George Avakian

Born in Russia in 1919 but raised in the U.S. by his Armenian parents, George Avakian's contributions to jazz were huge across the greater part of the 20th century. He was a jazz critic as early as 1937, wrote about jazz for Mademoiselle and Pic during 1946-1948, helped revise Charles Delauney's famous Hot Discography when it was first published in the U.S. in 1948, and contributed to both Down Beat and Metronome. Avakian's greatest importance was as a producer. He put together one of the first jazz albums, Chicago Jazz, for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Decca%22">Decca</a> in 1940. Soon afterwards he began producing jazz records for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia%22">Columbia</a>, becoming quite influential in the 1950s when he also worked for the popular music department. Among the many artists who he worked closely with were <a href="spotify:artist:19eLuQmk9aCobbVDHc6eek">Louis Armstrong</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3kUKwTJdH8FuWzF8p6Dg9E">Dave Brubeck</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4F7Q5NV6h5TSwCainz8S5A">Duke Ellington</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0kbYTNQb4Pb1rPbbaF0pT4">Miles Davis</a>, and he frequently penned insightful liner notes. After leaving <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia%22">Columbia</a> in 1958, Avakian worked for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22World+Pacific%22">World Pacific</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Warner+Bros.%22">Warner Bros.</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22RCA%22">RCA</a>, freelanced with many other labels, and was an important supporter of <a href="spotify:artist:0GC1oqEWpiAjfE7jm5LQO5">the Charles Lloyd Quartet</a>. With over 70 years in the jazz business, Avakian received such recognition as a Grammy Trustees Award in 2009 and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2010. He died at his home in Manhattan in November 2017; George Avakian was 98 years old. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi