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Victor Feldman

English jazz musician (1934–1987) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Victor Feldman
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Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987)[1] was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as an adult. Feldman emigrated to the United States in the mid-1950s, where he continued working in jazz and also as a session musician with a variety of pop and rock performers.

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Early life

Feldman was born in Edgware on 7 April 1934.[2] He caused a sensation as a musical prodigy when he was "discovered", aged seven. His family were all musical and his father founded the Feldman Swing Club in London in 1942 to showcase his talented sons.[3] Feldman performed from a young age: "from 1941 to 1947 he played drums in a trio with his brothers; when he was nine he took up piano and when he was 14 started playing vibraphone".[2] He featured in the films King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942) and Theatre Royal (1943). In 1944, he was featured at a concert with Glenn Miller's AAAF band, as "Kid Krupa" (in reference to drummer Gene Krupa).[4] He also "took a prominent role in the musical Piccadilly Hayride" (1946–1948).[2]

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Professional life and career

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His drums teacher Carlo Krahmer encouraged Feldman to play the vibraphone which he did first in the Ralph Sharon Sextet and later in the Roy Fox band. Feldman played with Vic Lewis and Ted Heath.[2] Feldman played with Sharon from late 1949 to 1951, including performances in Switzerland.[2] There were further overseas trips with Ronnie Scott (to Paris in 1952), and Harry Parry (to India).[2] He also played with Parry in the UK from October 1953 to January 1954.[2] From 1954, when he recorded with Jimmy Deuchar, and played again with Scott, "he was working mainly as a pianist and vibraphonist; his early vibraphone playing showed the influence of Milt Jackson".[2]

He was a notable percussionist, but it was as a pianist and vibraphone player that he became best known.[5]

Before leaving the UK to work in the US, Feldman recorded with Ronnie Scott's orchestra and quintet from 1954 to 1955, which also featured other important British jazz musicians such as Phil Seamen and Hank Shaw. It was Scott who recommended that Feldman emigrate to the US, which he did in 1955.[6] Once there, his first steady work was with the Woody Herman Herd.[6] He had frequent return trips to the UK over the following years.[6] His 8-week visit in 1956–57 included studio recording sessions and club appearances.[6] After Herman he joined Buddy DeFranco for a short time.[2] In 1958, he had his own working band on the west coast, which included the innovative bassist Scott LaFaro. His 1958 album The Arrival of Victor Feldman includes LaFaro and Stan Levey on drums. He recorded with many jazz artists, including Benny Goodman, George Shearing, Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis, most notably on Davis' 1963 album Seven Steps to Heaven, the title tune being his own composition. Davis invited Feldman to join his group full-time, but Feldman declined, preferring the stability of studio work to the career of a touring musician.[7] The 5-CD Shelly Manne Black Hawk set, originally released on LP in September 1959, is a good representation of Feldman's unmistakable driving comping behind the soloists, helping to define the session as a valuable hard bop genre element.

In 1957, Feldman settled in Los Angeles permanently and then specialised in lucrative session work for the US film and recording industry, with the exception of joining the Cannonball Adderley Quintet in 1960-61.[8] Feldman's vibraphone soloing is featured extensively on the Grammy Award-winning The Music from Peter Gunn, with AllMusic writing, "There's some particularly impressive work by drummer Shelly Manne and vibes player Victor Feldman, whose cool, understated playing seems to deliberately recall that of Milt Jackson."[9]

He also branched out to work with a variety of musicians outside of jazz, recording with artists such as Frank Zappa in 1967, Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell in the 1970s and Tom Waits and Joe Walsh in the 1980s. Feldman appeared on all seven Steely Dan albums released in the 1970s and 1980s in the band's first incarnation.

Feldman died of a heart attack in 1987 at his home in Los Angeles, aged 53, following an asthma attack.[6]

In 2009, he was inducted in the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.[10]

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Discography

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As leader

More information Year recorded, Title ...

