Peter Paul George Jacobsen, jazz pianist and composer: born Newcastle upon Tyne 16 May 1950; died London 29 April 2002
This is a tribute site for Pete set up by one of his friends who misses the stroppy old bugger dearly! It contains obituries from The Independent, The Guardian and other press as well as personal memories from some of his friends and colleagues.
If you have any photographs, music or film that you would be happy to share on this site, or want to add your memories of Pete, please send me a message. I'll be glad to hear from you.
Pianist Pete Jacobsen never achieved the degree of public recognition his talents deserved, but he was held in the highest regard by his fellow musicians. His most fruitful musical relationship was arguably in the band led by Scottish tenor saxophonist Bobby Wellins, with whom he worked from the late 1970 onwards.
Jacobsen appeared on several of Wellinss recordings, including Jubilation (1978), Dreams Are Free (1979), and Birds of Brazil (1989), and remained a regular member of the saxophonists bands into the 1990s.
He was born Peter Paul George Jacobsen in Newcastle. He lost his sight as a baby when a growth behind his optic nerve left him blind, but developed a remarkable ability to memorise even complex big band arrangements by ear alone.
He began piano as a small child, and studied at Worcester School for the Blind before returning to his native north-east, where he formed his own jazz trio and appeared on local television as a teenage prodigy. He moved to London in 1969, and studied organ at the Royal Academy of Music until 1972, and briefly thereafter at Durham University.
He immersed himself in the London jazz scene, earning a reputation as a pianist of great strength, invention, refinement and adaptability. He had perfect pitch, absorbed music like a sponge, and was capable of working in virtually any genre of music.
He began to play with luminaries of the jazz fusion scene of the day, notably saxophonist Barbara Thompson and guitarist Gary Boyle, and later has a stint with the celebrated Morrissey-Mullen, a very successful band jointly led by the late Dick Morrissey and another Scottish jazz star, guitarist Jim Mullen.
He worked with a number of noted saxophonists, including Bobby Wellins, Don Weller, Chris Biscoe, Alan Skidmore, and Tim Whitehead, and accompanied visiting artists like bassist Eberhard Weber and American trombonist Jimmy Knepper.
As a pianist he possessed great technical and musical resources, and was always willing to place himself in a challenging musical situation. At the same time, he was equally ready to accept a gig accompanying singers in pubs and clubs in London and in Essex, some of whom were not worthy of his talents.
He lived alone, and was known as a fiercely independent personality. He toured Australia in March with the Celtic-jazz band Carmina, and recorded with them in Ireland, but his health was clearly failing. His final tour with the Tim Whitehead Quartet took place in April.
His last recorded work was with Phil Burdett and Jane Winiberg on their albums 'See you Later Forever' and 'Close Up And Real' respectively.
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**** - Jazzwise "The best neo-bop group in the UK" BBC Radio 3 Jazz Line-up
Hi Pete Jacobsen,
Just stopped by to say hello and thank you again for your friendship. I am honored by it.
I also wanted to tell you that I am casting for several musicians, vocalist, and dancers. I am producing a show for tour and need artists not only for recording but for touring as well. As you may or may not know, I am preparing for a tour this summer/ fall to five cities across the globe, and am looking for solid talent. Since you have been so kind in lending me your ear, and offering your friendship, I thought I might come to myspace before putting ads in the trades. So I came to myspace first.
PLEASE READ IN DETAIL... it may answer your questions. I am offering a flat rate for service or a percentage of profits off the sales of recorded material. That part is up to you. Rates and fees will be discussed upon approval in the first round of the selection process. If you know of someone who might be interested in this information, please pass this note on to them.
Here’s what I am looking for:
Orchestral:
Violin, Viola, Cello
Oboe, French Horn, Trumpet, Clarinet
Primary & Secondary Percussionist
Vocal:
SATB / Female & Male – Lead Capability
Dance:
Ballet, Point, Lyrical
Here is what you need to do:
E-mail me with your name and age (18+ only) and current contact information such as an e-mail address to tim@composertimoneil.com. Please forward all questions and querries to tim@composertimoneil.com. Please list three of your major accomplishments with your art; such as degrees or special performances. Make sure to include a Current Photo (JPEG or Bitmap only), MP3 (music) or WMV (video for dance or live performance) of some of your best work; something that make you stand out from the rest. Please do not send anything that lasts for more than 30 seconds and no file over 10 mb will be accepted. Make it short and sweet, and make it count. If I need any more material, I will let you know. The cutoff date for accepting materi
Hey Pete Jacobsen,
I just stopped by to thank you for the add, if I haven't already. It means a great deal to me. I will be updating my page in the begining of April after my trip to the studio in March, so if you get a moment stop by, I would love to hear from you!
Thanks,
Tim
Remembering Pete - the man with the beautiful vision and one of our dearest friends, we hear you in all our music still. The title track of our new album 'My Crescent City' is for you - "the man with the beautiful vision has the keys beneath his hands". with love, Pippa, Rob and Carmina
I used to book Pete at a small London venue - ooh, must be getting on for ten years ago now. Had the privilege of sitting at a table five feet from the piano. He was a really compelling performer and even managed to be only mildly grumpily gracious about some of the idiot questions I'd hit him with (the usual breathless keen aspiring musician stuff)!
pete was a valued member of Morrissey Mullen and there is a great version of Pete's composition (with Pete playing on it, obviously) at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/meetingplace/ and and right click/save target.
Great band
As a teenager, I first got to hear Pete in Bobby Wellin's quartet, where he was a wonderful foil to Wellin's muscular-but-melancholy tenor.
Later, although I never got to know Pete very well, I was lucky enough to play with him for a while at a weekly residency in East London with drummer Steve Clarke and trumpeter Ted Emmet. Once or twice there was no instrument for Pete to play other than a cheap keyboard without a sustain pedal. He still sounded superb - something I've often thought is the mark of a truly gifted instrumentalist. Woe betide me if I coasted at all and played any bassline clichees too often - they'd be instantly mimiced back by Pete with particular musical sarcasm...
I stil remember one particular solo where Pete played block chords in the same cross-rhythm for chorus after chorus, gradually ratcheting up the harmonic tension all the time.
Pete possessed not only amazing technical facility, but also the musicality to make it worth while.
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hello
the music is lovely and the amount of love that has been put in to this site cant go unoticed.
thank you so much for the invite and for intredusing me to pete's music.
My first encounter with Pete was at The Hermit in Brentwood. I was just starting out, heavily into my jazz and used to sing a capella because I didn't know any musicians at the time! I'm up there supporting Pete (in one incarnation or another), and they put him on stage while I do my bit so that he's ready for the main set. I started singing and about two bars in, Pete starts to gently accompany me. It was beautiful. John Maynard (manager of the Hermit at the time) still quotes it to me as one of his all time favourite moments up there. Long Live the Jacobsen.
