Elliot Mazer

Elliot Mazer

 

Photo: Michael Putland/Getty Images

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Remembering Elliot Mazer, Producer Of Neil Young's 'Harvest' And Other Classic Recordings

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The no-nonsense engineer was responsible for that GRAMMY Hall Of Fame album as well as gems by Linda Ronstadt, The Band and Gordon Lightfoot
Morgan Enos
Recording Academy
Feb 13, 2021 - 9:45 am

When producer Elliot Mazer first ran into Neil Young, he barely knew who he was—much less that he'd helm his future entry in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame.

According to Jimmy McDonough's 2002 biography Shakey, Young took a trip to Nashville in 1971 to appear on "The Johnny Cash Show." There, he ran into Mazer, who had no idea who he was beyond a girlfriend who listened to After The Gold Rush unceasingly. However, the random meeting led to Young's breakthrough album and other gems, too—from 1975's American Stars 'n Bars to 1985's Old Ways to 2020's "lost" album from the mid-'70s, Homegrown.

The late producer connected Young with one of his most crucial bands, The Stray Gators—pianist Jack Nietzche, pedal steel player Ben Keith, bassist Tim Drummond and drummer Kenny Buttrey. Together, they delivered a stone classic of the singer-songwriter era and gave the world classics like "Old Man" and "Heart of Gold." In 2015, the album was enshrined in the Hall Of Fame.

While Mazer may be best known for Harvest, his legacy—with Young and other acts like Linda Ronstadt, The Band and Big Brother and the Holding Company—runs much deeper. Sadly, Mazer died Sunday (Feb. 7) of a heart attack after a years-long battle with dementia. He was 79.

"A master in the studio, Elliot was a really good guy," Young wrote in a tribute on his Archives website. "He had a great way about him, and I wish we had gotten to do more together. I am happy and thankful, though that we got what we did get. Harvest is one of my most recognized recordings and it all happened because of Elliot Mazer. Thanks Elliot. Lots of love, bro."

Mazer was born on September 5th, 1941, in New York City, and grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey. When he was 21, his neighbor, Bob Weinstock—the legendary jazz label Prestige Records owner—hired him as a tape organizer and record deliveryman. Mazer then worked at Cameo-Parkway, a Philadephia independent label.

Over the next two decades, he produced key albums by Big Brother and the Holding Company (1968's Cheap Thrills), Gordon Lightfoot (1968's Back Here on Earth and others) and Linda Ronstadt (1970's Silk Purse). He also played a role in 1978's The Last Waltz, The Band's famous document of their farewell performance at Winterland Arena in San Francisco.

Mazer was also an innovative technologist, co-inventing the "D-Zap" studio hazard detector and the AirCheck system, which automatically monitors and logs radio and TV broadcasts.

He is survived by his sister, Bonnie Murray, and his children Alison, Danielle and Jack Reid. His family has requested that all donations be given to MusiCares.

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Rupert Neve

Photo: Gary Miller/WireImage.com

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Remembering Rupert Neve, A Pioneer Who Set The Standard In Audio

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Across an eight-decade career, the brilliant and inquisitive Neve spearheaded several legendary companies and designed cutting-edge equipment, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Technical GRAMMY Award in the process
Morgan Enos
Recording Academy
Feb 19, 2021 - 1:02 pm

As a child in the 1930s, Rupert Neve loved building and repairing radios. What he could never have imagined was that he'd continue on until he was 94—nor that his contributions would be felt into 2030 and beyond.

If Neve's sole contribution to the music industry was inventing the Neve 8028 console, on which luminaries from Fleetwood Mac to Nirvana to The Who recorded classic albums, his place in the pantheon would be assured. But across an eight-decade career, Neve did much more than that.

The audio wizard spearheaded mixing consoles' move from vacuum tubes to transistors, which facilitated the capacious sound of The Beatles' Abbey Road and numerous other classics. And across the decades, he participated in a litany of audio electronics projects and mentored younger engineers.

Sadly, Neve passed away on February 12 in Wimberley, Texas, due to non-COVID pneumonia and heart failure. He was 94.

