David Alan Samuels (October 9, 1948 – April 22, 2019) was an American

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist ...

and

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

player who spent many years with the contemporary jazz group Spyro Gyra. His recordings and live performances during that period also reflect his prowess on the

steelpan The steelpan (also known as a pan, steel drum, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or steel orchestra) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. Descriptio ...

, a tuned percussion instrument of Trinidadian origin.

Biography

Samuels was born in

Waukegan ''(Fortress or Trading Post)'' , image_flag = , image_seal = , blank_emblem_size = 150 , blank_emblem_type = Logo , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivisi ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, United States. At the age of six he started playing drums and piano. He learned vibes and

while a student at Boston University. He continued his studies at the Berklee College of Music, also in Boston, and studied with vibraphonist

Gary Burton Gary Burton (born January 23, 1943) is an American jazz vibraphonist, composer, and educator. Burton developed a pianistic style of four-mallet technique as an alternative to the prevailing two-mallet technique. This approach caused him to be he ...

. He taught percussion at Berklee before moving to New York City in 1974. Soon he was recording and performing with

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

, Carla Bley, and

Gerry Niewood Gerry Niewood (April 6, 1943 – February 12, 2009), born Gerard Joseph Nevidosky, was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist who worked often with Chuck Mangione. Like Mangione, Niewood was born in Rochester, New York, and graduated from the ...

. He played in a vibes/marimba duo with David Friedman, who had been his teacher at Boston, releasing albums under the name Double Image. In 1979 he began recording with Spyro Gyra, eventually becoming a member of the band in 1986 and remaining with it through the 1990s. During the 1980s he also recorded with

Paul McCandless Paul Brownlee McCandless Jr. (born March 24, 1947) is an American multi-instrumentalist and founding member of the American jazz group Oregon. He is one of the few jazz oboists. He also plays bass clarinet, English horn, flute and soprano saxoph ...

, Art Lande, Anthony Davis, and

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...

. In 1993 he created the Caribbean Jazz Project. Samuels wrote columns for the magazines ''Modern Percussionist'' and ''Modern Drummer'', a method book, and made an instructional video. He taught at Berklee and at the

New England Conservatory of Music The New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) is a private music school in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest independent music conservatory in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. The conservatory is located on H ...

. Samuels died on April 22, 2019, due to an undisclosed long-term illness.

Discography

* 1980 ''One Step Ahead'' (Dire Silverline) * 1988 ''Living Colors'' ( MCA) * 1989 ''Ten Degrees North'' (MCA) * 1989 '' Fountainhead'' with

Andy LaVerne Andy LaVerne (born December 4, 1947) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and educator. Education and musical career Born in New York City, LaVerne studied at Juilliard School of Music, Berklee College, and the New England Conservat ...

(SteepleChase) * 1991 ''Natural Selection'' ( GRP) * 1992 ''Del Sol'' (GRP) * 1994 ''Synergy with Samuels'' (Tall Poppies) * 1998 ''Tjader-ized: A Cal Tjader Tribute'' ( Verve/ Polygram) * 2006 ''Mosaic'' (

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

) * 2007 ''Dualism'' With Spyro Gyra * 1978 '' Spyro Gyra'' * 1979 '' Morning Dance'' * 1980 '' Catching the Sun'' * 1980 '' Carnaval'' * 1981 '' Freetime'' * 1982 ''

Incognito Incognito is an English adjective meaning "in disguise", "having taken steps to conceal one's identity". Incognito may also refer to: Film and television * ''Incognito'' (1937 film), a Danish film * ''Incognito'' (1997 film), an American crime ...

'' * 1983 '' City Kids'' * 1984 '' Access All Areas'' * 1985 '' Alternating Currents'' * 1986 '' Breakout'' * 1987 '' Stories Without Words'' * 1988 '' Rites of Summer'' * 1989 ''

Point of View Point of view or Points of View may refer to: Concept and technique * Point of view (philosophy), an attitude how one sees or thinks of something * Point of view (literature) or narrative mode, the perspective of the narrative voice; the prono ...

'' * 1990 ''

Fast Forward To fast-forward is to move forwards through a recording at a speed faster than that at which it would usually be played, for example two times or two point five times. The recordings are usually audio, video or computer data. It is colloquially ...

