On March 29, 2001, John Aaron Lewis died aged 80. He was musician (piano), composer and arranger, best known as the founder and musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Lewis recorded and performed with number of musicians, including Bill Perkins, Jim Hall, Percy Heath, Chico Hamilton, Sacha Distel, Gunther Schuller, Svend Asmussen, Albert Mangelsdorff, Helen Merrill, Christian Escoudé, Hank Jones, Lew Tabackin, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis Nonet, Harold Farberman, Clifford Brown, Ruth Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Joe Newman, Sonny Stitt and J. J. Johnson.
Tag Archives: arranger
Hugh McCracken
On March 28, 2013, Hugh C. McCracken died aged 70. He was musician (guitar, harmonica), arranger and producer, best known as session musician. McCracken recorded with Graham Parker, Yoko Ono, Eric Carmen, Loudon Wainwright III, Lou Donaldson, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, The Four Seasons, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Hank Crawford, Jerry Jemmott, Dr. John, Gary Wright, Donald Fagen, Jimmy Rushing, Billy Joel, Roland Kirk, Roberta Flack, B. B. King, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Monkees, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Idris Muhammad, James Taylor, Phoebe Snow, Bob Dylan, Linda McCartney, Ron Carter, Rusty Bryant, Marlena Shaw, Deodato, Carly Simon and Andy Gibb. From 1969-1972, McCracken was member of Mike Mainieri’s White Elephant Orchestra.
Alphonse Mouzon
On December 25, 2016, Alphonse Lee Mouzon died aged 68. He was musician (drums), composer, arranger, producer and actor, and the owner of Tenacious Records. He has recorded and performed with many famous musicians and music acts including Arild Andersen, Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Bobbi Humphrey, Joachim Kühn, Les McCann, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Weather Report, Eugene McDaniels, Betty Davis, Infinity, Doug Carn, Norman Connors, Willie Colon, Poussez, Al Di Meola, Torsten de Winkel, Hellmut Hattler, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Fania All-Stars, Carlos Garnett, George Gruntz, Tim Hardin, Miki Howard, Paul Jackson, Paul Jackson Jr., Alphonso Johnson and Patrick Moraz.
Gil Evans
On March 20, 1988, Ian Ernest Gilmore “Gil” Evans died aged 75. He was musician (piano), arranger, composer and bandleader, had important role in the development of free jazz, cool jazz, modal jazz and jazz fusion. Evans performed and recorded with many important jazz musicians including: Miles Davis, Lee Konitz, Glen Hall, Steve Lacy, Claude Thornhill, Johnny Mathis, Hal McKusick, Marcy Lutes, Helen Merill, Don Elliot, Astrud Gilberto and Kenny Burrell. In 1986, Evans was inducted into the “Down Beat” “Jazz Hall of Fame”. He won two “Grammy Awards” – in1960: “Sketches of Spain”, “Grammy Award for Best Original Jazz Composition” with Miles Davis; in 1986: “Bud and Bird”, “Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band”.
George Martin
On March 8, 2016, Sir George Henry Martin died aged 90. He was musician (oboe, keyboards), music producer, arranger, composer, conductor and audio engineer, best known for his work with The Beatles and sometimes referred to as “the Fifth Beatle”. Martin had 30 number-one hit singles in the UK and 23 number-one hits in the US. In 1996, as recognition of his services to the music industry and popular culture, he was made a “Knight Bachelor”.
Grover Washington
On December 17, 1999, Grover Washington, Jr. died aged 56. He was musician (saxophone), composer and arranger, considered to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. Some of his most popular works feature his own compositions and covers of “Mister Magic”, “Take Five”, “Soulful Strut”, “Reed Seed”, “Black Frost”, “Winelight”, “Inner City Blues” and “The Best is Yet to Come”. In his career he has performed and recorded with many famous musicians, including Kathleen Battle, Kenny Burrell, Hank Crawford, Charles Earland, Dexter Gordon, Urbie Green, Eddie Henderson, Masaru Imada, Boogaloo Joe Jones, Idris Muhammad, Gerry Mulligan, Don Sebesky, Johnny “Hammond” Smith, Melvin Sparks, Leon Spencer, Mal Waldron, Randy Weston, Bill Withers and Patti LaBelle.
Henry Mancini
On June 14, 1994, Enrico Nicola “Henry” Mancini, died aged 70. He was composer, arranger and conductor, best known for his movie and television music. His most popular work is “The Pink Panther Theme”, main score to the movie series “Pink Panther”, and the theme to the “Peter Gunn” television series. He achieved a long lasting collaboration with the famous movie director Blake Edwards. For his work he has won four “Academy Awards”, “Golden Globe”, twenty “Grammy Awards” and a posthumous “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1995.
Otis Redding
On December 10, 1967, Otis Redding died aged 26. He was singer, songwriter, record producer and arranger, considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and one of the most important singers in soul and rhythm and blues music. He was known by the nicknames The Big O, The Mad Man from Macon, Rockhouse Redding and The King of Soul.
musicalphabet 