Michael Cuscuna, the three-time Grammy winner, Mosaic Records co-founder, historian and archivist who produced hundreds of jazz reissues and studio sessions during his career, has died. He was 75.
Cuscuna died Saturday of cancer at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, Grammy-winning recording artist Billy Vera, a longtime friend, announced.
Cuscuna produced the 1970 album Buddy & the Juniors, featuring Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Junior Mance, for Vanguard Records, and 1972’s Give It Up, Bonnie Raitt’s lone gold album during her time at Warner Bros.
He produced reissues and studio sessions for Impulse, Atlantic, Arista, Muse, Elektra, Freedom, Novus and virtually the entire Blue Note catalog.
“Plainly stated, Blue Note Records would not exist as it does today without the passion & dedication of Michael Cuscuna,” execs from the label wrote on Instagram.
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Readers of Blues & Rhythm magazine know his work in the blues field,...
Cuscuna died Saturday of cancer at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, Grammy-winning recording artist Billy Vera, a longtime friend, announced.
Cuscuna produced the 1970 album Buddy & the Juniors, featuring Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Junior Mance, for Vanguard Records, and 1972’s Give It Up, Bonnie Raitt’s lone gold album during her time at Warner Bros.
He produced reissues and studio sessions for Impulse, Atlantic, Arista, Muse, Elektra, Freedom, Novus and virtually the entire Blue Note catalog.
“Plainly stated, Blue Note Records would not exist as it does today without the passion & dedication of Michael Cuscuna,” execs from the label wrote on Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Blue Note Records (@bluenoterecords)
Readers of Blues & Rhythm magazine know his work in the blues field,...
- 4/22/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“You don’t do the business, the business will do you,” B.B. King (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) tells the rising Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. He says this after a late-night jam session which includes Little Richard (Alton Mason), and while the blues guitarist is admiring the shiny new ride owned by the white rock and roll sensation. King advises Elvis to start his own label.
In reality, B.B. King did just that in 1956. At the time, he was coming off his best year, according to King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King, by Daniel de Visé. King had just packed the Howard Theater in Washington D.C. and Harlem’s Apollo, as well as 340 other venues. Born Riley B. King on a Mississippi plantation in 1925, B.B. “Blues Boy” King had risen to the height of his musical popularity by the mid-1950s.
In reality, B.B. King did just that in 1956. At the time, he was coming off his best year, according to King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King, by Daniel de Visé. King had just packed the Howard Theater in Washington D.C. and Harlem’s Apollo, as well as 340 other venues. Born Riley B. King on a Mississippi plantation in 1925, B.B. “Blues Boy” King had risen to the height of his musical popularity by the mid-1950s.
- 7/1/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Steve Miller will place his biggest hits alongside a slew of previously unreleased tracks on a new box set, Welcome to the Vault, out October 11th via Sailor/Capitol/UMe.
The three-disc, one DVD collection will span Miller’s six-decade career and boast 38 previously unreleased recordings including demos, rehearsals, outtakes and live performances. The set will also feature five recently rediscovered Steve Miller Band tracks recorded in the Sixties and Seventies. To accompany the box set announcement, Miller shared an alternate version of his 1976 Number One single “Rock ‘N Me.
The three-disc, one DVD collection will span Miller’s six-decade career and boast 38 previously unreleased recordings including demos, rehearsals, outtakes and live performances. The set will also feature five recently rediscovered Steve Miller Band tracks recorded in the Sixties and Seventies. To accompany the box set announcement, Miller shared an alternate version of his 1976 Number One single “Rock ‘N Me.
- 6/12/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Even though Kanard Thomas and Jt Rodriguez failed to earn a chair turn during “The Voice” Season 16 blind auditions, their journeys weren’t quite over as fifth coach Bebe Rexha asked both of them to return for the Comeback Stage. Just like last season, the Comeback Stage is a place where eliminated artists have a chance of ultimately returning in the live shows. So who won this all-important battle between Kanard and Jt and advanced to the next round? Watch the second “The Voice” Comeback Stage video above.
See‘The Voice’ comeback stage: How will this work on season 16 with Bebe Rexha as the fifth coach?
Bebe decided to pair up Kanard and Jt because, “I thought it’d be cool to have two soulful singers go at each other.” As a reminder, Kanard is a loving father who works on a B.B. King blues ship where he’s gone for months at a time,...
See‘The Voice’ comeback stage: How will this work on season 16 with Bebe Rexha as the fifth coach?
