Noted producer, saxophonist, and composer Bob Belden passed away suddenly in May. He died of a heart attack on May 20th, 2015. He was 58. Belden was a major force on the jazz scene during the last two decades. As a producer he was responsible for the reissue of Miles Davis recordings for Columbia Records, most notably The Complete Cellar Door Sessions. In addition Belden worked on Tim Hagans' 1999 electronic jazz masterpiece, Animation/Imagination, and produced the darkly elegant orchestral recording Black Dahlia, which won a Grammy. Belden was also a saxophonist and bandleader. In 2015 he became the first musician to bring a band from the USA to Iran to perform.
Arguably Belden's most ambitious effort was Miles from India. The two disc set consists of material composed or performed by Miles Davis during his career, from the 1950s to the 1980s, given fresh new arrangement and interpretation. The 2-disc set is billed as “a cross-cultural celebration of the music of Miles Davis by India’s Foremost Musicians collaborating with the legendary musicians who comprised the various Miles Davis bands over the years”.
And it is. The Indian subcontinent is represented with many lead players including Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto saxophone, Louiz Banks on keyboards, Gino Banks on drums, Vikku Vinayakram on ghatam, Ravi Chary on sitar, and others. And there are many of the famous Miles Davis band alumni including Gary Bartz on alto saxophone, Ron Carter on bass, David Liebman on flute, Jimmy Cobb on drums, Chick Corea on piano and Adam Holzman on keyboards.
Unlike many recordings where the musicians are in the same studio, the Indian musicians recorded their parts first. Later, Miles Davis alumni musicians responded to these previously recorded tracks with inspired performances. Bob Belden produced Miles from India. The project was successfully compiled using state of the art computer file sharing technology that allowed Belden and his production staff to avoid the prohibitive costs of flying artists from around the world to one location.
Highlights of the 2-disc set include a remarkable rendition of “So What” given Indian vocal percussion, a poignant reading of “Orange Lady” within a brooding and intense “Great Expectations”, as well as very satisfying renditions of “All Blues”, “So What”, “In A Silent Way”, “Spanish Key”, and the Miles Davis 1980s’ gem “Jean Pierre”.
This and other recordings made by Bob Belden have been featured on the Last Call on KIOS for many years. Bob Belden's immense artistry as a producer and jazz artist and sustainer of the legacy of Miles Davis will be missed.
