Victor Feldman

Emerging as a musical prodigy, Victor Feldman launched his professional career at the age of seven and, at ten, joined Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band for a drum appearance in 1944. He stayed active across his native England amid the bebop era, focusing chiefly on drums while making his debut as a leader in 1948. Recognition for his vibraphone work grew by 1952, prompting widespread recording activity throughout the 1950s. After touring with Woody Herman from 1956 to 1957, Feldman chose to relocate to the U.S. in 1957 and began performing at the Lighthouse with Howard Rumsey. Between 1957 and 1961 he tracked sessions on both vibes and piano for Mode, Contemporary, and Riverside, a stretch when his profile as a studio musician expanded sharply. He spent six months in Cannonball Adderley's Quintet from 1960 to 1961, playing piano for most of that time, and in 1963 he recorded with Miles Davis, who invited him to join the trumpeter's new quintet after capturing Feldman's original "Seven Steps to Heaven," yet Feldman remained anchored in L.A. and its studios. He continued cutting jazz dates for Choice, Concord, Palo Alto, and TBA, and from the 1980s onward until his death he led the soulful crossover ensemble the Generation Band, which regularly showcased his son, Trevor Feldman, on drums.