We have lost a Lord of the lower frequencies. The bassist of choice for Lennie Tristano, Roy Eldridge, Colman Hawkins, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, and one of the first to play a solo Jazz bass concert. He started an artist-run label, Wave records, and was a teacher, a painter, a writer… He is gone.
Unbelievable and sad news, although over the last few years, I tensed up every time I got a phone call from his wife Susan Jones, half expecting bad news. But he kept on going like some tough old boot and was always generous with wisdoms, tried and tested by experience and wide reading (they lost the blue print for that model). From a hospital bed explaining aspects of Wilhelm Reich’s philosophy and his hopes of a better future for mankind – these conversations were deep. I knew he was suffering and I was there trying to digest the last bit of his insights into the meaning of life, the Arts, the ecology, WW11 beatniks, peace and love and my own interest, electrical engineering.
He had given the Jazz and World music community The Bass Clef and The Tenor Clef which were the first nu cultural development steps towards what you see in Hoxton Square/Shoreditch today and provided a meeting place between players of different Jazz backgrounds and ages to play this great music together. These contributions were testimony to Peter’s total commitment to Improvised Jazz and the scene, encouraging the younger players, whether in a music workshop, master class or more formal jazz classes at uni, to forget labels and ego-derived criteria. He encouraged studying Jazz solos by singing them first then playing them on your instrument as etudes for technical, melodic and harmonic development; teachings he got from Lennie Tristano – “can’t sing it don’t play it”
A young handsome and healthy Peter Ind lived the Jazz life to the max. No need to elaborate on that. But he also painted the most beautiful paintings of the Caribbean – so real you could smell it ! He wrote books on Cosmic energy and was knowledgeable on everything. A real life Gandalf who loved and believed in the power of Art.
There is so to much to say about Master Pete, but for now, let’s say we will celebrate him and the others who have left us within this period and when the dark cloud lifts and Art can use its wings again we are going put on the greatest UK Jazz Party for our fallen Heroes.
Our thoughts and support goes out to the rock, the backbone of Pete’s life for many years, Susan Jones.
Peace
Gary
gary crosby 