Skip Peck - piano
Donna Peck - vocals
Nathan Peck - acoustic and electric bass and backup vocals
Alex Peck - drums and vocals
Influences
Donna Peck here...Carmen McCrae & Ella Fitzgerald are my favorite female jazz singers. ( How sad they are no longer with us) Carmen sounded so rich with emotion, wheteher it's fun and games like on "Errand Girl For Rhythm" or "The Ballad of Thelonius Monk" or filled with heartache like in so many of the Billie Holiday songs she loved to sing. Ella was, well, perfection. She never made a mis-step, her scatting and phrasing were second to none, and her sound was always fresh as a daisy after the rain. My current favorite male singer is Kurt Elling. There's a rich warmth in his voice that feels like suede. When I sing, I think about these singers and many others who I admire and try to bring as much profesionalism to the songs as they did and do. And now our son Alex is also singing and has that richness in his voice that I love so much. I hope you get to hear him sometime.
Some others whose music we love are, a wild and varied bunch...performers and composers alike, such as the FABULOUS Stevie Wonder, Dave Grusin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dizzy Gillespie, Jon Hendricks, New York Voices, Patti Austin, Sarah Vaughn, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Mel Torme, Chick Corea, Steve Gadd, James Taylor, Basia, Paul Simon, Thelonius Monk, Quincy Jones, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Lee Morgan, The Beatles, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, and of course Skip Peck, Nathan Peck and Alex Peck who are all writing beautiful music! As for Alex and Nathan check their myspace pages ~ www.myspace.com/alexanderpeck and www.myspace.com/nathanpeckmusic
Sounds Like
They are incomparable!...but some of Skip's original music has a range and depth that puts you in mind of Henry Mancini or Dave Grusin or Jobim. Donna's voice is, in the words of Nate Guidry of Jazz times magazine,"smoky, mercurial, bold, & bluesy". Nathan Peck is a virtuoso on bass, Alex Peck was born with rhythm in his veins.
The Skip Peck Trio with vocalist Donna Peck
is a family operation all the way. The music of these four individuals has a definite genetic blend, which is evident in the way they communicate on stage and in their recordings. They’ve recorded 6 CDs and their latest is called Mirage. It features 11 original songs in a wide range of jazz styles, from swing and latin to heartfelt ballads and feel good blues. From jazz standards to a wealth of original songs, pianist/composer/lyricist Skip Peck and his wife, vocalist/lyricist Donna Peck have been performing and writing music together since they were married in 1973.
SKIP PECK IS A composer of prolific stature!!! AS of today he has been and continues to compose and record a new song every day for the past 21 months. He licenses his music through many web sites world wide like...www.nomamusic.com www.whitebeetle.com www.fimtv-tracks.com and has several publishers including www.jupitertunes.com and www.sound-ideas.com
Skip is a winner of the W.V. Cultural Center Fellowship for Composing in 1995, as well as several Merit Awards from the Billboard Magazine Songwriting Competition. Pecks CD
My Secret Weapon has garnered great reviews from Pittsburgh Post Gazette jazz critic Peter King who wrote, Skip Peck demonstrates his talents and those of his pretty remarkable family he spins lyrical, logical, unhurried solos with that playful quality.
Donna Peck received glowing reviews from Nate Guidry, jazz critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Jazz Times magazine, for her CD Missing You. He writes her smoky, mercurial vocal improvisations are a hypnotic blend of drama, irony and humor. She renders all 11 tracks with warmth and romanticism. There are simply too many brilliant turns on this record to mention them all.
The Pecks were joined by their son Nathan on acoustic and electric bass in 1993. Nathan is a graduate of Wheeling Park High. He has toured with Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band, and had the unique experience of traveling to and giving a command performance for the King of Thailand. He was also chosen as the 1993 winner of the Milt Hinton Scholarship for the Acoustic Bass at the age of 16. Nathans talents as a composer are featured on the Mirage CD with the tune Nine Lives. Moving to New York City in 2002,Nathan was quickly immersed in the heavy jazz scene and has since performed with jazz vocalists Mark Murphy and Maria Muldaur and recorded and tours with heavy metal/jazz guitarist Alex Skolnick. In 2003 he traveled to Eastern Europe with the Kennedy center Jazz ambassadors to perform in countries such as Slovenia, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and Moscow, Russia. While in Azerbaijan he met jazz pianist Shahin Novrasli, and subsequently has returned to perform with Novrasli twice to perform at the Baku, Azerbaijan Jazz Festival and in Moscow and Istanbul, Turkey.
Youngest son, Alex, has been performing with the Pecks since the age of 15 in 1995, and to date has been featured on 11 CD recordings, and on many TV and radio commercials. Besides working with the Skip Peck Trio, Alex also heads his own group Black Ireland and recorded several CDs with Pittsburgh roots rock group Good Brother Earl. Recently he performed with his brother Nathan and Shahin Novrasli at the Minneapolis Jazz Festival. And recently, Alex Peck has added a new talent to his performances....singing, which comes as naturally to him as breathing or drumming!!!! And Alex also is a composer.
