Posted June 27, 200619 yr Music producer Mardin dies at 74 Mardin was an accomplished jazz orchestrater and arranger Music producer Arif Mardin, who worked with such artists as Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Diana Ross and the Bee Gees, has died at the age of 74. According to his longtime friend and colleague Ian Ralfini, he died at New York home from pancreatic cancer. Mardin built his reputation at Atlantic Records, where he worked as a producer and arranger from 1963 to 2001. Afterwards he set up his own label at EMI, Manhattan Records, where his signings included Norah Jones. Born in 1932 in Turkey, Mardin studied economics at Istanbul University and the London School of Economics. But his career path changed when he met jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones in 1956. 'Unique gentleman' Impressed by the young Mardin's jazz compositions, Jones made him the first recipient of the Quincy Jones Scholarship at Boston's Berklee College of Music. He recently worked with Grammy winner Norah Jones Moving to New York, he joined Atlantic as assistant to Nesuhi Ertegun, the company's co-founder. In a career lasting more than four decades, he worked with Carly Simon, Barbra Streisand, Phil Collins and Chaka Khan. The holder of more than 40 gold and platinum albums, he was named best producer at the Grammy Awards in 1976 and 2003. "He was a unique gentleman and an incredible talent and one of the greatest producers in living memory," Mr Ralfini told the BBC News website. "I feel privileged to have known him." Mardin will be buried in his native Istanbul next week
June 27, 200619 yr Author Arif Mardin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 - June 25, 2006) was a renowned Turkish-American music producer, who worked with a wide range of artists, across many different styles and genres of music. He was born in Istanbul, Turkey. Arif Mardin was born into a renowned family that brought up statesmen, diplomats and leaders in the civic, military and business sectors of the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic. His father was partner in a petroleum gas station chain. His sister, Betül Mardin is the "grande dame of public relations" today. After graduating from Istanbul University in Economics and Commerce, Arif Mardin studied at the London School of Economics. He was influenced by his sister's music records and became a self-professed jazz fanatic, as well as an accomplished orchestrator and arranger, but he never intended to pursue a career in music. However, his fate changed in 1956 after meeting the American jazz musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones in a concert in Istanbul. He became the first recipient of the Quincy Jones Scholarship at the Berklee College of Music in Boston after Quincy Jones was so impressed from Mardin’s compositions that were recorded on a tape and sent to him. In 1958 he and his fiancé Latife moved from Istanbul to Boston. After graduating in 1961, he taught at Berklee for one year and went to New York City to try his luck. Arif Mardin was later made a trustee of the school and awarded an honorary doctorate. Mardin began his career at Atlantic Records in 1963 as an assistant to fellow turkish emigré Nesuhi Ertegun, the brother of the company's co-founder and a legendary jazz enthusiast, whom he met at the Newport Jazz Festival. He rose through the ranks quickly, becoming studio manager, label house producer and arranger. In 1969, he became a vice president and later served as senior vice president until 2001. He worked closely on many projects with co-founder Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry Wexler, two legends who were responsible for establishing the "Atlantic Sound". Arif Mardin retired from Atlantic Records in May 2001 and re-activated his label Manhattan Records. He maintained ties to the Turkish music industry. He produced countless hits artists including Carly Simon, The Young Rascals, Bette Midler, Barbra Streisand, Diana Ross, Patti Labelle, Average White Band, Anita Baker, the Bee Gees, Judy Collins, Phil Collins, Culture Club, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Hall & Oates, Donny Hathaway, Norah Jones, Chaka Khan, Melissa Manchester, Manhattan Transfer, Modern Jazz Quartet, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Scritti Politti, Queen, Dusty Springfield, David Bowie, Jewel and Ringo Starr. In his career of more than 40 years, he collected over 40 gold and platinum albums, over 15 Grammy nominations and 12 Grammy Awards. In 1990, Arif Mardin was inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. Mardin died at his home in New York on June 25, 2006 following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. He will be buried in Turkey. Arif’s widow Latife is a playwright. Their son Joe, also a Berklee graduate, is a producer and arranger while the daughter Julie is an avant-garde artist-photographer. [edit] Awards Grammy Awards Album of the Year 1979, 2003 Best Album Notes 1993 Best Jazz Vocal Album 2004 Best Musical Show Album 1996 Best Pop Vocal Album 2003 Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More Voices 1984 (with Chaka Khan) Producer of the Year, Non-Classical 1976, 2003 Record of the Year 1990, 2003 Trustees Award 2002 Trustee Award for a Lifetime of Achievement in Music by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) 2001 "Man of the Year" by the Nordoff-Robbins Music Foundation 2001 Ertegun Impact Award
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