David Blumberg
April 19, 2010 – Los Angeles
The Society of Composers & Lyricists mourns SCL Member DAVID BLUMBERG
DAVID BLUMBERG (December 29, 1942- April 17, 2010)
David Blumberg, who had been struggling with lymphoma for the past year, had his family gathered at his side for the past few days to say their goodbyes, and passed away on Saturday, April 17, 2010.
David Blumberg was born in Blythe, California moving to Los Angeles at the age of 7. He studied music in college and privately with many teachers. As a composer, he scored the TV show THE SPECTACULAR WORLD OF GUINNESS RECORDS with Tony Martin Jr. and did several shorts, animated features, commercials and Multi-Media/CD Roms. In 1999, he composed the music for the feature, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, for Horne Entertainment. He had numerous concert performances of his classical compositions for orchestra, string quartet, chamber groups, and brass/wind ensembles. After many years of study with Spud Murphy, he taught the Equal Interval System to private students.
He began his arranging career for a soul label named Venture Records created by the legendary producer, Clarence Paul. Hal Davis at Motown Records decided to begin using David, and this association lasted over eleven years garnering 14 gold albums, including their first three Jackson Five albums, where he received his first #1 record on Michael Jackson’s GOT TO BE THERE. The next #1 arrangement was for Dinah Ross, titled LOVE HANGOVER. At Motown he worked with Gladys Knight, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, the Miracles, Jermaine Jackson, Leon Ware, the Four Tops, Norman Whitfield, Holland-Dozier-Holland, and many other artists, plus Marvin Gaye, and other labels during that same period. He worked with Quincy Jones on the BODY HEAT album including EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE, and orchestrations on several of Quincy Jones’s films.
Other artists he worked with were Nat and Cannonball Adderly, Wayne Shorter, Milt Jackson, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Melissa Manchester, Tim Buckley, Nils Lofgrin, Neil Young, Spirit, Bobby Womack, Patti LaBelle, James Brown, Johnny Mathis, Eric Clapton, Natalie Cole, Gene Page, Joe Sample, Frankie Valli, David Byrne, Cameo, Peabo Bryson, Johnny Nash, Anita Baker, Tina Turner, Patti Austin, Jerry Butler, Syreeta, Jimmy Smith, Andy Williams, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dakota Staton, Tony Martin and many others. In 1979 he was the arranger on Gloria Gaynor’s #1 record I WILL SURVIVE, which was voted the #1 dance record of the last 20 years. In recent years he arranged for David Benoit including the AMERICAN LANDSCAPE album, three albums with Maxwell for Sony, including THIS WOMAN’S WORK, Ellis Hall’s STRAIGHT AHEAD album, orchestration for Robbie Buchanan for Barbra Streisand’s MOVIE album, and orchestrated for Jorge Calandrelli for SISSLE. He was the arranger on three songs on the new duets album for the legendary Ray Charles, titled GENIUS LOVES COMPANY, with Norah Jones, Diana Krall and Gladys Knight, and an album for Stevie Wonder. In film, David has worked as orchestrator or arranger for Herbie Hancock on four films, including ROUND MIDNIGHT which won the Academy Award for music in 1987. He also worked on films with Elmer Bernstein, Bob Alcivar, Neil Young, Fred Karlin, and Frank Stalone.
He most recently had been working as an arranger on AMERICAN IDOL for the past four years.
David was a member of the SCL, a Board member of ASMAC, Governor of The Recording Academy, member of ASCAP and the Professional Musicians Union.
His wife Evelyn and family request quiet time to grieve. A memorial service has not been announced.
An Arranger’s Life – Mix Magazine Article
David’s Face book page (which for now is a public place for his friends to share feelings/thoughts about him)
CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DAVID BLUMBERG
His Life, Love and Music
SUNDAY, AUGUST 1, 2010
2:00-4:00pm
Join David’s family and friends for “The Melody of Life” as composed by David Blumberg
Memorial website: www.tribute2david.com