As sideman

With David Ackles

With Arthur Adams

With Pepper Adams

With Cannonball Adderley

With Nat Adderley

With Alessi Brothers

  • Alessi (A&M Records, 1976)
  • Long Time Friends (Qwest Records, 1982)

With Peter Allen

With Gregg Allman Band

With Curtis Amy

With Patti Austin

With Hoyt Axton

With The Beach Boys

With The Beau Brummels

With Bob Bennett

With Stephen Bishop

With Bobby Bland

  • Reflections in Blue (ABC Records, 1977)

With Blue Magic

  • Message from the Magic (Atco, 1978)

With Karla Bonoff

With Terence Boylan

  • Terence Boylan (Asylum, 1977)
  • Suzy (Asylum, 1980)

With Teresa Brewer

  • Music, Music, Music (Amsterdam, 1973)

With Toni Brown

  • Toni Brown (Fantasy, 1980)

With Solomon Burke

  • Electronic Magnetism (MGM Records, 1971)

With Kim Carnes

With Valerie Carter

With Johnny Cash

With David Cassidy

With Chad and Jeremy

  • The Ark (Columbia, 1968)

With Kerry Chater

  • Part Time Love (Warner Bros. Records, 1977)
  • Love on a Shoestring (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)

With Cher

With James Clay

With Rita Coolidge

With Bob Cooper

With Jerry Corbetta

  • Jerry Corbetta (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)

With Christopher Cross

With Dalbello

With Miles Davis

With Kiki Dee

With Buddy DeFranco

With Jackie DeShannon

With Cliff De Young

  • Cliff De Young (MCA, 1975)

With Neil Diamond

With The 5th Dimension

With Dion DiMucci

With Ned Doheny

With The Doobie Brothers

With Charlie Dore

  • Listen! (Chrysalis Records, 1981)

With Yvonne Elliman

  • Yvonne (RSO Records, 1979)

With The Emotions

With Phil Everly

  • Star Spangled Springer (RCA Records, 1973)

With The Everly Brothers

With José Feliciano

With The Floaters

  • Float Into the Future (MCA Records, 1979)

With Four Tops

With Michael Franks

With The Free Movement

With Glenn Frey

With Richie Furay

  • Dance a Little Light (Asylum Records, 1978)

With Ted Gärdestad

With Terry Garthwaite

  • Hand in Glove (Fantasy, 1978)

With Marvin Gaye

With Amy Grant

With Cyndi Grecco

With Lani Hall

  • Blush (A&M, 1980)

With Albert Hammond

With Woody Herman

With Dan Hill

  • If Dreams Had Wings (Epic Records, 1980)

With Paul Horn

With Thelma Houston

With Paul Jabara

With Milt Jackson

With Al Jarreau

  • Jarreau (Warner Bros. Records, 1983)

With Elton John

With J. J. Johnson

With Plas Johnson

With Jack Jones

  • Harbour (RCA Victor, 1974)
  • With One More Look at You (RCA Victor, 1977)

With Quincy Jones

With Rickie Lee Jones

With Sam Jones

With Thomas Jefferson Kaye

  • Thomas Jefferson Kaye (Dunhill Records, 1973)
  • First Grade (Dunhill Records, 1974)

With The Keane Brothers

  • The Keane Brothers (20th Century Records, 1977)

With Stan Kenton

  • Hair (Capitol, 1969)

With Barney Kessel

With B.B. King

With Bobby King

  • Bobby King (Warner Bros. Records, 1981)

With John Klemmer

With Gladys Knight

With Nicolette Larson

With Peggy Lee

With Ketty Lester

  • Ketty Lester (Records By Pete, 1969)

With Gordon Lightfoot

  • Shadows (Warner Bros. Records, 1982)

With Lulu

  • Lulu (Polydor Records, 1973)

With Mary MacGregor

With Henry Mancini

With Harvey Mandel

  • Righteous (Phillips, 1969)

With Shelly Manne

With Jon Mark

  • Songs for a Friend (Columbia, 1975)

