Biography
George Avakian entered the world in Russia during 1919 yet grew up in America under the guidance of his Armenian parents, leaving an enormous mark on jazz for most of the twentieth century. His writing on the music dated back to 1937, and from 1946 through 1948 he supplied articles to Mademoiselle and Pic while also helping update Charles Delauney's famous Hot Discography for its first American edition in 1948 and contributing pieces to Down Beat and Metronome. Production formed the core of his legacy; he assembled Chicago Jazz, one of the first jazz albums, for Decca in 1940. Shortly afterward he began overseeing jazz sessions at Columbia and rose to considerable influence throughout the 1950s, a period when he simultaneously handled duties in the label's popular music division. Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis numbered among the many artists with whom he worked closely, often supplying perceptive liner notes. After exiting Columbia in 1958 he held posts at World Pacific, Warner Bros., and RCA, pursued freelance projects for numerous additional labels, and served as a key champion of the Charles Lloyd Quartet. More than seventy years in the jazz field brought formal recognition that included a Grammy Trustees Award in 2009 and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award in 2010. Avakian died at his Manhattan home in November 2017 at the age of 98.