R.I.P. Arif Mardin

It is really weird, as I went and looked up the UK band Loose Ends on a lark (I was trrying to determine who sang Hanging on a String (Contemplating) after years of never really knowing), which through te convoluted magic of musical online digging I came to Chaka Khan on wikipedia, who then led me to Arif Mardin, a name I am quite familiar with.

Yesterday he had passed away.

Now, outside of the sheer creepiness of the timing, I do have to say it is a sad event. Mardin was a jazz and pop wunderkind producer of sorts. And while I did not like all of the horses he backed (i.e. Jewell, Leo Sayer, Najee) he did some fine work with the aforementioned Khan, Scritti Politti, David Bowie, Hank Crawford, Willie Nelson, and the Drums Unlimited album for Max Roach.

Thanks Arif for all the work.