Pete Jacobsen

Did You Know?

• Jacobsen studied at the Worcester School for the Blind (now New College Worcester).
• He had perfect pitch (absolute pitch) and a keen memory.
• In 2012, FMR Records released the compilation For Pete's Sake Volume 1, which includes the song "1817", written for Kenny Wheeler but not previously recorded.

Career

Pete Jacobsen's career in London began alongside saxophonists Barbara Thompson, Gary Boyle of Isotope, and Don Weller. He joined the jazz-fusion group Morrissey–Mullen, though his first recordings with them came later: the albums This Must Be The Place in 1985 and Happy Hour in 1988. Trumpeter Kenny Wheeler recommended Jacobsen for the piano spot in the Bobby Wellins Quartet, leading to his work on four Wellins albums: Live... Jubilation (1978), Dreams are Free (1979), ERCO Makes Light Work (1983), and Birds of Brazil (1989). A frequent partner was Chris Biscoe; together they made The Chris Biscoe Sextet (1986) and Modern Alarms (1990). The duo often played duets and appeared on several BBC Jazz Club broadcasts, and at the time of Jacobsen's death they were organizing a band dedicated to the music of Lee Konitz. Jacobsen also collaborated with American trombonist Jimmy Knepper on the 1980 album Primrose Path, which featured Dave Green and drummer Ron Parry; for that record, Jacobsen wrote "Song for Keith". He contributed the piece "Black Book" to the 2000 album Highly Committed Media Players, a session with Larry Coryell, Steve Clarke, Jack Bruce, Chris Laurence, Laurence Cottle, Wolfgang Schmid, and Ted Emmett. For a time, Jacobsen formed the resident rhythm section at the Cambridge Modern Jazz Club alongside drummer Dave Barry and bassist Mick Hutton. In 1988, he recorded Eleven Years From Yesterday with Ugandan violinist Philipp Wachsmann, percussionist Trevor Taylor, Brazilian bassist and cellist Marcio Mattos, and guitarist Ian Brighton. His regular musical associates included saxophonists Robin Kenyatta, Alan Skidmore, and Peter King, bassists Eberhard Weber and Paul Carmichael, and percussionist Chris Fletcher. He gave solo performances at the Sherborne Abbey Festival and was a regular at the Brighton Jazz Club, where he also played solo sets. Jacobsen toured with the Celtic-jazz group Cármina, appearing on three of their albums: Still Between the Sun and the Moon (1993), Weather in the Heart (1995), and Love Like Angels (2000). His only solo album, Ever Onward, came out in 1994. In 2001, he formed the Peter Jacobsen Trio with drummer Nic France and bassist Simon Woolf; their sole release, On Your Marks, was a live recording from the Peterborough Jazz Club that same year.

Death

Jacobsen went on his final tour with Whitehead, a series of gigs at rural English arts centres; their last show was at Althorpe, Lincolnshire, on Sunday 14 April 2002. After returning to London, Jacobsen was clearly ill, and Whitehead insisted he see a doctor. Jacobsen died a few days later at age 51. His last recording was on Phil Burdett's See You Later, Forever, completed and released in 2003; the title refers to Jacobsen, and Burdett dedicated the album to him.