"It's all about his transformers," singer/songwriter Billy Crockett told The New York Times in response to the news. "They provide something intangible that makes the mix fit together. So when people get poetic about analog, it's how the sound comes through the transformers."

Neve was born in Newton Abbot, England, in 1926, and grew up in Argentina. As a teenager, he volunteered to serve in World War II, working on the communications side for the British military.

His early career trajectory took him from Refiffusion and Ferguson Radio to his first business, CQ Audio. In 1961, he and his wife, Evelyn, founded Neve Electronics. Three years later, he designed his first transistor-based equalizer, then built his first transistor-based mixing console for Philips Records. In 1975, the couple sold the Neve Companies. A decade later, they established Focusrite Ltd. under the name ARN Consultants, who worked on a variety of cutting-edge projects.

In 1997, Neve's accomplishments were recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Technical GRAMMY Award. In 2005, he established Rubert Neve Designs. And in 2019, he returned to the high-fidelity audio market with Fidelice. Neve is survived by his wife, five children, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Rupert Neve Is Still Making (Sound) Waves

Michael Bishop

Michael Bishop

Jordin Althaus/WireImage for XM Satellite Radio

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In Remembrance: How Michael Bishop Captured The Magic Of The Symphony

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GRAMMY-winning classical engineer Michael Bishop understood that the grandeur of the orchestra comes not just from the instruments, but the vibrating air between them
Morgan Enos
GRAMMYs
Apr 19, 2021 - 11:30 am

Most people with even a cursory understanding of recording grasp the need for isolation. If the musicians aren't contained in separate, soundproof booths, the guitar bleeds into the bass, the bass is in the vocal mic, and the cymbals seep into everything. What does this mean for classical music, where dozens of musicians are together in the same space? 

For Michael Bishop, it was simple: Embrace the bleed.

"I let leakage be my friend," the jazz, pop and classical engineer, who won 10 GRAMMYs in the latter category, said in Bobby Owsinski's 2004 book The Recording Engineer's Handbook. "I learned how to work with the leakage in the room and make it a pleasant experience instead of something to be avoided." 

By letting the air molecules between the musicians vibrate naturally, Bishop made sure the majesty of the symphony orchestra translated to your home listening system. But what about a string quartet as opposed to a massive ensemble?

"It's pretty easy to present this huge instrument which is an orchestra because just the size and numbers can give a good impression almost no matter what you might do," he added. "But a string quartet is really difficult because you can hear every little detail and the imaging is critical, particularly if you're working in stereo." Still, Bishop's surgical attention to detail meant the subtle details of catgut made it to the grooves.

Bishop, who won GRAMMYs over the decades for Best Engineered Album, Classical; Best Surround Sound Album, Best Choral Performance and various other categories, unexpectedly passed away March 29 of an unspecified cause. He was 70. 

For those unaware of his contributions to the classical sphere, dig deep into his innovative miking technique via The Recording Engineer's Handbook—and turn up his music to behold his aural architecture.

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DMX

DMX

Photo: Shahar Azran/WireImage

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In Remembrance: DMX Alchemized Pain Into Power

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The music of the late Earl "DMX" Simmons was an expression of snarling, outward energy—and that ferocity came from tremendous personal hurt
Morgan Enos
GRAMMYs
Apr 9, 2021 - 1:58 pm

Near the end of his life, DMX wept about something that happened when he was 14. Last year, on the show People's Party with Talib Kweli, the then-49-year-old told the story of Ready Ron, an MC who got him into rapping. "He was like an older brother to me," DMX said, "I didn't have any brothers." At that point, he lapsed into stunned silence. Ready Ron broke his trust, he said, by giving DMX—who had never done a drug—a joint laced with crack.

Even behind reflective sunglasses, humiliation and hurt visibly spiderwebbed across DMX's face, and he hung his head like a little boy. Tasked with counting money, he said, his mind seemed to shatter. "Why would you do that to a child?" the three-time GRAMMY nominee entreated, breathing heavily. "He was like, 30, and he knew I looked up to him. Why would you do that to somebody who looks up to you?"

Right then, "The monster was born," he declared. "The monster was born."

