John A. "Peck" Morrison (September 11, 1919 – February 25, 1988) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low bra ...

. Morrison was classically trained, and was competent on trumpet and percussion in addition to bass. He played in military bands in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

and moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

after the war to play professionally. He played with Lucky Thompson in the early 1950s, and then recorded with

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sc ...

Gigi Gryce Gigi Gryce (born George General Grice Jr.; November 28, 1925 – March 14, 1983), later Basheer Qusim, was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator. While his performing career was relatively short, ...

, and

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doubl ...

. He played with

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

in tours of

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

. He was a noted accompanist and sideman, playing with

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpre ...

Tiny Bradshaw Myron Carlton "Tiny" Bradshaw (September 23, 1907 – November 26, 1958)
- accessed July 2010 was an American

, King Pleasure,

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

Eddie Jefferson Eddie Jefferson (August 3, 1918 – May 9, 1979) was an American jazz vocalist and lyricist. He is credited as an innovator of vocalese, a musical style in which lyrics are set to an instrumental composition or solo. Jefferson himself claims ...

, the J. J. Johnson/ Kai Winding Quintet (1954),

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was ba ...

(1955 and 1964), Lou Donaldson, Johnny Smith,

Mal Waldron Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...

, Randy Weston,

Babs Gonzales Babs Gonzales (October 27, 1919 – January 23, 1980), born Lee Brown, was an American bebop vocalist, poet, and self-published author. His books portrayed the jazz world that many black musicians struggled in, portraying disk jockeys, club owner ...

, the Newport Rebels (1960),

Shirley Scott Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of bebop, blues and gospel elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ". Life and career Scott was born in Ph ...

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jaz ...

, Charles McPherson, and Sy Oliver and the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (1986). Morrison never recorded as a session leader.

Discography

With Dave Bailey *'' One Foot in the Gutter'' (Epic, 1960) *'' Gettin' Into Somethin''' (Epic, 1961) With

Betty Carter Betty Carter (born Lillie Mae Jones; May 16, 1929 – September 26, 1998) was an American jazz singer known for her improvisational technique, scatting and other complex musical abilities that demonstrated her vocal talent and imaginative int ...

*'' Out There'' (Peacock, 1958) With Lou Donaldson *''

Wailing With Lou ''Wailing With Lou'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson released on the Blue Note label in 1957 featuring performances by Donaldson's Quintet with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Herman Foster, bassist Peck Morrison and drummer Art ...

'' (Blue Note, 1957) *''

Swing and Soul ''Swing and Soul'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Donaldson's Quintet with Herman Foster, Peck Morrison, Dave Bailey, and Ray Barretto. The album was awarded 3 stars by Allmusic re ...

'' (Blue Note, 1957) *''

Blues Walk ''Blues Walk'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson. It has been considered Donaldson's "undisputed masterpiece". Huey, Steve. allmusic/ref> The title track by Donaldson is not to be confused with Clifford Brown's 1954 composition " T ...

'' (Blue Note, 1958) *''

Light-Foot ''Light-Foot'' is an album by jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson recorded for the Blue Note label and performed by Donaldson's Quintet with pianist Herman Foster, bassist Peck Morrison, drummer Jimmy Wormworth and congalero Ray Barretto. Reception ...

'' (Blue Note, 1959) With

*'' All Star Road Band Volume 2'' (Doctor Jazz, 1964 985 *''

Ellington '66 ''Ellington '66'' is an album by American pianist, composer, and bandleader Duke Ellington that was recorded and released on the Reprise Records, Reprise label in 1965.Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jaz ...

*'' Soul Burnin''' (Prestige, 1961) *''

Rediscovered Masters ''Rediscovered Masters'' is a 1977 double LP by jazz pianist Red Garland releasing previously unissued recordings from sessions held between 1958 and 1961, which was issued by the Prestige label. It was later reissued on two CDs featuring one bon ...

'' (Prestige, 1961) *'' The Quota'' (MPS, 1971 973 With Willis Jackson *''

Really Groovin' ''Really Groovin is an album by saxophonist Willis Jackson which was recorded in 1961 and released on the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1961) *''

In My Solitude "(In My) Solitude" is a 1934 composition by Duke Ellington, with lyrics by Eddie DeLange and Irving Mills. It has been recorded numerous times and is considered a jazz standard. Ellington reported that he composed it in a recording studio in 20 m ...

'' (Moodsville, 1961) With

Etta Jones Etta Jones (November 25, 1928 – October 16, 2001) was an American jazz singer. Her best-known recordings are "Don't Go to Strangers" and "Save Your Love for Me". She worked with Buddy Johnson, Oliver Nelson, Earl Hines, Barney Bigard, Ge ...

*'' Love Shout'' (Prestige, 1963) With Joe Jones *'' My Fire!'' (Prestige, 1969) With Gildo Mahones *'' I'm Shooting High'' (Prestige, 1963) With Charles McPherson *'' From This Moment On!'' (Prestige, 1968) With

*'' Presenting the Gerry Mulligan Sextet'' (EmArcy, 1955) With

Charlie Rouse Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years. Biography Rouse was born in Was ...

*'' Yeah!'' (Epic, 1961) With

*'' Workin''' (Prestige, 1961) *''

Stompin' ''Stompin'' is an album by organist Shirley Scott recorded in 1961 (with one track from 1960) and released on the Prestige Records, Prestige label in 1967.Payne, DShirley Scott discographyaccessed June 29, 2012 Reception The Allmusic review award ...

'' (Prestige, 1961) With Randy Weston *''

Piano á la Mode ''Piano á la Mode'' is an album by American jazz pianist Randy Weston which was recorded in 1957 and released on the Jubilee label.Destry Rides Again'' (United Artists, 1959) *''

Highlife Highlife is a music genre that started in present-day Ghana in the 19th century, during its history as a colony of the British Empire and through its trade routes in coastal areas. It describes multiple local fusions of African metre and wester ...

'' (Colpix, 1963)

References

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born October 4, 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author. Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Since 1974, he was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles a ...

, Peck Morrisonat

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

1919 births 1988 deaths American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists 20th-century American musicians 20th-century double-bassists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Harlem Blues and Jazz Band members American military personnel of World War II {{double-bassist-stub