On March 25, 2019, Noel Scott Engel aka Scott Walker, died aged 76. He was singer-songwriter, composer and record producer, member of trio The Walker Brothers, best known for his distinctive baritone voice and avant-garde baroque pop music style. He released 18th solo albums. As producer he worked with number of artists including Pulp, Ute Lemper and Bat for Lashes.
Tag Archives: composer
Hoagy Carmichael
On December 27, 1981, Hoagland Howard “Hoagy” Carmichael died aged 82. He was musician (piano), composer, singer, actor, and bandleader. Carmichael composed several hundred songs, including fifty that achieved hit record status. His best known songs are four among the most-recorded American songs of all time: “Stardust”, “Georgia on My Mind” (lyrics by Stuart Gorrell), “The Nearness of You”, and “Heart and Soul” (lyrics by Frank Loesser). His song “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening,” (lyrics by Johnny Mercer, won the “Academy Award for Best Original Song” in 1951. Carmichael’s songs were performed by many famous musicians including Sidney Arodin, Louis Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Bix Beiderbecke, Ray Charles, Bing Crosby, Jimmy Dorsey, Tommy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Helen Forrest, Harry James, Spike Jones, Frank Loesser, Johnny Mercer, Glenn Miller, Dinah Shore, Jack Teagarden and Paul Whiteman.
Tomasz Stanko
On July 29, 2018, Tomasz Stańko died aged 76. He was musician (trumpet), composer and improviser, associated with free jazz and the avant-garde. He has performed and recorded with many famous jazz musicians including Adam Makowicz, Krzysztof Komeda, Zbigniew Seifert,Cecil Taylor, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Reggie Workman, Rufus Reid, Lester Bowie, David Murray, Manu Katché and Chico Freeman.
Johann Johannsson
On February 9, 2018, Jóhann Jóhannsson died aged 48. He was composer who was composing music for theatre, dance, TV and movies. Some of his movie works include original scores for “Personal Effects” by David Hollander, “For Ellen” by So Yong Kim, “McCanick” by John C. Waller, “Prisoners” by Denis Villeneuve, Sicario by Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival” by Denis Villeneuve, “The Mercy” by James Marsh and “Mary Magdalene” by Garth Davis. For the score for James Marsh’s “The Theory of Everything”, Jóhannsson won a “Golden Globe” for “Best Original Score”. In the period 2002 – 2016, he released nine solo albums.
Hugh Masekela
On January 23, 2018, Hugh Ramopolo Masekela died aged 78. He was musician (trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet), singer and composer, known as “Father of South African Jazz.” As leader Masekela released 49 albums, and received many awards, including:
- 1968 – Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Pop Performance – instrumental
- 2002 – BBC Radio Jazz Awards: International Award of the Year
- 2005 – Channel O Music Video Awards: Lifetime Achievement Award
- 2007 – Ghana Music Awards: 2007 African Music Legend Award
- 2010 – Order of Ikhamanga: South African National Orders Ceremony
- 2014 – University of York Honorary Doctorate in Music
- 2015 – Rhodes University: Doctor of Music
Curtis Mayfield
On December 26, 1999, Curtis Lee Mayfield died aged 57. He was musician (guitar, keyboards, piano), singer, songwriter and record producer, regarded as one of the most influential musicians and composers in soul and politically conscious African-American music. Mayfield started the career in a gospel choir, gained wide recognition as member and main composer of The Impressions, and later had a successful solo career. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked his 1965 song “People Get Ready” at number 24 on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. The same song was also included in the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll”, and in 1998 was inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame”. His album with the soundtrack for the 1972 movie “Super Fly” was ranked at number 72 on “Rolling Stone’s” list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In 1994, Mayfield won a “Grammy Legend Award” in and a “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1995. In 1991, he was inductee into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” as a member of the Impressions, and in 1999 as a solo artist.
Leonard Bernstein
On October 14, 1990, Leonard Bernstein died aged 72. He was pianist, composer, conductor and music lecturer, regarded as one of the most important, influential and successful artists in the American music history. He was director of the New York Philharmonic and has been conducting concerts with some of the leading world orchestras. As composer he has worked with various music forms including ballet, opera, musicals, film scores, orchestral, chamber, choral, piano and vocal music. Many of his music works are still regularly performed on the stages around the world, and his best known and most popular musical “West Side Story” is regarded as one of the classics of the world music literature.
Allan Holdsworth
On April 16, 2017, Allan Holdsworth died aged 70. He was guitarist and composer, known as big innovator in development of the guitar playing. He was one of the most influential guitarists of the 20th Century, cited as influence by many famous guitarists such as Tom Morello, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Greg Howe, Shawn Lane, Richie Kotzen, John Petrucci, Alex Lifeson and Kurt Rosenwinkel. In his four decades long career he released twelve albums as solo artists, and has recorded and performed with many famous musicians and bands including Igginbottom, Nucleus, Tempest, Soft Machine, The New Tony Williams Lifetime, Pierre Moerlen’s Gong, Jean-Luc Ponty, Bruford, U.K., Stanley Clarke, Chad Wackerman, Level 42 and K². According to “Guitar World” magazine he is “as influential as Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen”.
John Lewis
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.
Leon Ware
On February 23, 2017, Leon Ware died aged 77. He was composer, released eleven albums as a performer, but he was best known for producing and writing music for other musicians and bands including: The Isley Brothers, Donny Hathaway, The Miracles, Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, Loose Ends, James Ingram, Melissa Manchester, Krystol, Bobby Womack, Lulu, Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Maxwell, Minnie Riperton and Marvin Gaye.
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