Teo Macero
Macero at the first Miles Davis Conference held at Washington University in St. Louis, MO on May 11, 1996 (photo:Catherine Rankovic).
Background information
Birth name	Attilio Joseph Macero
Also known as	Teo Macero
Born	October 30, 1925(1925-10-30)
Origin	Glens Falls, New York, U.S.
Died	February 19, 2008 (aged 82) New York, U.S.
Genre(s)	Jazz, Classical, Third Stream, Orchestral jazz
Occupation(s)	Composer, saxophonist, Producer
Instrument(s)	Saxophone
Years active	1953–2008
Label(s)	Columbia
Associated acts	Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck

Teo Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008), born Attilio Joseph Macero, was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, and record producer. Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Glens Falls is a City in Warren County, New York, United States. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Third stream is a term coined in 1957 by composer Gunther Schuller to describe a Musical genre which is a Synthesis of classical music Orchestral jazz is a Jazz genre developed in the United States in the 1920s most significantly by Fletcher Henderson and Duke Ellington. A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26 1926 &ndash September 28 1991 was an American Jazz Trumpeter, Bandleader, and Composer. Charles Mingus ( 22 April 1922 &ndash 5 January 1979) was an American Jazz Bassist, Composer, Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 - February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz Pianist and Composer. David Warren Brubeck (born December 6, 1920 in Concord California) better known as Dave Brubeck, is an American jazz pianist Events 637 - Antioch surrenders to the Muslim forces under Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of Iron bridge. Year 1925 ( MCMXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States The saxophone (commonly referred to simply as sax) is a conical- bored transposing Musical instrument considered a member of the Woodwind A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance In the Music industry, a record producer or music producer has many roles among them controlling the recording sessions coaching and guiding the musicians organizing He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years, and most notably produced the Miles Davis album, Kind of Blue, which at #12, is the highest-ranked jazz album on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and according to the RIAA, is the best-selling jazz album of all time. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26 1926 &ndash September 28 1991 was an American Jazz Trumpeter, Bandleader, and Composer. Kind of Blue is an album by American Jazz musician Miles Davis, released August 17 1959 on Columbia Records, in both Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Macero also produced Davis' Bitches Brew, and Dave Brubeck's Time Out, which, along with Kind of Blue, are three of the best-known and most influential jazz albums of all time. Bitches Brew is a studio Double album by Jazz musician David Warren Brubeck (born December 6, 1920 in Concord California) better known as Dave Brubeck, is an American jazz pianist Time Out is a 1959 Album by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, based upon the use of Time signatures that were unusual for Jazz (mainly

Biography

Early work

Teo Macero was born and raised in Glens Falls, New York. Glens Falls is a City in Warren County, New York, United States. After serving in the United States Navy, he moved to New York City in 1948 to attend the Juilliard School of Music. The City of New York The Juilliard School, located in New York City, is a world renowned Performing arts conservatory. He studied composition, and graduated from Juilliard in 1953 with Bachelor's and Master's degrees. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and

In 1953, Macero co-founded Charles Mingus' Jazz Composers Workshop, and became a major contributor to the New York City avant-garde jazz scene. Charles Mingus ( 22 April 1922 &ndash 5 January 1979) was an American Jazz Bassist, Composer, As a composer, Macero wrote in an atonal style, as well as in Third Stream, a synthesis of jazz and classical music. Atonality in its broadest sense describes Music that lacks a tonal center, or key. Third stream is a term coined in 1957 by composer Gunther Schuller to describe a Musical genre which is a Synthesis of classical music Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music He performed live, and recorded several albums with Mingus and the other Workshop members over the next three years, including Jazzical Moods (in 1954) and Jazz Composers Workshop (in 1955).