The word is an apt metaphor for DMX's addictions, which saw to it that he rarely stayed out of trouble. He was perpetually under arrest—for tax evasion, driving without a license, drug possession, aggravated assault. But conversely, he was also a monster artist. Across eight albums, including classics like 1998's It's Dark and Hell Is Hot and Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood and 1999's ...And Then There Was X, DMX established himself as one of the most urgent, shocking, livewire MCs of all time. 

He maintained that mantle until his death on April 7, following what his family called a "catastrophic cardiac arrest"—allegedly the result of an overdose—and days in a vegetative state. He was 50. "[We] are deeply and profoundly saddened by the loss of our brother Earl 'DMX' Simmons," his longtime label, Def Jam, said in a statement. "DMX was a brilliant artist and an inspiration to millions around the world. His message of triumph over struggle, his search for the light out of darkness, his pursuit of truth and grace brought us closer to our own humanity."

Earl "DMX" Simmons was born on December 18, 1970 in Mount Vernon, New York, and grew up in Yonkers. As a child, he survived severe asthma and regular beatings from his mother and her paramours; at one point, she reportedly knocked out his teeth with a broom handle. As DMX grew older, he began stealing cars and robbing homes, often abetted by vicious dogs. He spent a year and a half in a home for vulnerable children, later bouncing between youth group homes and juvenile detention centers.

What was a lamp in this dark existence? Music—which DMX was exceptionally precocious at. While at a boy's home, he showed aptitude for beatboxing, which led to his association with Ready Ron—and oftentimes the pair switching roles. Deeming himself "DMX" after the name of an Oberheim drum machine he used, the asthmatic kid consolidated his rage and transformed himself into an attack dog on the mic.

Across those three classic horror-rap albums—and right up to his last, 2015's Redemption of the Beast—DMX achieved violent, joyful catharsis. He could boast, like on "Get At Me Dog," "Party Up (Up in Here)," and "What's My Name?"; peer inward, as on "Slippin'"; and grapple with God, as on "Ready to Meet Him." In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he claimed to have read the entire Bible. When the Houston Press asked what came out of that, he replied, "Peace."

We'll never know how deeply that peace permeated DMX. That said, turn up his most ferocious albums, and it's clear the MC had the ineffable ability to transmute pain into power.

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Johnny Pacheco

Johnny Pacheco

Photo: Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images

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In Remembrance: How Johnny Pacheco Preached The Gospel Of Salsa To The World

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The soul-stirring genre would be unrecognizable without Johnny Pacheco, the bandleader who proliferated the international sound as a solo artist and the co-founder of Fania Records
Morgan Enos
GRAMMYs
Feb 16, 2021 - 2:59 pm

Chances are you've heard salsa music, or at least heard of it. But what exactly is it, ingredient by ingredient? Let Johnny Pacheco, who helped popularize the genre back in the 1960s, spell it out for us.

"Salsa came mainly from the Cuban music," the Dominican multi-instrumentalist, bandleader and label founder explained to La Voz Del Mambo in 2005. "Its roots are mambo, rhumba, son montuno, guaracha, guaguanco, guajira, cha cha chá." Which sounds like a lot to distill into one sound, right? Even if you aren't familiar with those genres? Not for Pacheco. When he lifted a flute to his lips, those seven threads braided into one—so much so, that he sometimes felt more like an orator than a musician.

Some call Fania Records the Motown of that catchall genre, and Pacheco was its co-founder. (His partner was Jerry Masucci, an ex-NYPD cop-turned-attorney.) Throughout the '60s and '70s, the pair expanded a small operation into a label synonymous with salsa itself, with flagship artists like the Fania All-Stars defining the genre for millions. Not only that, Pacheco prolifically released his own albums through the label, like his classic team-up with Cruz, 1974's Celia & Johnny. Altogether, he received five GRAMMY Award nominations, and in 2005, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin GRAMMYs.

Sadly, Pacheco died Monday (Feb. 15) in Teaneck, New Jersey, after being hospitalized for pneumonia. His wife, Cuqui, confirmed the news, as reported by The New York Times. He was 85.

