Gary Peacock (May 12, 1935 – September 4, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist. He recorded a dozen albums under his own name,and also performed and recorded with major jazz figures such as Albert Ayler, Paul Bley, and Bill Evans. In addition, he recorded over twenty albums with Keith Jarrett‘s Standards Trio, which also featured drummer Jack DeJohnette, and which existed for over 30 years. DeJohnette stated that he admired Peacock’s “sound, choice of notes, and, above all, the buoyancy of his playing.” Pianist Marilyn Crispell called Peacock a “sensitive musician with a great harmonic sense.”

Peacock was born in Burley, Idaho, on May 12, 1935. He grew up in Yakima, Washington, where he attended Yakima Senior High School, now called A.C. Davis High School. His earliest musical experiences involved playing piano, trumpet, and drums. When he was 15, he heard live jazz for the first time, attending a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert featuring Oscar Peterson and Ray Brown. Peacock graduated in 1953; while playing for his class, he had a profound experience, stating: “I was playing the drums, and had the experience of being played rather than playing… I realized that something transformative had happened… and there was this certainty. From the bottom of my feet to the top of my head, it was totally clear: ‘Oh, this is the direction to go.'”