[Dixielandjazz] Pianist, composer, arranger Clare Fischer dies at 83--LA Times

[Norman Vickers]

To Musicians and Jazzfans; DJML

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

 

 

 


Clare Fischer dies at 83; versatile pianist, composer, arranger


The Grammy-winning musician's interests included jazz, Latin and pop music,
and he released more than 50 albums under his name.


By Don Heckman, Special to The Los Angeles Times

January 27, 2012, 7:39 a.m.

Clare Fischer, a Grammy-winning pianist, composer and arranger who crossed
freely from
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/genres/jazz-%28genre%29-01011003.
topic> jazz to
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/genres/latin-music-%28genre%29-01
011000237.topic> Latin and pop music, working with
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/dizzy-gillespie-PECLB00193
3.topic> Dizzy Gillespie,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/george-shearing-PECLB00000010629
.topic> George Shearing,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/natalie-cole-PECLB001066.t
opic> Natalie Cole and Joao Gilberto as well as
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/paul-mccartney-PECLB003167
.topic> Paul McCartney,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/prince-%28music-artist%29-
PECLB005397.topic> Prince,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/movies/spike-lee-PECLB004221.top
ic> Spike Lee and
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/michael-jackson-PECLB00254
8.topic> Michael Jackson, has died. He was 83.

Fischer died Thursday at Providence St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank
of complications of a
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/physical-conditions/heart-attack-HEISY0
00062.topic> heart attack suffered two weeks ago, according to family
spokeswoman Claris Dodge.

 

Although Fischer entered the professional music world through jazz, his
expansive creative perspective quickly grew to embrace many other musical
areas.

"I relate to everything," he explained in a 1987 interview with The Times.
"I'm not just jazz, Latin or classical. I really am a fusion of all of
those, not today's fusion, but my fusion." He went on to describe his
fascination with Stravinsky, Schoenberg and Bartok, as well as
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/duke-ellington-PECLB001555
.topic> Duke Ellington, Bud Powell, Lee Konitz,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/tito-puente-PECLB00000060478.top
ic> Tito Puente and boogie-woogie pianist Meade Lux Lewis.

Regardless of the area in which he was working, Fischer's arranging and
composing always possessed a rich harmonic palette, one that attracted and
influenced other musicians.

"Clare Fischer was a major influence on my harmonic concept," noted
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/herbie-hancock-PECLB0000006506.t
opic> Herbie Hancock, describing Fischer's arrangements for the 1950s vocal
group the Hi-Lo's as having a significant impact upon his own recording,
"Speak Like a Child."

Fischer's arranging was especially valued by pop and rock artists for the
lush, classical qualities of the textures he created, especially for string
ensembles. Working closely with his son, Brent Fischer, also an arranger and
conductor, he provided arrangements and orchestrations for Paul McCartney,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/chaka-khan-PECLB00000060967.topi
c> Chaka Khan,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/carlos-santana-PECLB001776
4442.topic> Carlos Santana, Rufus,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/brandy-%28singer%29-PECLB0
00644.topic> Brandy, Prince and numerous others. His first film credit was
the music for Prince's "Under the Cherry Moon."

In addition to his writing efforts, Fischer was a busy studio keyboardist,
performing, composing or arranging for commercials, film and television
scores, and more than 100 albums for other artists.

He also released more than 50 albums under his own name in a recording
career that began in 1962 with the Pacific Records album "First Time Out."
His diverse ensembles included the Latin group
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/genres/salsa-%28genre%29-01011000
255.topic> Salsa Picante; the vocal ensemble 2 + 2; his Clarinet Choir; a
big, 30-piece band called Clare Fischer's Jazz Corps; solo piano
performances; pairings with Donald Byrd,
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/gary-foster-PECLB0000011569.topi
c> Gary Foster, Jerry Coker and others; and a duo with Fischer's digital
piano and the acoustic guitar of Helio Delmiro.

"After the Rain," produced in 2001, was his first classical recording, a
collection of his symphonic works.

He won two Grammy awards, in 1981 for "Clare Fischer and Salsa Picante
Present 2+2" and in 1986 for "Freefall."

Douglas Clare Fischer was born Oct. 22, 1928, in Durand, Mich., the third of
four children. His first instruments were violin and piano. By the time he
was in his teens, after his family had moved to Grand Rapids, he was
composing and writing arrangements for big dance bands. His versatility as
an instrumentalist grew to include cello, clarinet and saxophone during his
high school years. In 1947, he entered Michigan State University, majoring
in composition and theory, graduating in 1951 cum laude with a bachelor's
degree in music.

After serving in the
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/unrest-conflicts-war/defense/u.s.-army-ORGOV00
00126141142.topic> U.S. Army, he returned to Michigan State, receiving a
master's in music in 1955.

Fischer's professional career escalated in the late 1950s during his
five-year association as pianist/arranger/conductor with the musically
adventurous Hi-Lo's. But it was his arrangements for Dizzy Gillespie's 1960
album, "A Portrait of Duke Ellington," that brought him the full attention
of the jazz community. Albums for George Shearing, Cal Tjader, Bud Shank and
Joe Pass followed. In the mid-'70s a reunion with Tjader also revived
Fischer's fascination with Latin music via his Salsa Picante group. His
affection for Brazilian music in general, and bossa nova in particular,
resulted in albums such as "So Danco Samba," "Lembrancas" and "Symbiosis."

In the '80s, Fischer became an arranger and orchestrator of choice for many
major pop artists.

In 1988, Fischer had a freeway encounter with another driver that climaxed
in a physical confrontation at the side of the road. Fischer, 60 at the
time, was pushed to the ground by the combined assault of the driver and his
companion, suffering a hairline
<http://www.latimes.com/topic/health/human-body/skull-fracture-HEINW000010.t
opic> skull fracture and a concussion. He was in the hospital, in and out of
consciousness for two weeks. It took nearly a year before he was able to
return to music.

"If I discovered anything in that strange, 10-month period of recovery," he
said in a 1992 interview, "it's that music is the one thing that makes me
sane."

He is survived by his wife, Donna; his children, Lee, Brent and Tahlia; two
stepchildren, Lisa and Bill Bachman; three grandchildren; and a brother,
Stewart.

 <mailto:news.obits at latimes.com> news.obits at latimes.com

Copyright C 2012,  <http://www.latimes.com/> Los Angeles Times