During this time, Macero also recorded Explorations (DLP-6). While he had contributed compositions to other albums, this was the first full album of his own compositions, and Macero's first album as a leader. A bandleader is the leader of a band of Musicians The term is most commonly though not exclusively used with a group that plays Popular music as Macero plays tenor and alto saxophones on the album, and is joined by Orlando DiGirolamo on accordion, both Mingus and Lou Labella on basses, and Ed Shaughnessy on drums. Orlando DiGirolamo ( April 20 1924 &ndash January 26 1998) was an American Jazz Accordionist, Pianist Edwin Thomas "Ed" Shaughnessy (born January 29, 1929) is a Swing music and Bebop Drummer best known for his long association Explorations was originally released in 1954 on Mingus' Debut Records, and was reissued on CD in 2006 on Fresh Sounds Records, with additional tracks. Debut Records was a United States Jazz Record label, which was founded in 1952 by Bassist Charles Mingus, his then-wife A Compact Disc (also known as a CD) is an Optical disc used to store digital data, originally developed for storing digital audio

The 1958 short experimental film Bridges-Go-Round by filmmaker Shirley Clarke featured two alternative soundtracks, one by Louis and Bebe Barron and one by Macero. This article is on the variety of film For information on the They Might Be Giants song see " Experimental Film (song " Shirley Clarke ( 2 October 1919, New York City - 23 September 1997, Boston) was a major American independent filmmaker Louis ( 23 April, 1920, Minneapolis &ndash 1 November, 1989, Los Angeles) and Bebe Barron ( 16 June

Columbia Records producer

Macero found greater fame as a producer for Columbia Records. Columbia Records is an American Record label founded in 1888 Columbia is the oldest surviving Brand name in pre-recorded sound being the first record company He joined Columbia in 1957, and produced hundreds of records while at the label. Macero worked with dozens of artists at Columbia including Mingus, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Thelonious Monk, Johnny Mathis, Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, Tony Bennett, Charlie Byrd, and Stan Getz. Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25 1917 &ndash June 15 1996 also known as " Lady Ella " and the "First Lady of Song" is considered one of the most influential Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 - February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz Pianist and Composer. John Royce "Johnny" Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American Singer of Popular music. William "Count" Basie ( August 21, 1904 &ndash April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, Organist David Warren Brubeck (born December 6, 1920 in Concord California) better known as Dave Brubeck, is an American jazz pianist Tony Bennett (born Anthony Dominick Benedetto; August 3 1926) is an American Singer of popular music, standards Charlie Lee Byrd ( September 16, 1925 – November 30, 1999) was a famous American Jazz and Classical guitarist born in Stanley Gayetzky ( February 2, 1927 in Philadelphia – June 6, 1991 in Malibu, California) usually known by He was also responsible for signing Mingus, Monk, and Byrd to Columbia.

Macero produced the seminal Dave Brubeck Quartet album Time Out, and Thelonious Monk's first Columbia recording, Monk's Dream, as well as Underground. The Dave Brubeck Quartet was a Jazz Quartet, founded in 1951 by Dave Brubeck; featuring Paul Desmond on saxophone and Brubeck on piano Time Out is a 1959 Album by The Dave Brubeck Quartet, based upon the use of Time signatures that were unusual for Jazz (mainly Monk's Dream is the first album of jazz legend Thelonious Monk with Columbia Records. Underground is a 1968 Album by Thelonious Monk, notable for its diverse and rare Time signatures. He also produced Mingus' first Columbia album, Mingus Ah Um. Mingus Ah Um is a Jazz album by Charles Mingus, recorded and released on Columbia Records in 1959. Beyond jazz, he produced a number of Broadway original cast recordings including A Chorus Line and Bye Bye Birdie. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located A Chorus Line is a musical about seventeen Broadway Dancers auditioning for spots on a Chorus line. Bye Bye Birdie is a musical with a book by Michael Stewart, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. And he produced the soundtrack to The Graduate, by Simon and Garfunkel. The Graduate is a American comedy / drama / Romance film directed by Mike Nichols, based on the novel of the same name by Simon & Garfunkel are an American Singer-songwriter duo of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

