In Memoriam: Peter Ind

British jazz bass great Peter Ind has passed away. He was 93 years old.

Ind was born in Middlesex in 1928 and began on violin at the age of eight. He turned to piano and began to play gigs. He in turn switched to bass in the mid-’40s because he liked its sound. He became a full-time musician and in 1949 he took a gig on the Queen Mary. The renowned ocean liner visited New York City every two weeks, and it was there Ind immersed himself in the growing sound of bebop.

He moved to New York in 1951 and got a touring gig with Lee Konitz. He would play with similar artists like Lennie Tristano, Buddy Rich, Booker Ervin, Mal Waldron, and more. Aside from his playing, he established a recording studio in 1956.

Ind moved back to the UK in 1966. He co-created the country’s first full-time jazz course at Leeds College of Music. He ran a record label and opened two jazz clubs – the Bass Clef and the Tenor Clef – in the 80s and 90s. Among his albums as a co-leader is a fantastic duo album with bassist Rufus Reid called Alone Together.

Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Peter Ind.