Rudy Van Gelder, influential sound engineer, dead at 92
August 29, 2016 12:58 PM Subscribe
Rudy Van Gelder, best known for his work at legendary Bluenote Records, influential sound engineer, dead at 92. (Previously on Metafilter, RVG) Spotify playlist of his recordings.
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Jazzwax has a nice write-up.
...and damn, I was just listening to the RVG edition of Dialogue with Bobby Hutcherson, who also passed this week.
posted by HumanComplex at 1:11 PM on August 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
Jazzwax has a nice write-up.
...and damn, I was just listening to the RVG edition of Dialogue with Bobby Hutcherson, who also passed this week.
posted by HumanComplex at 1:11 PM on August 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
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posted by Smart Dalek at 1:16 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by Smart Dalek at 1:16 PM on August 29, 2016
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God clearly loves jazz; he found a recording engineer who was a genius and could put up with Alfred Lion.
In the late 1990s he worked as a recording engineer for some of the songs featured on the soundtrack to the TV Show Cowboy Bebop.[12]
What. Is that true? Wikipedia link is dead.
posted by selfnoise at 1:17 PM on August 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
God clearly loves jazz; he found a recording engineer who was a genius and could put up with Alfred Lion.
In the late 1990s he worked as a recording engineer for some of the songs featured on the soundtrack to the TV Show Cowboy Bebop.[12]
What. Is that true? Wikipedia link is dead.
posted by selfnoise at 1:17 PM on August 29, 2016 [2 favorites]
*Bobby Hutcherson died Aug. 15th, not "this week" sorry.
posted by HumanComplex at 1:20 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by HumanComplex at 1:20 PM on August 29, 2016
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posted by The Card Cheat at 1:27 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by The Card Cheat at 1:27 PM on August 29, 2016
The man was involved on everything. I'd search out new records not by artists, but by the name Rudy Van Gelder.
Godspeed, sir.
posted by Capt. Renault at 1:28 PM on August 29, 2016 [5 favorites]
Godspeed, sir.
posted by Capt. Renault at 1:28 PM on August 29, 2016 [5 favorites]
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You only have to go back fifteen to twenty years and hear how poorly Charlie Parker and his bands were (often) recorded to really appreciate how beautifully the Van Gelder era was captured on wax. No matter where the players or the tune fell on the scale of delicate-to-thunderous, the collective work of the ensemble always mattered and was always captured with the sensitivity and nuance they deserved.
. (Here's one for Bobby Hutcherson - I fucking love his Happenings album. Herbie's original "Maiden Voyage" is terrific. Hutch's version is ethereal.)
posted by GamblingBlues at 1:38 PM on August 29, 2016 [7 favorites]
You only have to go back fifteen to twenty years and hear how poorly Charlie Parker and his bands were (often) recorded to really appreciate how beautifully the Van Gelder era was captured on wax. No matter where the players or the tune fell on the scale of delicate-to-thunderous, the collective work of the ensemble always mattered and was always captured with the sensitivity and nuance they deserved.
. (Here's one for Bobby Hutcherson - I fucking love his Happenings album. Herbie's original "Maiden Voyage" is terrific. Hutch's version is ethereal.)
posted by GamblingBlues at 1:38 PM on August 29, 2016 [7 favorites]
I'm just now getting to know Andrew Hill's music, listening to the Mosaic set of his sixties Blue Notes, so I'll join the crowd paying dual homage to RVG and Hutcherson.
posted by in278s at 1:40 PM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by in278s at 1:40 PM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
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I knew that a lot of my favorite jazz albums were often titled "The Rudy Van Gelder edition" on various streaming services, but even then I didn't realize the scope of his work until now. That playlist is going to be my background music for a while.
posted by thecaddy at 1:44 PM on August 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
I knew that a lot of my favorite jazz albums were often titled "The Rudy Van Gelder edition" on various streaming services, but even then I didn't realize the scope of his work until now. That playlist is going to be my background music for a while.
posted by thecaddy at 1:44 PM on August 29, 2016 [3 favorites]
I heard about this last week. Sad. Probably over half of my jazz collection are Van Gelders. Are there engineers out there today like him? With that kind of care and deep knowledge about the craft?
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posted by Thorzdad at 1:58 PM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
♪
posted by Thorzdad at 1:58 PM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
He was also behind most of the CTI catalog (playlist). The guy almost single-handedly shepherded the cutting edge of recording techniques in the 20th century. Would that he had written a guide to his techniques to be released posthumously.
