Joel Dorn, R.I.P.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Joel Dorn R.I.P.


A great man has left the building.

Although Joel Dorn produced a ton of artists across several genres, I personally tend to associate JD with the inimitable Rahsaan Roland Kirk, particularly since he did so much, in the mid-to-late 90s, to promote what he termed the "Rahsaan-aisance". Some great reissues came out of those efforts, and his liner notes for the "simmer, reduce, garnish and serve" CD are the best i've ever read by any producer about any recording. Find a copy online if you can: he essentially discusses RRK's last recording session--where they both knew the end was near due to the increasingly insurmountable physical ailments RRK was inflicted with--and the literally heroic efforts RRK made to complete the album (and the challenges--which he always embraced, and even welcomed--that recording and producing it entailed). Suffice it to say, it would be a remarkable enough achievement by any artist (under any circumstances, for that matter) but, for my money, it's actually one of RRK's best: 'watergate blues' alone is such an incredible masterpiece i can't imagine music, or my life, without it. JD is an american legend that all serious fans of the music owe an ongoing debt of gratitude to: he dedicated his life to helping promote great music (and did the dirty work and heavy lifting of ensuring that great artists had an outlet to record and distribute their work). i say without hyperbole that he is one of my heroes.