R.I.P.: Bruce Lundvall (1935-2015)

(born on September 13, 1935;

died on May 19, 2015 in New Jersey)

In a career spanning half a century as an executive of the recording industry (he was never a "producer",,,), Bruce Lundvall signed a wide array of artists, including Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, James Taylor, Stan Getz, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Richard Marx, Natalie Cole, Cassandra Wilson, Anita Baker and Norah Jones. He headed the following labels: Columbia, Blue Note, Angel Records, Elektra, and Manhattan Records.

Lundvall began his music career in marketing at Columbia Records where he remained for 21 years, becoming President of the domestic division of CBS Records in 1976. In the course of his tenure, he built Columbia’s jazz roster into the largest of any major label.

In 1979, Bruce Lundvall organized and sponsored in Havana, Cuba, the historic Havana Jam festival that took place between 2–4 March, with Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, Stephen Stills, the CBS Jazz All-Stars, the Trio of Doom, Fania All-Stars, Billy Swan, Bonnie Bramlett, Mike Finnegan, Weather Report, and Billy Joel, plus an array of Cuban artists such as Irakere, Pacho Alonso, Tata Güines and Orquesta Aragón. Their performances are captured on Ernesto Juan Castellanos's documentary Havana Jam '79, and on the two Columbia albums Havana Jam and Havana Jam II.

Lundvall moved to Elektra in 1982, where he became President of Elektra Records and the newly created Elektra/Musician Jazz label.

In 1984, he was approached with an offer to create Manhattan, a pop music label based on the East Coast, for EMI, as well as to revive the suspended Blue Note jazz label. Lundvall accepted the challenge and steered the label for a quarter of a century. He was responsible for signing an unknown Norah Jones as well as Bobby McFerrin, Cassandra Wilson, Eliane Elias, Rick Margitza, Tania Maria and even Gonzaguinha.

Norah Jones's debut Come Away With Me, and her subsequent albums, have sold in their millions internationally. Lundvall stood down as President of Blue Note in 2010. In January 2012, Don Was became President of Blue Note having been appointed CEO the previous year, with Lundvall now becoming Chairman Emeritus.

Lundvall has served as chairman of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Chairman of the Country Music Association (CMA) and Director of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). He has received three Grammy nominations and a NARM presidential award.

Es war eine denkwrdige Pressekonferenz. Anfang der 2000er-Jahre ging es dem Traditions-Jazzlabel Blue Note Records wirtschaftlich nicht blendend. Die Musiker, die vom Blue-Note-Chef Bruce Lundvall unter Vertrag genommen wurden, bekamen in der Regel gute Kritiken, verkauften aber zu wenig Platten. Das sollte, das musste sich ändern. In einigen Dependancen der Major-Plattenfirma EMI, unter deren Dach Blue Note ein Zuhause gefunden hatte, fanden gleichzeitig Pressekonferenzen statt, an denen Lundvall per Videoschaltung teilnahm.

Dabei pries er das Debt einer jungen Musikerin, die mit ihrem Mix aus Singer/Songwriter, Folk, Pop und Jazz im Grunde berhaupt nicht ins Portfolio von Blue Note passen wollte. Doch der Erfolg von Norah Jones sollte die Fachleute eines Besseren belehren: Ihr Blue-Note-Album Come Away With Me wurde ein weltweiter, auch kommerzieller Erfolg und bekam 2003 gleich fnf Grammies.

Doch Lundvall nur am Erfolg von Jones zu messen, wrde ihm nicht gerecht. 1960 begann er seine Karriere bei Columbia Records, wechselte Anfang der 1980er zuerst zu Elektra Records, bevor er zu EMI ging und 1985 Blue Note wiederbelebte. In seine Ägide fallen Albumveröffentlichungen von Cassandra Wilson, Bobby McFerrin, Joe Lovano, Eliane Elias, Rick Margitza und Dianne Reeves, aber auch von Soul- und Pop-Acts wie Al Green oder Amos Lee. 2010 machte Lundvall bei Blue Note den Platz fr seinen Nachfolger Don Was frei. Etwas später erschien die Biografie „Bruce Lundvall: Playing By Ear von Dan Ouellette. Am 19. Mai ist Lundvall im Alter von 79 Jahren gestorben.