Peck Morrison

A fine accompanist whose occasional solos were fairly basic, Peck Morrison was a valuable player on countless sessions throughout his career. He was classically trained, played bass in a military band while overseas in Italy and then really began his professional career while in New York in the mid-1940s. Among his more notable associations were Lucky Thompson, Tiny Bradshaw, King Pleasure, Zoot Sims, Eddie Jefferson, the J.J. Johnson-Kai Winding Quintet (1954), Duke Ellington (for a short time in 1955 and in 1964), Lou Donaldson, Gerry Mulligan, Johnny Smith, Mal Waldron, Randy Weston, Babs Gonzales, the Newport Rebels (1960), Shirley Scott, Red Garland, Charles McPherson, Sy Oliver and the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band (1986). No matter where he was heard, Morrison was an important (if underrated) part of the ensemble. Unfortunately he never had an opportunity to lead his own record date. ~ Scott Yanow