Дэвид Акселрод: Джаз бен R&B-нің жаңа толқыны

American musician, record producer, composer and arranger
With his early solo projects, Axelrod was one of the first recording artists to fuse elements of jazz, rock, and R&B. One of his most important records, Song of Innocence (1968), featured instrumental interpretations of 18th century poet William Blake's poetry collection of the same name done in a contemporary musical vein, leading one critic at the time to coin the term "jazz fusion" and numerous hip hop producers to sample the album's music decades later.

Born in Los Angeles, California, David Axelrod was raised in its South Central neighborhood, where he grew up listening to R&B and jazz. He graduated from Dorsey High School. The Electric Prunes disbanded during the recording sessions and Axelrod's team completed the albums. Axelrod's success also encouraged Capitol to allow him to produce solo albums, the first two of which, Song of Innocence (1968) and Songs of Experience (1969), were homages to the mystical poetry and paintings of William Blake. These used sweeping strings, booming sound and heavy beats in a way that was unique for the time and became highly influential many years later. His third solo album, Earth Rot (1970), warned of the impact of environmental pollution and degradation. At the end of this rare concert he informed the audience that he was suffering from ill health. In 2006, Live at Royal Festival Hall was released as a DVD and CD. Axelrod signed with Blue Note Records in 2005. Axelrod died of lung cancer on February 5, 2017, at the age of 85.