The Pecks have been involved in writing & or performing on TV and radio jingles for such companies as Nick at Nite, Old Navy, ABC and FOX television. Two songs from Skips CD Discovering You are featured in an independent film called Sex & Bullets", starring Judd Nelson. Their CDs are featured regularly on jazz radio stations. Theyve performed in concert for the Jazz Workshops in Kansas City & St. Joe, Mo.- and Topeka, Ks.-the Pittsburgh Jazz Society-Northeast Ohio (Cleveland) Jazz Society- Westmoreland County, Pa. Jazz Society- the Three Rivers Arts Festival- the Mellon Jazz Festival- and at Jazzmutazz in Huntington, W.V.
Discography: Live & Cookin’ (1993), Family Tree (1995), My Secret Weapon (1997), Missing You (1997), Discovering You (1999) Mirage (2000)
I edited my profile with Thomas’ Myspace Editor V4.4
Skip Peck Trio/ with Donna Peck's Friend Space (Top 40)
"I never tried to prove nothing, just wanted to give a good show. My life has always been my music, it's always come first, but the music ain't worth nothing if you can't lay it on the public. The main thing is to live for that audience, 'cause what you're there for is to please the people." -- Luis Armstrong
"My attitude is never to be satisfied, never enough, never." -- Duke Ellington
You guys were amazing at the Rhythm House the other night for Tony Janflone's benefit. I had not seen you all together in a long time and it was the highlight of an evening of great music.
Hi my friends! I have you on my front page to help spread the musical word! Hope you are all doing well! Give my love to Jamie! I wouldn't even be up here if not for him!
Happy New Year Skip Peck Trio/ with Donna Peck! Sorry if you're getting this twice... Come check out this Exclusive FREE Download of the track "Reunited" from my new album "no time to waste" available now on DéLaf Records. For a limited time only at www.deeBrownExclusive.com
WORD OF THE WEEK (6/17-6/24) IS "JIVE"
1. Noun. Jazz slang from the 1930s and 40s. The language of swing musicians and fans. Cab Calloway produced the "hepster dictionaries" which he gave away free with his recordings at the time.
2. Noun. A partner dance from the 1950s based on a 6-count pattern. A watered down descendent of the more complex dance, The Lindy Hop.
3. Verb. To portray the rhythm of your soul through your movements; rhythm based bodily movements; dance
"We were down at the club all night jivin' with friends."
Much Love From Camp G Always! Thanks for commin' with me to my new page! Have a great week. - Jake Glasgow (Mister G)
WORD OF THE WEEK (6/17-6/24) IS "JIVE"
1. Noun. Jazz slang from the 1930s and 40s. The language of swing musicians and fans. Cab Calloway produced the "hepster dictionaries" which he gave away free with his recordings at the time.
2. Noun. A partner dance from the 1950s based on a 6-count pattern. A watered down descendent of the more complex dance, The Lindy Hop.
3. Verb. To portray the rhythm of your soul through your movements; rhythm based bodily movements; dance
"We were down at the club all night jivin' with friends."
Much Love From Camp G Always! Thanks for commin' with me to my new page! Have a great week. - Jake Glasgow (Mister G)
WORD OF THE WEEK (6/17-6/24) IS "JIVE"
1. Noun. Jazz slang from the 1930s and 40s. The language of swing musicians and fans. Cab Calloway produced the "hepster dictionaries" which he gave away free with his recordings at the time.
2. Noun. A partner dance from the 1950s based on a 6-count pattern. A watered down descendent of the more complex dance, The Lindy Hop.
3. Verb. To portray the rhythm of your soul through your movements; rhythm based bodily movements; dance
"We were down at the club all night jivin' with friends."
Much Love From Camp G Always! Thanks for commin' with me to my new page! Have a great week. - Jake Glasgow (Mister G)
Lucky stars above you,
Sunshine on your way,
Many friends to love you,
Joy in work and play
Laughter to outweigh each care,
In your heart a song,
And gladness waiting everywhere,
All your whole life long!
Hi Skip Peck Trio/ with Donna Peck
I'll hope everything is fine with you
I Have a show at :
18th of May - Perron55 - Venlo NL
20th of May - Hotel Arena Amsterdam NL
Check it out !!!
http://www.b-connected.nl
http://www.bigboycaprice.nl
http://www.capricemusic.net
A poem for your day:
.
.
Rest In All Love Is
------------------
I love you like this...
dark, i can barely see your eyes...
so dark my eyes are useless. My
heart opens wide its light on you
and your face brightens like the
static on a TV screen, or like the moment
we die and things begin to go all white
and
then
you're an angel laying before me...
the same one that has been there all along,
the one my eyes turned into something else and I
am ashamed I was deceived.
Then,
I see you, I see you like the energy that flows through my limbs,
now, like the breath that takes the universe and
gently creates another, now, like my feet walking
on glass, now, like I was never there.
I love you like I was never there. So gently, never there. In the dark
where I can barely see, and, rest in all that love is.
Hi my friends. I was so happy to find you on My Space. I was in L.A. last month and spent a little time with Helen. We had a great visit and I also got a chance to see Kurt Elling with another friend that week. She told me about Beep. Please know that he's in my heart of hearts every single day and so are you. I love you all.
I look at you my Friend and I see a child at play
frolicking in muddy streams, splashing rivers into
oceans and carrying each molecule gently
to the sky for another round like a child handing water to his Father
for the first time.
You are neither boastful nor meek.
You are not shy nor are you seeking attention
There is simply abundance and grace with you my Friend
and you ask nothing of me...save I am my self...fully...always... and
you ask without asking...lead without
leading...cause...effortlessly.
......Skip Peck Trio/ with Donna Peck
