Michael Cuscuna

Michael Cuscuna
Cuscuna in 1995
Background information
Born(1948-09-20)September 20, 1948
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
DiedApril 20, 2024(2024-04-20) (aged 75)
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
GenresJazz
OccupationRecord producer
Labels

Michael Cuscuna (September 20, 1948 – April 20, 2024) was an American jazz record producer and writer. He was the co-founder of Mosaic Records and a discographer of Blue Note Records.[1]

Biography

Career

Cuscuna played drums, saxophone and flute while young, but placed his emphasis on founding his own record label.[2] He had a jazz show on WXPN and worked for ESP-Disk late in the 1960s, in addition to writing for Jazz & Pop Magazine and Down Beat.[2] He moved from WXPN to WMMR in 1970, then onto WABC-FM (now WPLJ) as a progressive rock DJ at both stations.[2] He took a position as a producer with Atlantic Records in the 1970s, recording Dave Brubeck and the Art Ensemble of Chicago.[2] In the early 1970s, he also produced albums by Bonnie Raitt (Give It Up)[2] and Chris Smither. He also worked at Motown, ABC (for reissues of Impulse! albums), Arista, Muse, Freedom, Elektra and Novus..[3]

In 1975 Cuscuna produced the Hidden Strength self-titled album.[4] It made it to No. 45 on the Cash Box Top 50 R&B Albums chart,[5][6] and No. 58 on the Billboard Soul LPs chart the following year.[7][8][9] The single from the album, "Hustle on Up (Do the Bump)" also was a hit, peaking at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart,.[10][11][12] and No. 27 on the Cash Box Top 100 R&B singles chart.[13]

From 1975 to 1981, he searched the Blue Note archive for previously unissued sessions which began to be issued during this period.[3]

In collaboration with business partner Charlie Lourie, he founded Mosaic Records in 1983 specializing in jazz reissue box sets sold by mail order.[14][2] Artists surveyed include highly visible masters like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Nat "King" Cole, and lesser known artists such as Tina Brooks and Ike Quebec.[2] Cuscuna won three Grammy Awards for his releases.[15] From 1984 onwards, he handled all reissues for Blue Note records.[16]

Personal life

Cuscuna was born on September 20, 1948, in Stamford, Connecticut.[2][3]

Cuscuna died of complications from esophageal cancer at his home in Stamford on April 20, 2024, at the age of 75.[17][18][1]

Grammy Awards

Publications

  • Syoichi Yui; Michael Cuscuna (1987). Blue Note Jazz Story (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shinchosha.
  • Michael Cuscuna; Charlie Lourie; Oscar Schnider (1998). The Blue Note Years. Jazz- Photographie. Zurich: Edition Stemmle.

References

  1. ^ a b Russonello, Giovanni (April 25, 2024). "Michael Cuscuna, Who Unearthed Hidden Jazz Gems, Dies at 75". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Colin Larkin, ed. (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz (First ed.). Guinness Publishing. pp. 109/110. ISBN 0-85112-580-8.
  3. ^ a b c Michael Cuscuna at AllMusic
  4. ^ Billboard, October 4, 1975 - Page 31 Studio Track By BOB KIRSCH
  5. ^ Cash Box, March 27, 1976 - Page 116 cash box R&B news report, TOP 50 R&B/ALBUMS, 45, HIDDEN STRENGTH UA LA 555G, 46
  6. ^ Cash Box, April 3, 1976 - Page 49 TOP 50 R&B/ALBUMS, 45 HIDDEN STRENGTH UA LA 555G
  7. ^ Billboard, May 29, 1976 - Page 59 Billboard Soul LPs, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY For Week Ending 5/29/76, This Week 58 NEW ENTRY, HIDDEN STRENGTH United Artists UALA555 G
  8. ^ Billboard, June 5, 1976 - Page 33 Billboard Soul LPs, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY For Week Ending 6/5/76, This Week 58, Last Week, 58, Weeks on Chart 2 HIDDEN STRENGTH United Artists UA-LA555-G
  9. ^ Billboard, June 12, 1976 - Page 55 Billboard Soul LPs, Billboard SPECIAL SURVEY For Week Ending 6/12/76
  10. ^ Billboard, May 8, 1976 - Page 62 Billboard Hot Soul Singles, This Week 35, Last Week 40, Weeks on Chart 11, HUSTLE ON UP (Do The Bump) - Hidden Strength (T. Moss, M. Brown, R. Herring, G. Underwood), United Artists 733 (Dandelion, BMI)
  11. ^ Billboard, May 22, 1976 - Page 44 Billboard Hot Soul Singles, This Week 35, Last Week 35, Weeks on Chart 12 HUSTLE ON UP (Do The Bump) - Hidden Strength (T. Moss, M. Brown, R. Herring, G. Underwood), United Artists 733 (Dandelion, BMI)
  12. ^ Billboard, May 22, 1976 - Page 50 Billboard Hot Soul Singles, This Week 36, Last Week 35, Weeks on Chart 13 HUSTLE ON UP (Do The Bump) - Hidden Strength (T. Moss, M. Brown, R. Herring, G. Underwood), United Artists 733 (Dandelion, BMI)
  13. ^ Cash Box, June 5, 1976 - Page 32 CASH BOX TOP 100 R&B June 5, 1976 27 HUSTLE ON UP (DO THE BUMP) HIDDEN STRENGTH UA XW733Y, 5/29 30, Weeks On Chart 14
  14. ^ Ratliff, Ben (January 4, 2001). "Charlie Lourie, 60, a Founder of Mosaic, a Distinctive Jazz Reissue Label". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  15. ^ a b c d "Michael Cuscuna". Grammy. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  16. ^ Serinus, Jason Victor (May 2, 2008). "A Visit to RTI & Acoustech". Stereophile. Archived from the original on June 3, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  17. ^ "Michael Cuscuna, record producer who made jazz reissues both an art and a science, has died at 75". WRTI. April 21, 2024. Archived from the original on April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
  18. ^ Fremer, Michael (April 20, 2024). "Michael Cuscuna, Jazz Producer, Record Label Founder, Blue Note Discogropher Dies at 75". Tracking Angle. Archived from the original on April 21, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2024.
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