While Macero produced many artists' albums, he had an especially long and prolific relationship with Miles Davis. Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26 1926 &ndash September 28 1991 was an American Jazz Trumpeter, Bandleader, and Composer. He produced most of Davis' Columbia catalog, including the classics Kind of Blue, Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain, and Someday My Prince Will Come. Kind of Blue is an album by American Jazz musician Miles Davis, released August 17 1959 on Columbia Records, in both Porgy and Bess is a Studio album by Jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1958 on Columbia Records. Sketches of Spain is an Album by Miles Davis, recorded between November 1959 and March 1960 Someday My Prince Will Come is a studio album by Miles Davis, recorded in March of 1961 in New York City. Macero's role as producer on Kind of Blue has sometimes been disputed, as some of the early Kind of Blue sessions were overseen by Irving Townsend. Irving Townsend (1920-1981 was an American Record producer and Author. But numerous sources, including the original liner notes, support Macero's involvement in the sessions, and preparation of the final album, and credit him as producer. ^[1][2][3] The role of the producer was further expanded on Davis' later forays into electric fusion, such as In a Silent Way, Bitches Brew, and A Tribute to Jack Johnson, which were highlighted by Macero's innovative mixing and editing techniques. In a Silent Way is a 1969 album by Jazz Trumpeter Miles Davis. Bitches Brew is a studio Double album by Jazz musician A Tribute to Jack Johnson is a Studio album by Jazz musician Miles Davis, released in 1971 in the United States and in 1970 in Audio mixing is the process by which a multitude of sound sources are combined into one or more channels Audio editing is the process of taking recorded sound and changing it directly on the Recording medium (analog or in RAM (digital

Nick Southall described the impact of Macero's work on In a Silent Way in a 2003 Stylus Magazine article:

Behind the scenes, Miles and Teo took the tapes of the In A Silent Way sessions and transformed some beautiful, folk-tinged, melody-driven sets into two exquisite, beguiling and otherworldly pieces of music. Stylus Magazine was an online music and film magazine launched in 2002 Using techniques that pre-dated the proliferation of tape loops, cut-ups, edits and sequencing in rock, pop, hip hop and dance music, Miles and Teo took apart the original recording and reassembled them outside of any traditional or accepted jazz structure or melodic framework. This idea of taking jazz away from its birth, genesis and flowering as a live art and into the studio would soon become standard practice, but in 1969 it was groundbreaking. ^[4]

Some listeners and critics have complained that Macero overproduced Davis' recordings, and cut too much. But after hearing the unedited tapes from the In A Silent Way sessions, jazz critic John Ballon wrote that the original editing and production "attests to the producing genius of Teo Macero. " Ballon continues:

It took a force like Teo to splice together a cohesive album out of so many inspired pieces. Not only did Teo have the balls to stand up to Miles on creative decisions, he had the right. And Miles knew it. And while his ego rebelled against any producer messing with his music, Miles knew that incredibly great records were borne out of the conflict and compromise of his relationship with Teo. ^[5]

On Davis' 1970 release, Bitches Brew, Macero continued to expand his innovative practices, and "Bitches Brew not only became a controversial classic of musical innovation, it also became renowned for its pioneering use of studio technology. "^[6] Some of the controversy at the time also stemmed from the use of the word bitches in the title. Macero recalls that when Davis told him that he wanted to call it Bitches Brew, "I thought he was kidding. "^[7] The album became the best-selling jazz album of its time, selling 500,000 copies by 1976, when most successful jazz albums sold less than 30,000 copies.

Macero's innovative techniques were inspired partially by his association with avant-garde composer Edgard Varèse, and they continue to impact the way musicians, producers, and remixers work in the studio today. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse, whose name was also spelled Edgar Varèse A remix is an alternative version of a song different from the original version Brian Eno, a producer who has worked extensively with U2 and Talking Heads, among others, talked about Macero's influence on him in a 1996 interview with jazzthetik magazine. Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (born 15 May 1948 commonly known as Brian Eno (ˈiːnoʊ is an English Musician, producer Talking head Talking Heads was an American New Wave band formed in 1974 in New York City and active until 1991 Eno describes being "fascinated" by Macero's editing techniques and the "spatial" quality he added to the music. "He did something that was extremely modern. "^[8]

In 1975, Macero left Columbia and formed his own production company. However, he continued to work with Davis until 1983, and continued to produce records for Columbia throughout his career.

