Al Schmitt, 1930-2021

It got to the point in the 80s and 90s when a look at the credits list of each new LP was not only meant to check the musicians, producers, and arrangers, but also the name of the engineer. If it was Al Schmitt, it had to be good and there was no reason not to buy it. Al Schmitt died yesterday at the age of 91. He was 19 when he got the chance to record a session with Duke Ellington. After moving to Los Angeles, he became house engineer for RCA Records before he went independent. He received 23 Grammy Awards and his favorite working place was the Capitol Records studio.

Here is just a tiny little list of the recordings he was involved with:
Toni Harper “Lady Lonely” (1959)
Gogi Grant “Granted…It’s Gogi” (1960)
Rosemary Clooney “Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie!” (1960)
Toni Harper “Night Mood” (1960)
Rosemary Clooney “Rosie Solves The Swingin’ Riddle!” (1961)
Lena Horne “Lena At The Sands” (1961)
Esquivel “Latin-Esque” (1962)
Anita O’Day/Cal Tjader “Time For 2” (1962)
Earth, Wind & Fire “The Need Of Love” (1971)
Phil Upchurch “Darkness, Darkness” (1972)
Earth, Wind & Fire “Last Days And Time” (1972)
Boz Scaggs “Slow Dancer” (1974)
Barbra Streisand “The Way We Were” (1974)
Michael Franks “The Art Of Tea” (1975)
Al Jarreau “We Got By” (1975)
Alphonse Mouzon “The Man Incognito” (1976)
Lee Ritenour “First Course” (1976)
George Benson “Breezin'” (1976)
João Gilberto “Amoroso” (1977)
Michael Franks “Sleeping Gypsy” (1977)
Steely Dan “Aja” (1977)
Al Jarreau “Look To The Rainbow” (1977)
George Benson “In Flight” (1977)
Deodato “Love Island” (1978)
Leon Haywood “Double My Pleasure” (1978)
Pleasure “Get To The Feeling” (1978)
Sonny Rollins “There Will Never Be Another You” (1978)
Michael Franks “Burchfield Nines” (1978)
George Benson “Weekend In L.A.” (1978)
Brenda Russell “Brenda Russell” (1979)
Barbra Streisand “Wet” (1979)
George Benson “Livin’ Inside Your Love” (1979)
Noel Pointer “Calling” (1980)
Michael Franks “One Bad Habit” (1980)
Lamont Dozier “Lamont” (1981)
Yellowjackets “Yellowjackets” (1981)
Randy Crawford “Secret Combination” (1981)
Brenda Russell “Love Life” (1981)
The Four Tops “Tonight!” (1981)
Bill Evans “You Must Believe In Spring” (1981)
Boz Scaggs “Slow Dancer” (1982)
Dionne Warwick “Friends In Love” (1982)
Claus Ogerman/Michael Brecker “Cityscape” (1982)
Randy Crawford “Windsong” (1982)
Lamont Dozier “Bigger Than Life” (1983)
Randy Crawford “Nightline” (1983)
Patti Austin “Patti Austin” (1984)
George Benson/Earl Klugh “Collaboration” (1987)
Rubén Blades “Nothing But The Truth” (1988)
Miles Davis “Amandla” (1989)
George Benson “Tenderly” (1989)
Joe Sample “Spellbound” (1989)
Lalah Hathaway “Lalah Hathaway” (1990)
Mark Whitfield “The Marksman” (1990)
Michael Franks “Blue Pacific” (1990)
Joe Sample “Ashes To Ashes” (1990)
Bob James “Grand Piano Canyon” (1990)
Everything But The Girl “The Language Of Life” (1990)
Natalie Cole “Unforgettable With Love” (1991)
Shirley Horn “Here’s To Life” (1992)
The Manhattan Transfer “The Christmas Album” (1992)
Jimmy Scott “All The Way” (1992)
Teddy Pendergrass “A Little More Magic” (1993)
Diana Krall “Stepping Out” (1993)
George Benson “Love Remembers” (1993)
Joe Sample “Invitation” (1993)
Mark Whitfield “Mark Whitfield” (1993)
Barbra Streisand “Back To Broadway” (1993)
Natalie Cole “Take A Look” (1993)
Frank Sinatra “Duets” (1993)
Anita Baker “Rhythm Of Love” (1994)
Frank Sinatra “Duets II” (1994)
Brian McKnight “I Remember You” (1995)
Diana Krall “Only Trust Your Heart” (1995)
David Sanborn “Pearls” (1995)
Quincy Jones “Q’s Jook Joint” (1995)
Eric Reed “Musicale” (1996)
Danilo Perez “Panamonk” (1996)
Carmen Lundy “Self Portrait” (1996)
Luther Vandross “Your Secret Love” (1996)
Joe Sample “Old Places Old Faces” (1996)
Horace Silver “The Hardbop Grandpop” (1996)
Natalie Cole “Stardust” (1996)
Diana Krall “All For You” (1996)
Dee Dee Bridgewater “Dear Ella” (1997)
Horace Silver “A Prescription For The Blues” (1997)
Diana Krall “Love Scenes” (1997)
Danilo Perez “Central Avenue” (1998)
Luther Vandross “I Know” (1998)
Monica Mancini “Monica Mancini” (1998)
Russell Malone “Sweet Georgia Peach” (1998)
Horace Silver “Jazz…Has A Sense Of Humor” (1999)
Diana Krall “When I Look In Your Eyes” (1999)
Roy Hargrove “Moment To Moment” (2000)
Russell Malone “Look Who’s Here” (2000)
George Benson “Absolute Benson” (2000)
Johnny Mathis “Mathis On Broadway” (2000)
Shirley Horn “You’re My Thrill” (2001)
Russell Malone “Hearstrings” (2001)
Diana Krall “The Look Of Love” (2001)
Patti Austin “For Ella” (2002)
Al Jarreau “All I Got” (2002)
Dee Dee Bridgewater “This Is New” (2002)
Natalie Cole “Ask A Woman Who Knows” (2002)
Isley Meets Bacharach “Here I Am” (2003)
Lizz Wright “Salt” (2003)
Kurt Elling “Man In The Air” (2003)
Harvey Mason “With All My Heart” (2003)
Barbra Streisand “The Movie Album” (2003)
Herbie Hancock “Gershwin’s World” (2004)
Diana Krall “Temptation” (2004)
Rosa Passos “Amorosa” (2004)
Jane Monheit “Taking A Chance On Love” (2004)
Diana Krall “The Girl In The Other Room” (2004)
Roy Hargrove “Nothing Serious” (2005)
Michael Bublé “It’s Time” (2005)
Randy Crawford & Joe Sample “Feeling Good” (2006)
George Benson & Al Jarreau “Givin’ It Up” (2006)
Gladys Knight “Before Me” (2006)
Jane Monheit “Surrender” (2007)
Natalie Cole “Still Unforgettable” (2008)
Shelby Lynne “Just A Little Lovin'” (2008)
Melody Gardot “My One And Only Thrill” (2009)
Roy Hargrove “Emergence” (2009)
Diana Krall “Quiet Nights” (2009)
Kat Edmonson “Take To The Sky” (2009)
Lalah Hathaway “Where It All Begins” (2011)
Melody Gardot “The Absence” (2012)
George Benson “Inspiration” (2013)
Rumer “This Girl’s In Love” (2016)
Gregory Porter “Nat King Cole & Me” (2017)
Melody Gardot “Sunset In The Blue” (2020)