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posted by rhizome at 1:58 PM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by rhizome at 1:58 PM on August 29, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by talking leaf at 2:22 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by talking leaf at 2:22 PM on August 29, 2016
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posted by Seekerofsplendor at 2:52 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by Seekerofsplendor at 2:52 PM on August 29, 2016
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posted by doctor_negative at 3:34 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by doctor_negative at 3:34 PM on August 29, 2016
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posted by mondo dentro at 4:47 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by mondo dentro at 4:47 PM on August 29, 2016
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posted by bonobothegreat at 6:06 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by bonobothegreat at 6:06 PM on August 29, 2016
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posted by a lungful of dragon at 6:13 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by a lungful of dragon at 6:13 PM on August 29, 2016
A Love Supreme
The Sidewinder
Maiden Voyage
Out to Lunch
Speak No Evil
Live at the Village Vanguard
Blues-ette
Red Clay
and so many more…
You could get an almost complete introduction to jazz just by listening to albums he worked on.
posted by saul wright at 7:46 PM on August 29, 2016 [12 favorites]
The Sidewinder
Maiden Voyage
Out to Lunch
Speak No Evil
Live at the Village Vanguard
Blues-ette
Red Clay
and so many more…
You could get an almost complete introduction to jazz just by listening to albums he worked on.
posted by saul wright at 7:46 PM on August 29, 2016 [12 favorites]
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posted by Inkslinger at 9:47 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by Inkslinger at 9:47 PM on August 29, 2016
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posted by Standard Orange at 9:51 PM on August 29, 2016
posted by Standard Orange at 9:51 PM on August 29, 2016
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You could get an almost complete introduction to jazz just by listening to albums he worked on.
You are absolutely right, saul wright, and I'd just want to add to your list Miles Davis' Workin' and Steamin', and Thelonious' Monk.
posted by On the Corner at 12:38 AM on August 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
You could get an almost complete introduction to jazz just by listening to albums he worked on.
You are absolutely right, saul wright, and I'd just want to add to your list Miles Davis' Workin' and Steamin', and Thelonious' Monk.
posted by On the Corner at 12:38 AM on August 30, 2016 [4 favorites]
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posted by misteraitch at 1:46 AM on August 30, 2016
posted by misteraitch at 1:46 AM on August 30, 2016
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posted by Mister Bijou at 3:12 AM on August 30, 2016
posted by Mister Bijou at 3:12 AM on August 30, 2016
I struggled to get a foothold when trying to educate myself in jazz till I realised that almost everything released by Blue Note between 1955 and 1965 is great. Rudy Van Gelder played an enormous part in ensuring that was the case.
posted by Paul Slade at 3:17 AM on August 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Paul Slade at 3:17 AM on August 30, 2016 [2 favorites]
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I wonder what kind of equipment he used when working in his parents living room? I'd love to know
posted by james33 at 3:19 AM on August 30, 2016
I wonder what kind of equipment he used when working in his parents living room? I'd love to know
posted by james33 at 3:19 AM on August 30, 2016
He was also behind most of the CTI catalog
Lord, he's pretty much responsible for 90s hip-hop as well then.
I did not know this name. I will look out now.
posted by solarion at 3:30 AM on August 30, 2016 [6 favorites]
Lord, he's pretty much responsible for 90s hip-hop as well then.
I did not know this name. I will look out now.
posted by solarion at 3:30 AM on August 30, 2016 [6 favorites]
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:(
The bread and butter of my musical education (such as it is, ha) was jazz. 2016 sucks.
posted by iffthen at 3:38 AM on August 30, 2016
:(
The bread and butter of my musical education (such as it is, ha) was jazz. 2016 sucks.
posted by iffthen at 3:38 AM on August 30, 2016
I went into a Wikipedia hole about Rudy Van Gelder last month because I took a close listen to A Love Supreme because a dude on the 2 was wearing a Coltrane shirt. So thanks dude on the 2 'Trane!
PS I gotta up my t-shirt game.
posted by whuppy at 5:50 AM on August 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
PS I gotta up my t-shirt game.
posted by whuppy at 5:50 AM on August 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by pianoblack at 6:06 AM on August 30, 2016
posted by pianoblack at 6:06 AM on August 30, 2016
RVG also recorded the best LPs of Rev. Gary Davis, immortalizing him at his best for future generations of guitarists.
posted by rdone at 6:37 AM on August 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by rdone at 6:37 AM on August 30, 2016 [1 favorite]
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posted by Going To Maine at 4:27 PM on August 30, 2016
posted by Going To Maine at 4:27 PM on August 30, 2016
As I said in a 2003 post, I started buying Blue Note albums 40 years ago with Hank Mobley‘s wonderful No Room For Squares. My absolute favorites engineered by Van Gelder, of the many in my collection, probably would be the first three on saul wright's list above, plus Horace Silver’s Song For My Father and Donald Byrd’s A New Perspective. RIP Rudy.
posted by LeLiLo at 11:23 PM on August 30, 2016
posted by LeLiLo at 11:23 PM on August 30, 2016
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