Composer and arranger

Macero also composed and arranged music during his time at Columbia, contributing tracks to (and still producing) several albums including Monk's Monk's Blues, and Something New, Something Blue, a collection of blues compositions and arrangements by Macero, Teddy Charles, Manny Albam, and Bill Russo. In Music, an arrangement refers either to a rewriting of a piece of existing Music with additional new material or to a fleshing-out of a compositional sketch such Monk's Blues is an album by Thelonious Monk, originally released in 1968 Teddy Charles (b April 13, 1928) is an American Jazz Pianist, Drummer and Vibraphone musician Manny Albam (born June 24, 1922 in Samana, Dominican Republic; died October 2, 2001 in Croton-on-Hudson, William Russo better known as Bill Russo ( June 25, 1928 – January 11, 2003) was an American Jazz Musician He contributed a track to (and produced) John Lewis and Gunther Schuller's Orchestra U. John Aaron Lewis ( 3 May 1920 – 29 March 2001) was an American Jazz Pianist and Composer best known Gunther Schuller (born November 22 1925) is an American Composer and horn player S. A. album, Sonorities, an album of third stream compositions, and he arranged music for easy listening pioneer, André Kostelanetz. Third stream is a term coined in 1957 by composer Gunther Schuller to describe a Musical genre which is a Synthesis of classical music Easy listening music is a style of Popular music and radio format that emerged in the mid-20th century evolving out of swing and Big band music André Kostelanetz (Russian Андрей Костеланец December 22, 1901, St

He composed, conducted, and produced numerous television and film soundtracks and scores. He scored the 1970 Muhammad Ali documentary, a. Biography Early life Cassius Clay Jr was born on January 17 1942 k. a. Cassius Clay, and more recently, produced soundtrack music for True Romance, Finding Forrester, and Martin Scorsese's The Blues. True Romance is a 1993 American romantic Crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino Finding Forrester is a 2000 movie, written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant, about a teenager Jamal The Blues is a 2003 documentary Film series produced by Martin Scorsese, dedicated to the history of Blues music

Macero has also composed for, conducted, and performed with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Salt Lake Symphony, the Kansas City Symphony, and The Juilliard School; and has been commissioned by, and composed ballets for, the Joffrey Ballet Company, the Anna Sokolow Ballet Company, the London Ballet Company, the Juilliard Ballet Company, and the American Ballet Theatre. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes The New York Philharmonic is the oldest active Symphony Orchestra in the United States, organized during 1842 The London Philharmonic Orchestra ( LPO) based in London, is one of the major Orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal The Kansas City Symphony ( KCS) is a United States symphony orchestra based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Juilliard School, located in New York City, is a world renowned Performing arts conservatory. The Joffrey Ballet is a dance company founded in 1956 From 1995 to 2004 the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. Anna Sokolow (February 9 1910 Hartford Connecticut &ndash March 29 2000 in New York City New York) was a Jewish American Dancer and See also American Ballet Theatre, based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century

Other work

After his tenure at Columbia, Macero continued as a player and producer on other projects, working with Brubeck, Tony Bennett, Herbie Hancock, Michel Legrand, Wallace Roney, Shirley MacLaine, Vernon Reid, Robert Palmer, and DJ Logic. Herbert Jeffrey Hancock ("Herbie" born April 12 1940 is a Jazz Pianist and Composer. Michel Legrand (born February 24, 1932 in Paris) is a French musical composer arranger conductor and pianist of Armenian descent Wallace Roney (born May 25, 1960) is an American Hard bop and Post-bop Trumpeter. Shirley MacLaine (born April 24, 1934) is an American Academy Award -winning Film and Theater Actress, well-known Vernon Reid (born August 22, 1958) is an English Guitarist, Songwriter, composer and bandleader Robert Allen Palmer ( 19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) born in Batley, Yorkshire, was an English DJ Logic (born Jason Kibler is a turntablist active primarily in Jazz and with Jam bands Kibler was raised in The Bronx.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Macero released a handful of his own albums, including Time Plus Seven, Impressions of Charles Mingus, and Acoustical Suspension, before founding his own label, Teorecords, in 1999. Subsequently, he released over a dozen albums of original compositions, and continued to produce reissues of Miles Davis and other artists for various record companies. However, Macero was outspoken in his opposition to the practice of adding back alternate takes that didn't appear on the original albums, or otherwise altering the original music, on the grounds that it corrupts the intentions of the musicians and the producer at the time the recording was made. "They put all the mistakes back in," said Macero. "Don't destroy the original record. "^[9]

