Dean Peer

Dean Peer is internationally recognized for his use of bass harmonics as well his ability to produce a wide variety of sounds, chords of harmonics and the underlying rhythmic pulse while floating melodies on top.  He has recorded with artists like Prairie Prince (The Tubes), Grammy Awarded Paul McCandles & Howard Levy (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Bill Douglas, Ty Burhoe, and many others.

Born in Burlington Vermont, raised in Boulder Colorado. Dean resides in Austin Texas, Dean started playing music in High School with friend Bret Mann playing High School dances and private parties. While learning to play he was influenced by the Bass players of the day i.e. Stanley Clarke and Jaco Pastorius. In High school he was in All state Orchestra and studied on a Music scholarship to the University of Northern Colorado and the the University of Colorado at Denver. After grduating in 1982 Dean also studied at the fledgling Naropa University in Boulder Colorado, where great artists and thinkers like Allen Ginsber and Bill Douglas taught, He later went on to record with Bill Douglas on the Hearts of space label, and was featured on the radio program “Music from the hearts of space” by Stephen Hill.

According to Bass player magazine Dean’s book Bass Harmonics: new concepts and techniques is “the book on Bass Harmonics”.  

Dean has four albums with original music:

The latest recording released in 2010, AIRBORNE, is a bass and drum duet featuring Bret Mann on percussion. Avguide.com reviewed AIRBORNE, calling Dean “a remarkable solo artist on his chosen instrument, with a dazzling array of playing techniques at his disposal. . . seemingly limitless chops, and—most importantly—a wealth of inventive musical ideas to express.” AIRBORNE has been on a top 40 radio success in the US and Canada and was nominated for an annual ZMR award for 2010,  a must buy in the 2011 Absolute Sound buyers guide and featured in Stereophile magazine multiple times since its release in 2010. 

Stereophile Magazine wrote of Peer’s third release,Think… It’s All Good, “On first listen you want more, and the more you turn up the volume, the more there is to hear.”

His 1994 album, Travelogue, was called “one of the best records of the year” by Jazz Times, and features contributions on saxophones by Paul McCandless.

His album UCROSS, released in 1991, was the first completely solo electric bass album in worldwide distribution. It was hailed by Stereophile magazine as an audiophile classic, and Bass Player magazine called UCROSS an extravaganza of ringing notes, chords and clusters, rating the bass performance an “A”.

Lately he’s been touring globally with his percussionist Bret Mann and is the midst of a new recording project.

(Artist photo by Ruben Kunst)