In a BBC clip from 1988, Cruz sums up Pacheco's magnitude. Together with percussion extraordinaire Tito Puente at Victor's Cafe in New York City, Cruz leads them in call-and-response. "I've always been a lucky girl, fortune's always held my hand / Since I joined Sonora Matancera, Cuba's most popular band," she croons in Spanish. "It was with Sonora I got my break / I came from Cuba to New York / In search of something different / And I was lucky to record with the great Tito Puente / With Tito Puente it went really well / But the best was yet to come / Then I met Johnny Pacheco, star of the Dominican Republic!"

That star was born Juan Azarías Pacheco Knipping in Santiago de los Caballeros, the second-largest city in the country. His father, Rafael Pacheco, played clarinet in and led the Orquesta Santa Cecilia, a prominent Dominican big band. When Pacheco was 11, his family relocated to New York. He went on to study percussion at Julliard and work with luminaries like Charlie Palmieri before starting his own group, Pacheco y Su Charanga, in 1960.

At 25, Pacheco and his band took the stage at the Tritons Club in the Bronx. There, he introduced a dance called the pachanga (or "Pacheco" mixed with "charanga," meaning a Cuban dance group). Record producer Al Santiago took notice and signed him with his label, Alegre, for their self-titled debut album. 1961's Pacheco y Su Charanga was a blockbuster hit, selling 100,000 copies in its first year of release. And with that success under his belt, Pacheco pachanga-ed his way through venues the world over.

When the pachanga started to lose steam, Pacheco left Alegre and started Fania with the help of Mascussi—an Italian-American enamored with sounds from south of the border. At first, Pacheco sold records to music stores out of the trunk of his car. The label grew legs thanks to Canonazo, his hit 1964 record with vocalist Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez. Fania's growing clout led to greats like bassist Bobby Valentín, pianist Larry Harlow and percussionist Ray Barretto climbing aboard.

Was Pacheco the one to christen salsa as a genre? He wasn't sure, although he didn't rule it out. "I don't know if I was the first to call it salsa," he told Home News Tribune of East Brunswick in 2000, "but the reason I called it salsa is because we started to travel with all types of Latin [influenced] musicians, so I called it salsa to put it all under one roof. We had the Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, two Jews and one Englishman—it was a nice salsa."

The troupe of signees grew in such numbers that the label curated the Fania All-Stars, a supergroup that showcased Fania Records' ocean of talent. "I would say one of the most memorable moments was the day of our first debut; it was in a club called Alpagado," Pacheco told La Voz Del Mambo. "That was when the members of La Fania All-Stars were all original band members. The acceptance and welcoming of the crowd [were] not what I ever expected. It was warm and exciting."

In 1972, the ensemble appeared in Nuestra Cosa Latina (or, "Our Latin Thing"), a Leon Gast-directed documentary about their concert at the Cheetah nightclub in Manhattan. The following year, the Fania All-Stars played one of the most momentous gigs in Latin music history for 45,000 people at Yankee Stadium; the celebratory commotion almost derailed the team’s home games for the remainder of that year’s season. In 1974, Celia & Johnny was released. The album became a massive hit, solidifying Cruz's stature as the Queen of Salsa and leading to nearly a dozen collaborative albums between the pair.

Masucci took sole control of the label in 1977; Pacheco sold his share in 1980. After a commercially fallow decade for salsa, a series of All-Stars reunion concerts kicked up a wave of revisitation in the early '90s. In 2005, Pacheco's family sold Fania to the music distributor Código Music. In 2013, Concord purchased their catalog; they continue to rerelease old Fania titles for the public under the Craft Latino imprint.

So, as the man who helped define salsa and proliferate it throughout the world, what did Pacheco believe the genre could do?

"Our music is meant to have fun; it is meant to wake up the dead," he told La Voz Del Mambo, segueing into a story about a Toronto gig where the opening act was a snooze. "'I said, "This is going to be a challenge,'" he recalled. "When we got on stage, the crowd was dying, and I said, "In a few minutes, you guys are going to be tapping your toes." 

Then, "We played '[Quimbara],'" he said. "We had to come back three times [for an] encore."

For The Record: Celebrating Cuban Sensation & Queen Of Salsa Celia Cruz

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