Bebe decided to pair up Kanard and Jt because, “I thought it’d be cool to have two soulful singers go at each other.” As a reminder, Kanard is a loving father who works on a B.B. King blues ship where he’s gone for months at a time,...
- 3/6/2019
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
It’s already past midnight, but Gary Clark Jr. wants to keep going. The guitarist is standing in the center of a darkened room at Arlyn Studios, an unmarked building hidden behind a housing development in South Austin. Clark has been hard at work all night teaching his band a new song, “This Land,” taking breaks only to smoke spliffs and sip 90-proof whiskey. Clark counts yet another take of the song — a thunderous blues stomper marked by synth-bass and a hip-hop beat — before unleashing a flurry of wah-wah notes on his Gibson Sg.
- 2/7/2019
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
Legendary musician Chuck Berry has died, police confirm. He was 90.
The St. Charles County Police Department in Missouri confirmed on Facebook that they responded to a medical emergency on Saturday afternoon where they found an unresponsive man.
“St. Charles County police responded to a medical emergency on Buckner Road at approximately 12:40 p.m. today (Saturday, March 18),” the police department said in a statement. “Inside the home, first responders observed an unresponsive man and immediately administered lifesaving techniques. Unfortunately, the 90-year-old man could not be revived and was pronounced deceased at 1:26 p.m.
“The St. Charles County Police Department...
The St. Charles County Police Department in Missouri confirmed on Facebook that they responded to a medical emergency on Saturday afternoon where they found an unresponsive man.
“St. Charles County police responded to a medical emergency on Buckner Road at approximately 12:40 p.m. today (Saturday, March 18),” the police department said in a statement. “Inside the home, first responders observed an unresponsive man and immediately administered lifesaving techniques. Unfortunately, the 90-year-old man could not be revived and was pronounced deceased at 1:26 p.m.
“The St. Charles County Police Department...
- 3/18/2017
- by Michael Miller
- PEOPLE.com
When it comes to British blues, all roads lead to John Mayall. As a multi-instrumentalist, he delivered a shot of pure Chicago-style directly to the heart of the nation’s capital, jumpstarting a movement that re-defined the genre. As a bandleader, he mentored some of the biggest names in rock history.
Having honed his craft backing Delta greats Johnny Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williams on their first English tours in the early 1960s, Mayall added his daring artistic spirit and amped-up wattage to his own band, the Bluesbreakers. The seminal group became a cornerstone of the burgeoning blues scene in London,...
Having honed his craft backing Delta greats Johnny Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williams on their first English tours in the early 1960s, Mayall added his daring artistic spirit and amped-up wattage to his own band, the Bluesbreakers. The seminal group became a cornerstone of the burgeoning blues scene in London,...
- 1/27/2017
- by Jordan Runtagh
- PEOPLE.com
Chuck Berry, cited by a wide swath of artists as the definitive influence on American rock ‘n’Â roll, turned 90 on Tuesday.
He’s celebrating in part by announcing a new album, titled Chuck, that will see release in 2017. Comprised mostly of originals, it’s Berry’s first album in 38 years. Recorded primarily in his native St. Louis, Missouri, the album features his longtime backing group that includes son Charles Berry Jr. (guitar), daughter Ingrid Berry (harmonica) and his bassist of forty years, Jimmy Marsala. The group has accompanied Berry for over two decades’ worth of residency shows (some 200 performances) at St.
He’s celebrating in part by announcing a new album, titled Chuck, that will see release in 2017. Comprised mostly of originals, it’s Berry’s first album in 38 years. Recorded primarily in his native St. Louis, Missouri, the album features his longtime backing group that includes son Charles Berry Jr. (guitar), daughter Ingrid Berry (harmonica) and his bassist of forty years, Jimmy Marsala. The group has accompanied Berry for over two decades’ worth of residency shows (some 200 performances) at St.
- 10/18/2016
- by alexheigl
- PEOPLE.com
B.B. King, the undisputed king of the blues, has died in Las Vegas, according to his lawyer. He was 89. Attorney Brent Bryson told the AP that King "died peacefully in his sleep" Thursday night in his home. The blues legend was active (and inspirational) for more than half a century. With such influences as Blind Lemon Jefferson and T-Bone Walker, King started recording in the 1940s and, over the course of his seemingly timeless career, released close to 50 records. King and his signature Gibson guitar, Lucille, dominated the genre and nabbed 15 blues Grammys, as well as a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also inducted into both the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.Riley B. King was born in Mississippi — his stage initials stood for "Blues Boy" — and from an early age showed a proclivity and passion...
