Jim Beard, a Grammy-winning keyboardist, composer and member of Steely Dan since 2008, died Saturday in a New York hospital of issues from a sudden sickness, a publicist introduced. He was 63.
Beard had been touring with Donald Fagen’s Steely Dan on the Eagles’ present “Lengthy Goodbye” tour; his last efficiency was Jan. 20 in Phoenix.
Beard labored alongside such jazz legends as Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin and recorded with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, The Brecker Brothers, Dianne Reeves, Meshell Ndegeocello and Steve Vai throughout his profession.
He produced for Chick Corea, Al Jarreau and Esperanza Spalding and taught at establishments together with the Mason Gross College of Arts, Berklee Faculty of Music, Aaron Copland College of Music and the Sibelius Academy in Finland.
Beard recorded six solo CDs spanning the years 1990-2013 and received his Grammy in 2007 as a featured performer on the album Some Skunk Funk, from Randy and Michael Brecker.
Beard was born on Aug. 26, 1960, in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. He attended Indiana College and labored with acts together with Connie Stevens, Roger Miller and Bobby Rydell earlier than organising store in New York in 1985.
Survivors embody his youngsters, Victor and Caitlin; his mom, Sarah; his sister, Nancy; and his brother, Invoice.
Metheny known as Beard “one of many few folks round whose perception into the previous is full sufficient to take him to the long run, and with a extremely refined and delicate musicality at work, he’s one musician from whom I all the time await every new launch with anticipation.”
