Great legendary producer...
I met him in 1965 at a Young Rascals session...
Anita Baker, the Bee Gees, Phil Collins, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Manhattan Transfer, Norah Jones and Bette Midler.
A giant.

Arif Mardin R.I.P.

by Paul Cashmere

June 26 2006

Music legend Arif Mardin has died of pancreatic cancer in New York.
Mardin made his name with Atlantic Records with his work with Aretha
Franklin. He was with the label 1963 to 2001 before leaving to set up his
own label at EMI where he developed the talents of Norah Jones.
His career started in 1956 when he met jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie in
Turkey who inspired him to take up a scholarship in the USA.
At Atlantic, he first worked as an assistant to co-founder Nesuhi Ethegun before becoming studio manager, then house manager then arranger.
In 1967, he arranged Aretha Franklin

Yes JK a un-abashed giant. There are few like him. A REAL record producer.... with ears... that can arrange a song....and run a session...... Not a beatmaster that calls himself a producer like so many of todays widgets.

The type of standard I can only hope to touch as I enter the control room everyday.

I heard he was sick last year, when I attempted to steer a great young jazz-pop singer to him.

Those Bee Gee's records alone......Good God Man!

Very sad and depressing news.