Gil Askey
Gilbert "Gil" Alexander Askey (* 9. March 1925 in Austin (Texas) , United States ; † 9. April 2014 in Melbourne , Australia ) was an American jazz - trumpet player , songwriter , film composer and music producer, one of the central figures in establishing the Motown sound.
Live and act
Askey studied medicine before he decided to become a musician and studied at the Boston Conservatory of Music and the Harnett School of Music in New York. For almost a quarter of a century he also gained his practical experience as a jazz trumpeter at the side of legendary jazz musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie , Miles Davis , Duke Ellington and Count Basie . Askey later moved to the Motown Record Company. In the following years he worked here as musical director, music producer, songwriter and musical arranger.
Gil Askey's musical director was Diana Ross , both as a solo artist and as a member of The Supremes , as well as the Four Tops , The Temptations , Stevie Wonder , The Jackson 5 , Gladys Knight , Keni Burke and Linda Clifford . When Diana Ross decided to leave the Supremes and begin a solo career, she hired Askey as their musical director. The two worked together for a total of ten years, and together with his French colleague Michel Legrand , he also composed the film music for the Billie Holiday biography Lady Sings the Blues with Diana Ross in the title role . For this both men received an Oscar nomination. He also took part in Ross' follow-up film Mahogany in 1975 (with the composition of additional music). From the mid-1970s, Gil Askey worked closely with Curtis Mayfield and wrote and arranged for his record label Curtom Records.
In 1973 Gil Askey moved to Australia for personal reasons. For a while it became quiet around him, but then he resumed his musical activity in 1993. In Melbourne he taught young Australians and acted as their mentor. He also went on tours again, where he again demonstrated his skills as a jazz musician in Australian jazz cellars. Gil Askey died in Melbourne in 2014.
literature
- Obituary in the Los Angeles Times April 15, 2014
Web links
- Gil Askey in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Obituary in Obituaries of the Performing Arts, 2014 ed .: Harry M. Lentz III
- Obituary on soulandjazzandfunk.com
- Obituary on smh.com.au
Individual evidence
- ↑ Gil Askey (interview) ( Memento from May 27, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Askey, Gil |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Askey, Gilbert Alexander (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American musician (jazz trumpeter, composer, film composer, arranger) and music producer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 9, 1925 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Austin, Texas , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 9, 2014 |
| Place of death | Melbourne , Australia |