David Samuel Pike (March 23, 1938 – October 3, 2015) was an American jazz

vibraphone The vibraphone (also called the vibraharp) is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using Percussion mallet, mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone ...

and

marimba The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...

player. He appeared on many albums by Nick Brignola,

Paul Bley Paul Bley, Order of Canada, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a Canadian jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live per ...

and Kenny Clarke,

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, block chords, innovative chord voicings, a ...

, and

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

. He also recorded extensively as leader, including a number of albums on MPS Records.

Biography

Pike learned drums at the age of eight and was self-taught on vibraphone. He made his recording debut with the

Quartet in 1958. He began putting an amplifier on his vibes, when working with flautist

in the early 1960s. By the late 1960s, Pike's music had become more exploratory, contributing a unique voice and new contexts that pushed the envelope in times remembered for their exploratory nature. ''The Doors of Perception'', recorded in 1966 (released in 1970 for the

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

subsidiary Vortex Records) and produced by former boss Herbie Mann, explored ballads, modal territory,

musique concrète Musique concrète (; ): " problem for any translator of an academic work in French is that the language is relatively abstract and theoretical compared to English; one might even say that the mode of thinking itself tends to be more schematic ...

, with free and lyrical improvisation, and featured musicians including alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, bassist Chuck Israels and pianist Don Friedman. Pike moved to Europe and signed with MPS Records. 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 to 1972 that ran the gamut from funky grooves to free, textural territory. Though short-lived, the group 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 music. Dave Pike died in Del Mar, California of emphysema, aged 77.

Discography

As leader

* '' It's Time for Dave Pike'' (Riverside, 1961) * '' Pike's Peak'' (Epic, 1962) – rec. 1961 * '' Bossa Nova Carnival'' (New Jazz, 1962) * '' Limbo Carnival'' (New Jazz, 1962) * '' Dave Pike Plays the Jazz Version of Oliver!'' (Moodsville, 1963) – rec. 1962 * '' Manhattan Latin'' (Decca, 1964) * '' Jazz for the Jet Set'' (Atlantic, 1966) – rec. 1965 * ''Got the Feelin'' (Relax, 1969) * ''Four Reasons'' (MPS, 1969) * ''Noisy Silence/Gentle Noise'' (MPS, 1969) * ''Live at the Philharmonie'' (MPS, 1970) * ''Infra-Red'' (MPS, 1970) * '' The Doors of Perception'' (Vortex, 1970) – live rec. 1966 * ''Album'' (MPS/BASF, 1971) * ''Salomao'' (MPS/BASF, 1972) * ''Times Out of Mind'' (Muse, 1976) * ''On a Gentle Note'' (Muse, 1978) * ''Let the Minstrels Play On'' (Muse, 1980) * ''Moon Bird'' (Muse, 1983) * '' Pike's Groove'' (Criss Cross, 1986) * ''Bluebird'' (Timeless, 1989) * ''Bophead'' (Ubiquity, 1998) * ''Peligroso'' (CuBop, 2000) * ''At Studio 2'' (B.Free, 2016)

As sideman

With

* '' Brazil, Bossa Nova & Blues'' (United Artists, 1962) * '' Herbie Mann Returns to the Village Gate'' (Atlantic, 1963) * '' Herbie Mann Live at Newport'' (Atlantic, 1963) – live * '' My Kinda Groove'' (Atlantic, 1965) – rec. 1964 * '' Latin Mann'' ( Columbia, 1965) * '' Standing Ovation at Newport'' (Atlantic, 1965) – live * ''The Roar of the Greasepaint the Smell of the Crowd'' (Atlantic, 1965) * '' Monday Night at the Village Gate'' (Atlantic, 1966) – rec. 1965 * '' Today!'' (Atlantic, 1966) – rec. 1965 * ''The Evolution of Mann'' (Atlantic, 1972) LP– compilations With others *

, ''Solemn Meditation'' (GNP, 1957) * Nick Brignola, ''All Business'' (Reservoir, 1999) * Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band, ''All Smiles'' (MPS, 1968) * Slide Hampton, ''Mellow-dy'' (LRC, 1992) * The Jazz Couriers, ''Gene Norman Presents the Jazz Couriers'' (Whippet, 1957) * Babatunde Olatunji, ''High Life!'' (Columbia, 1963) * Clark Terry, ''At the Montreux Jazz Festival'' (Polydor, 1970)

References

External links

Obituary
''Los Angeles Times''
Dave Pike Interview
at NAMM Oral History Library (2007) {{DEFAULTSORT:Pike, Dave 1938 births 2015 deaths American jazz vibraphonists American marimbists Jazz musicians from Detroit Ubiquity Records artists Muse Records artists Riverside Records artists Criss Cross Jazz artists