Steve Backer - RIP

[BFrank]

Steve Backer, a Force for Jazz at Major Labels, Dies at 76

[mikeweil]

Now here's someone who lived up to his name! I remember reading his name in the production credits on a lot of good albums. Thanks for the good work, and rest in peace.

[sidewinder]

Certainly big thanks to him for backing artists like Mulgrew Miller and Hilton Ruiz on RCA Novus plus those various releases/reissues for Arista/Savoy. RIP.

Edited May 5, 2014 by sidewinder

[clifford_thornton]

Wow - sad news. Didn't see this last month.

[CraigP]

Wow! A shock, thank you for all the great albums you helped see the light of day.

[Bill Nelson]

While I was Music Director at my college radio station (WRIU-FM) in the 70's, we received a flood of promo LPs from ABC/Impulse and Arista produced by Steve Backer*.

Most of these albums were cutting-edge, free jazz that were all the more amazing coming from a major label. "Whoever this Backer guy is, he's got insight and chutzpah."

I'd say 95% of them got added to our station's jazz library. By shipping to so many college stations, Steve Backer helped open-up the minds of an emerging generation.

* with creds to Ed Michel for his fine jazz productions at ABC/Impulse

[JSngry]

Yep. No idea how that business really worked, but...don't need to. It worked as intended until it didn't, and when it didn't, that was most unfortunate.