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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCUSCUNA, Michael(b 20 Sep. '48, Stamford CT) Producer; also critic, broadcaster, writer. Countless sleeve notes, articles in periodicals; radio in Philadelphia, NYC; prod. Jazz Alive series, other syndicated programmes. Began prod. blues, pop records while in college '66--70, incl. Bonnie Raitt's second album Give It Up '72; on staff at Atlantic '72-- 3: prod. Garland Jeffreys, Oscar Brown, Ted Curson, much else. Recorded '72 Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival; Art Ensemble live set issued on Atlantic, then Fanfare For The Warriors recorded with them in Chicago. Freelance from '73; prod. Larry Coryell, Andrew Hill, Oliver Lake, Lester Bowie, Ran Blake, Cecil Taylor, many others. Coaxed Dexter Gordon, Anthony Braxton back from Europe; prod. Braxton on Arista '75--7, Gordon on CBS (releases '77--9). Prod. Wildflowers festival May '76, mixed and edited series of five LPs released '76 on Douglas, as well as Charles Tyler's Saga Of The Outlaws, eventually released on Nessa with sleeve note by Cuscuna. He put Braxton, Lee Konitz, Dave Brubeck, Roy Haynes and Jack Six together for fascinating All The Things We Are '76 on Atlantic. Prod. reissues and issues of unreleased material beginning with Inner Space '73, a two-disc set with Chick Corea and Hubert Laws titles from '60s; did series of John Coltrane unissued material on Impulse; got into Blue Note vault '75, discovering 130 LPs' worth of unissued material as well as reissues; prod. Blue Note two-disc compilations, but reissue programmes always had a stop-and-start nature. After years of research formed Mosaic (which see) with Charlie Lourie '82 for limited edition reissues; first release was Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Thelonious Monk, with unissued and alternate takes, discography, biographical booklet by Cuscuna. On A&R staff of revived Blue Note label at EMI NYC mid-'80s in charge of reissues and release of unissued material; prod. Mt Fuji Jazz Festival in Japan '86--95; co-authored The Blue Note Label -- A Discography for Greenwood Press and The Blue Note Years: The Jazz Photography Of Francis Wolff for Rizzoli; still with Blue Note '97, also freelance prod. Impulse reissues; recent prod. of new recordings incl. McCoy Tyner, Lou Rawls, Don Pullen, Joe Lovano etc. |