- 5/15/2015
- by Sean Fitz-Gerald
- Vulture
Some inventions are mastered instantly. The earliest adapters of oil paint, including Jan van Eyck and Rogier van der Weyden, are still among the best who ever lived. After the invention of the electric guitar, early recordings confirm that Les Paul, T-Bone Walker, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe (followed soon thereafter by Jimi Hendrix) were immediate maestros, and some say the novel has never gotten better than Don Quixote. But the internet is not like these inventions or genres. We are 25 years in and we still have no van Eyck, van der Weyden, Hendrix, or Cervantes. In part, that's because nothing endures online; commerce and novelty topple all idols (even new ones); and today’s links are already decaying and may be useless in the near future. But we have no new masters also because digital technology is more than an invention, tool, or genre. It is a whole new landscape,...
- 3/3/2015
- by Jerry Saltz
- Vulture
Atlanta -- Buddy Guy knows that blues music isn't the taste of today's youth, but the Chicago guitar legend wants to show directors at radio stations and aspiring musicians that the classic sound is still alive with his new album, "Rhythm & Blues."
"I'm not saying play the blues every day like everything else," said Guy, who released the album Tuesday, the same day he turned 77. "Just play the blues two or three times a week and I'll be happy with that.
Guy is looking to make a hit by infusing his down-home country blues sound with top acts from the rock and country music realm. The double album includes guest appearances from Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Beth Hart and Gary Clark Jr.
Guy, who toured with the Rolling Stones during the 1960s, said there are a few fresh acts keeping the blues sound alive with Clark Jr.
"I'm not saying play the blues every day like everything else," said Guy, who released the album Tuesday, the same day he turned 77. "Just play the blues two or three times a week and I'll be happy with that.
Guy is looking to make a hit by infusing his down-home country blues sound with top acts from the rock and country music realm. The double album includes guest appearances from Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Beth Hart and Gary Clark Jr.
Guy, who toured with the Rolling Stones during the 1960s, said there are a few fresh acts keeping the blues sound alive with Clark Jr.
- 8/1/2013
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Orlando, Fla. (AP) — Sam Rivers, an internationally-known jazz musician who played with Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, has died. He was 88. Monique Rivers Williams says her father died Monday night from pneumonia. The Oklahoma native was a saxophonist, flutist and composer. He started his career in Boston, where he performed with Herb Pomeroy's big band in an ensemble that included future music producer Quincy Jones. In 1964, he moved to New York and was hired by Davis. He played with a diverse group of musicians there that included Gillespie, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. He moved to Orlando...
- 12/29/2011
- by AP Staff
- Hitfix
Orlando, Fla. — Sam Rivers, an internationally-known jazz musician who played with Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, has died. He was 88.
Monique Rivers Williams says her father died Monday night from pneumonia.
The Oklahoma native was a saxophonist, flutist and composer.
He started his career in Boston, where he performed with Herb Pomeroy's big band in an ensemble that included future music producer Quincy Jones. In 1964, he moved to New York and was hired by Davis. He played with a diverse group of musicians there that included Gillespie, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker.
He moved to Orlando in the early 1990s and regularly played with a group of jazz musicians whose day jobs were at Walt Disney World.
Plans are being made for a public memorial concert.
Monique Rivers Williams says her father died Monday night from pneumonia.
The Oklahoma native was a saxophonist, flutist and composer.
He started his career in Boston, where he performed with Herb Pomeroy's big band in an ensemble that included future music producer Quincy Jones. In 1964, he moved to New York and was hired by Davis. He played with a diverse group of musicians there that included Gillespie, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker.
He moved to Orlando in the early 1990s and regularly played with a group of jazz musicians whose day jobs were at Walt Disney World.
Plans are being made for a public memorial concert.
- 12/28/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
Below is an excerpt of an article that originally appeared in Rs 556 from November 30, 1998. This issue and the rest of the Rolling Stone archives are available via Rolling Stone Plus, Rolling Stone's premium subscription plan. If you are already a subscriber, you can click here to see the full story. Not a member? Click here to learn more about Rolling Stone Plus.
Riley B. King, a son of the Mississippi Delta and by everyone's admission but his own the King of the Blues, stands by a two-lane country road. He...
Riley B. King, a son of the Mississippi Delta and by everyone's admission but his own the King of the Blues, stands by a two-lane country road. He...
- 11/30/1989
- by Fred Schruers
- Rollingstone.com
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