With Gene McDaniels

  • Natural Juices (Ode, 1975)

With Bobby McFerrin

With Kate & Anna McGarrigle

With Carmen McRae

With Randy Meisner

With Melanie

  • Photograph (Atlantic Records, 1976)
  • Seventh Wave (Neighbourhood Records, 1983)

With Jim Messina

  • Messina (Warner Bros. Records, 1981)

With Stephanie Mills

With Liza Minnelli

With Adam Mitchell

  • Redhead in Trouble (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)

With Blue Mitchell

With Joni Mitchell

With The Miracles

With The Monkees

With Melba Moore

With Maria Muldaur

  • Sweet Harmony (Reprise Records, 1976)
  • Open Your Eyes (Warner Bros. Records, 1979)

With Michael Martin Murphey

With Anne Murray

With Oliver Nelson

With Michael Nesmith

With Randy Newman

With Olivia Newton-John

With Wayne Newton

  • Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast (Chelsea, 1972)
  • While We're Still Young (Chelsea, 1973)
  • She Believes in Me (Aries, 1979)

With Nielsen Pearson

  • Nielsen/Pearson (Capitol, 1980)

With Kenny Nolan

  • A Song Between Us (Polydor, 1978)

With Alan O'Day

  • Appetizers (Pacific, 1977)
  • Oh Johnny! (Pacific, 1979)

With Pages

  • Pages (Epic, 1978)

With Freda Payne

With Leslie Pearl

  • Words & Music (RCA Records, 1982)

With Art Pepper and Zoot Sims

With Esther Phillips

  • All About Esther (Mercury Records, 1978)

With Sam Phillips

With Poco

With June Pointer

  • Baby Sister (Planet Records, 1983)

With Jean-Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa

With Billy Preston

With Lou Rawls

  • Love All Your Blues Away (Epic, 1986)

With Helen Reddy

With Della Reese

With Minnie Riperton

  • Minnie (Capitol Records, 1979)

With Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton

With Sonny Rollins

With Brenda Russell

With Evie Sands

  • Estate Of Mind (Haven Records, 1974)
  • Suspended Animation (RCA Victor, 1979)

With Leo Sayer

  • Here (Chrysalis Records, 1979)

With Boz Scaggs

With Lalo Schifrin

With Seals and Crofts

With Bud Shank

With Carly Simon

With Patrick Simmons

  • Arcade (Elektra, 1983)

With Frank Sinatra

With The Singers Unlimited

  • Feeling Free (Pausa, 1975)
  • A Special Blend (MPS, 1976)

With O. C. Smith

  • Together (Caribou, 1977)

With David Soul

  • Band of Friends (Energy, 1979)

With Dusty Springfield

  • Cameo (ABC Dunhill Records, 1973)

With Candi Staton

  • Young Hearts Run Free (Warner Bros. Records, 1976)
  • House of Love (Warner Bros. Records, 1978)

With Steely Dan

With Foster Sylvers

With The Sylvers

With James Taylor

With Livingston Taylor

With Willie Tee

  • Anticipation (United Artists Records, 1976)

With Three Dog Night

With Mel Tormé

With The Manhattan Transfer

With Gino Vannelli

With Leroy Vinnegar

With Tom Waits

With Narada Michael Walden

With Wendy Waldman

  • The Main Refrain (Warner Bros. Records, 1976)

With Joe Walsh

With Dionne Warwick

With Wayne Watson

  • Man in the Middle (Milk & Honey, 1984)

With Jimmy Webb

With The Whispers

With Deniece Williams

With Joe Williams

  • With Love (Temponic, 1972)

With Lenny Williams

  • Taking Chances (MCA Records, 1981)

With Paul Williams

With Gerald Wilson

With Renn Woods

  • Out of the Woods (Columbia, 1979)

With Betty Wright

  • Betty Wright (Epic Records, 1981)

With The Youngbloods

With Frank Zappa

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References

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