Michael Cuscuna, the three-time Grammy winner, Mosaic Data co-founder, historian and archivist who produced lots of of jazz reissues and studio classes throughout his profession, has died. He was 75.
Cuscuna died Saturday of most cancers at his house in Stamford, Connecticut, Grammy-winning recording artist Billy Vera, a longtime pal, introduced.
Cuscuna produced the 1970 album Buddy & the Juniors, that includes Buddy Man, Junior Wells and Junior Mance, for Vanguard Data, and 1972’s Give It Up, Bonnie Raitt’s lone gold album throughout her time at Warner Bros.
He produced reissues and studio classes for Impulse, Atlantic, Arista, Muse, Elektra, Freedom, Novus and just about the whole Blue Be aware catalog.
“Plainly acknowledged, Blue Be aware Data wouldn’t exist because it does at the moment with out the eagerness & dedication of Michael Cuscuna,” execs from the label wrote on Instagram.
Readers of Blues & Rhythm journal know his work within the blues area, which included field units on T-Bone Walker, Amos Milburn, Charles Brown and the Otis Spann/Lightnin’ Hopkins Candid classes.
Nominated 9 occasions in all, Cuscuna acquired his Grammys in 1993, 1999 and 2002, respectively, for producing field units of music from Nat King Cole, Miles Davis and Billie Vacation.
Born on Sept. 20, 1948, in Stamford, Connecticut, Cuscuna performed drums, saxophone and flute whereas working in an area document store. He was drawn to R&B earlier than jazz grew to become his biggest love.
As a radio DJ, his theme tune was the novelty tune “Rubber Biscuit” by The Chips, later coated by the Blues Brothers. When requested what was his favourite type of music, he at all times answered, “Atlantic singles and Blue Be aware albums.”
He culled the Blue Be aware vaults for unissued treasures by such label masters as Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Horace Silver, Artwork Blakey and Jimmy Smith in addition to lesser-known performers together with Quebec, Hank Mobley and Tina Brooks.
Additionally for Blue Be aware, he uncovered gems by Lester Younger, Sonny Criss and Artwork Pepper, and his work on Michael Ruppli label discographies from firm recordsdata was invaluable.
In later years, he gained possession of Blue Be aware’s huge photographic library, licensing pictures to books and movies.
With out Mosaic — which he based in 1982 with Charlie Lourie — the whole Roulette recordings of Rely Basie, the whole Capitol Duke Ellington classes and numerous different gems may nonetheless be hidden away or misplaced perpetually, Vera famous.
Survivors embody his spouse, Lisa, kids Max and Lauren and grandchildren Nicolas and Penelope.
“Michael and I have been shut buddies for almost 60 years,” Vera, who had a No. 1 tune with “At This Second” in 1987, mentioned in a press release. “When again east, I stayed at his house, annoying Lisa, who put up with our often-sarcastic humorousness. Our many lunches with [producer-discographer] Bob Porter have been legendary for our obscurest dives into musical esoterica. The three of us adamantly refused to just accept any dividing line between blues and jazz.
“In 1989, Blue Be aware chief Bruce Lundvall requested us to supply Lou Rawls. We gathered legends like Richard Tee, Cornell Dupree, Hank Crawford, David Newman, Benny Golson, Stanley Turrentine, George Benson, Ray Charles and Lionel Hampton, reviving Lou’s profession with the No. 1 jazz album At Final, adopted by two extra that landed within the high 5. It was the best enjoyable we ever had.”
Michael Cuscuna and Billy Vera circa 1991
Courtesy of Jesse Anders/Bellona Leisure
