, had to keep time perfectly without any kind of hysterical showmanship, and had to understand how to create an inventively moving harmonic bottom for the many variations, substitutions, and permutations of the chord changes the soloists would come up with. Ind has not totally stuck to this style of playing, however. He performed with a gentleman from the extreme opposite musical conception, drummer and bandleader Buddy Rich, perhaps the greatest jazz showman to ever live. He also performed and recorded with hard bop players such as tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin or the dark-hued, brooding pianist Mal Waldron. Once again in great contrast, this time to Waldron, Ind also recorded an album with guitarist Slim Gaillard, who doesn't seem to be able to play it straight for a minute.

More Peter Ind

Discography