Films

A Teo Macero documentary film, Play That, Teo, is currently being produced by Olana DiGirolamo, daughter of Macero's friend and collaborator, Orlando DiGirolamo. Orlando DiGirolamo ( April 20 1924 &ndash January 26 1998) was an American Jazz Accordionist, Pianist Shot by cinematographer Fortunato Procopio, the film features a behind-the-scenes look at the person behind the persona, and includes photos, archival footage, and recordings from Macero's personal collection. ^[10]

Another documentary "Teo" was filmed over the past five years by producer/director Daragh McCarthy and features Teo Macero's last recording session and extensive interviews. Daragh McCarthy is a Dublin born film-maker and musician He has directed numerous video clips included early videos for The Frames, a Dublin group led by Academy ^[11]

Awards

Macero was awarded the BMI Student Composer Award in 1953. Broadcast Music Incorporated ( BMI) is a US Performing rights organization.

Macero received two Guggenheim Fellowships for composition in 1957 and 1958. Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who

Macero was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant in 1974. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA is a United States federally funded and donation assisted program that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence

Macero has received over 20 Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Gold, Platinum, and Multi-platinum certifications. In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and

Footnotes

1. ^ Marmorstein, Gary: The Label: The Story of Columbia Records, Thunder's Mouth Press, 2007.
2. ^ Nisenson, Eric: The Making of Kind of Blue, St. Martin's Griffin, 2001.
3. ^ Carr, Ian: Miles Davis: The Definitive Biography, HarperCollins, 1998.
4. ^ Southall, Nick: "Miles Davis - In A Silent Way", Stylus, September 2003.
5. ^ Ballon, John: "Miles Davis: The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions", All About Jazz, October 2003.
6. ^ Merlin, Enrico: "Slow Brew", Audiomedia Magazine, May 1999.
7. ^ Interview with Macero by Bobby Jackson.
8. ^ Engelbrecht, Michael: "Interview with Brian Eno", jazzthetik, November 1996.
9. ^ Interview with Macero by Bobby Jackson.
10. ^ Play That, Teo film information at official website.
11. ^ Daragh McCarthy,The Guardian, 28 February 2007

References

• Marmorstein, Gary: The Label: The Story of Columbia Records, Thunder's Mouth Press, 2007.
• Feather, L and Gitler, I (eds): The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, Oxford University Press, 2007.
• Weidenbaum, Marc: "Higher Sources", Pulse!, August 2001.
• Daly, Ann: "A Century of Jazz and Modern Dance", 2000.
• Several references to Anna Sokolow and Macero's work together.
• Le Grand Spectacle at the American Ballet Theater.
• Review of The Best of Teo Macero, by Ted White. Ted White (born February 4, 1938) is a Hugo Award -winning American writer known as a Science fiction author and editor as well as
• Interview with Macero by Iara Lee.
• AllMusic biography of Teo Macero, by Scott Yanow.
• Teo Macero discography at AllMusic.
• RIAA album certification database.
• Guggenheim Foundation.
• Ratliff, Ben: "Teo Macero, 82, Record Producer, Dies", New York Times, February 22, 2008.

External links

• Teorecords official site (no longer active) at the Internet Archive.
• Teo Macero Collection, 1949-1992 part of his personal papers in the Music Division of The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
• Commentable Teo Macero discography.
• Teo Macero at the Internet Movie Database
• Short clip from "Teo" a documentary in production.
• Official site for the documentary film, Play That, Teo.
• Audio feature about In a Silent Way from National Public Radio.
• Obituary by John Fordham and an appreciation by Daragh McCarthy from the Guardian newspaper. retrieved 28 Feb 2008.