Dave Pike
Encyclopedia
David Samuel Pike is a jazz vibraphone
player. He learned drums at the age of eight and is self-taught on vibes. He has also played marimba
, particularly with Herbie Mann
. Lionel Hampton
, Milt Jackson
, and Cal Tjader
were early inspirations for him.
Pike made his recording debut with the Paul Bley
Quartet in 1958. He began putting an amplifier on his vibes when working with flautist Herbie Mann in the early 1960s.. There are several other works he did inspired by Brazilian jazz
, Latin jazz, or world music
.
By the late 1960s, Pike's music became more exploratory, contributing a unique voice and new contexts that pushed the envelope in times remembered for their exploratory nature. "Doors of Perception", released in 1970 for the Atlantic Records
subsidiary Vortex Records and produced by former boss Herbie Mann, explored ballads, modal territory, musique concrète
, with free
and lyrical improvisation, and included musicians like alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, bassist Chuck Israels (of Bill Evans and Ornette Coleman fame) and pianist Don Friedman
whose artistry was up to the task of finding new spaces in the jazz idiom.
Pike's move to Europe and tenure at MPS/Saba records produced some of the most original jazz of the period. With the collaboration of Volker Kriegel
(guitar), J. A. Rettenbacher (acoustic and electric bass), and Peter Baumeister (drums), he formed the Dave Pike Set. The group recorded six records from 1969-1972 that ran the gamut from funky grooves to free, textural territory. The group, though short-lived, created a unique identity and textural palette. Kriegel's compositional and instrumental (playing acoustic, classical, and electric guitar as well as sitar) contributions to the group helped set the Dave Pike Set's sound apart, organically incorporating influences from jazz, soul jazz, psychedelia, avant-garde music, and world (Indian, Brazilian, Latin and Middle Eastern sounds) music.
Vibraphone
The vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
player. He learned drums at the age of eight and is self-taught on vibes. He has also played marimba
Marimba
The marimba is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It consists of a set of wooden keys or bars with resonators. The bars are struck with mallets to produce musical tones. The keys are arranged as those of a piano, with the accidentals raised vertically and overlapping the natural keys ...
, particularly with Herbie Mann
Herbie Mann
Herbert Jay Solomon , better known as Herbie Mann, was a Jewish American jazz flutist and important early practitioner of world music...
. Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
, Milt Jackson
Milt Jackson
Milton "Bags" Jackson was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms...
, and Cal Tjader
Cal Tjader
Callen Radcliffe Tjader, Jr. a.k.a. Cal Tjader was a Latin jazz musician, though he also explored various other jazz idioms. Unlike other American jazz musicians who experimented with the music from Cuba, the Caribbean, and Latin America, he never abandoned it, performing it until his...
were early inspirations for him.
Pike made his recording debut with the Paul Bley
Paul Bley
Paul Bley, CM is a pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing.-Biography:...
Quartet in 1958. He began putting an amplifier on his vibes when working with flautist Herbie Mann in the early 1960s.. There are several other works he did inspired by Brazilian jazz
Brazilian jazz
Brazilian Jazz may refer to:*Bossa nova*Samba jazz like Zimbo Trio and other Bossa Nova and samba influenced jazz bands.*Brazilian influenced forms of Jazz fusion....
, Latin jazz, or world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
.
By the late 1960s, Pike's music became more exploratory, contributing a unique voice and new contexts that pushed the envelope in times remembered for their exploratory nature. "Doors of Perception", released in 1970 for the Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
subsidiary Vortex Records and produced by former boss Herbie Mann, explored ballads, modal territory, musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
, with free
Free jazz
Free jazz is an approach to jazz music that was first developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the music produced by free jazz pioneers varied widely, the common feature was a dissatisfaction with the limitations of bebop, hard bop, and modal jazz, which had developed in the 1940s and 1950s...
and lyrical improvisation, and included musicians like alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, bassist Chuck Israels (of Bill Evans and Ornette Coleman fame) and pianist Don Friedman
Don Friedman
Donald Ernest Friedman , better known as Don Friedman, is a jazz pianist. On the West Coast, he performed with Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker, Buddy DeFranco and Ornette Coleman, among others, before moving to New York...
whose artistry was up to the task of finding new spaces in the jazz idiom.
Pike's move to Europe and tenure at MPS/Saba records produced some of the most original jazz of the period. With the collaboration of Volker Kriegel
Volker Kriegel
Volker Kriegel was a German jazz guitarist and composer born in Darmstadt, Germany, perhaps most noteworthy for his contributions to the European jazz rock genre and for his collaborations with the American vibraphonist Dave Pike...
(guitar), J. A. Rettenbacher (acoustic and electric bass), and Peter Baumeister (drums), he formed the Dave Pike Set. The group recorded six records from 1969-1972 that ran the gamut from funky grooves to free, textural territory. The group, though short-lived, created a unique identity and textural palette. Kriegel's compositional and instrumental (playing acoustic, classical, and electric guitar as well as sitar) contributions to the group helped set the Dave Pike Set's sound apart, organically incorporating influences from jazz, soul jazz, psychedelia, avant-garde music, and world (Indian, Brazilian, Latin and Middle Eastern sounds) music.
Discography
- 'Solemn Meditation (The Paul Bley Quartet Featuring Dave Pike, Vibes) -- 1958 (GNP Crescendo)
- It's Time for Dave Pike 1961 (Riverside RecordsRiverside RecordsRiverside Records was a United States record label specializing in jazz. Founded by Orrin Keepnews and Bill Grauer under his firm Bill Grauer Productions, Inc. in 1953, the label was a major presence in the jazz record industry for a decade...
) - Pike's Peak 1961 (Portrait)
- Bossa Nova Carnival 1962 (New Jazz)
- Limbo Carnival 1962 (New Jazz)
- Manhattan Latin 1964 (Decca)
- Jazz For The Jet Set 1966 (Atlantic SD-1457)
- Noisy Silence - Gentle Noise 1969 (MPS RecordsMPS RecordsMPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:...
) - Four Reasons 1969 (MPS RecordsMPS RecordsMPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:...
) - Live at the Philharmonie 1969 (MPS RecordsMPS RecordsMPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:...
) - Infra Red 1970 (MPS RecordsMPS RecordsMPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:...
) - Album 1971 (MPS RecordsMPS RecordsMPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:...
) - Salamão 1972 (MPS RecordsMPS RecordsMPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:...
) - Masterpieces 1969 - 1972 (MPS RecordsMPS RecordsMPS Records was a German jazz record label founded in 1968. MPS stands for "Musik Produktion Schwarzwald" .-History:...
) (compilation) - Doors of Perception" 1970 (Vortex)
- On a Gentle Note 1977 (Muse RecordsMuse RecordsMuse Records was an American record label which released jazz and blues music.Muse was founded in the early 1970s by Joe Fields, who had previously worked as an executive for Prestige Records in the 1960s...
) - Pike's Groove 1986 (Criss CrossCriss Cross-People:*Kris Kross, an American rap duo*Criss Cross Jazz, a jazz label*Chris Cross, bassist for the UK band Ultravox*ChrisCross, an American comic book artist...
) - Bop Head 1998 (Ubiquity)
- Peligroso 2000 (Cubop): Dedicated to Cal Tjader and Milt Jackson