'' * 1992 '' Three Wishes'' * 1993 '' Dreams Beyond Control'' * 1995 '' Love and Other Obsessions'' * 1996 ''

Heart of the Night ''Heart of the Night'' is the nineteenth album by the American jazz group Spyro Gyra, released in 1996 by GRP Records. Track listing # "Heart of the Night" (Jay Beckenstein) – 4:34 # "De La Luz" (Julio Fernandez) – 5:14 # "Westwood Moon" ...

'' * 1997 '' 20/20'' * 1999 '' Got the Magic'' * 2003 ''

Original Cinema ''Original Cinema'' is the twenty-sixth album by Spyro Gyra, released on February 25, 2003. Allmusic entry for ''Original Cinema''.Retrieved September 2009. At ''Billboard'' magazine, the album peaked at No. 14 on the Jazz Albums chart. Track li ...

'' * 2004 '' The Deep End'' * 2006 '' Wrapped in a Dream'' * 2008 ''

A Night Before Christmas ''A Night Before Christmas'' is the thirtieth album (and first Christmas album) by Spyro Gyra, recorded and released in 2008. Janis Siegel of the Manhattan Transfer sings on "Baby, It's Cold Outside". The album peaked at No. 14 on the Holiday Al ...

'' With Caribbean Jazz Project * 1995 ''The Caribbean Jazz Project'' * 1997 ''Island Stories'' * 2000 ''New Horizons'' * 2001 ''Paraiso'' * 2002 '' The Gathering'' * 2003 ''Birds of a Feather'' * 2005 '' Diane Schuur Featuring Caribbean Jazz Project – Schuur Fire'' * 2005 ''Here and Now: Live in Concert'' * 2006 ''Mosaic'' * 2008 ''Afro Bop Alliance'' With Double Image * 1977 ''Double Image'' * 1979 ''Dawn'' * 1986 ''In Lands I Never Saw'' * 1994 ''Open Hand (live)'' * 1997 ''Duotones'' * 2006 ''Moment to Moment (Live in Concert)''

As sideman

With

* 1974 '' Carnegie Hall Concert '' (CTI), Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan * 1976 ''Idol Gossip'' * 1995 ''Dragonfly'' With others * 1977 ''Gerry Niewood and Timepiece'',

& Timepiece * 1978 ''Dawn'', David Friedman * 1978 ''

Zappa in New York ''Zappa in New York'' is a double live album by Frank Zappa released on his own DiscReet Records label. It was recorded in December 1976 at a series of concerts at the Palladium in New York City. The album was scheduled for release in mid 1977 b ...

'', Frank Zappa * 1979 '' All the Mornings Bring'',

* 1981 ''Gallery'', Gallery * 1981 '' The Navigator'', Paul McCandless * 1981 '' Skylight'', Art Lande * 1983 ''Hemispheres'', Anthony Davis * 1986 ''Storytime'',

T Lavitz Terry "T" Lavitz (April 16, 1956 – October 7, 2010) was an American keyboardist, composer and producer. He is best known for his work with the Dixie Dregs and Jazz Is Dead. Biography Born on April 16, 1956, Lavitz grew up in New Jersey. He s ...

* 1991 ''Cool Running'', Jeremy Wall * 1991 '' You Can't Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 4'', Frank Zappa * 1992 ''Red Sun'',

Dave Valentin David Peter Valentin (April 29, 1952 – March 8, 2017) was an American Latin jazz flautist of Puerto Rican descent. Life and career Valentin was born to Puerto Rican parents in The Bronx in New York City. He attended The High School of Mu ...

* 1992 ''Stepping to the New World'', Jeremy Wall * 1993 ''A Night in Englewood'', Paquito D'Rivera & the United Nation Orchestra * 1993 ''Arc'', Jimmy Haslip * 1994 '' Picture Perfect Morning'',

Edie Brickell Edie Arlisa Brickell (born March 10, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter widely known for 1988's ''Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars'', the debut album by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, which went to No. 4 on the ''Billboard'' albums chart. ...

* 1994 ''Two Hearts'',

Peter Kater Peter Kater (born 1958) is a German-born American pianist, composer and Grammy Award winner. When he was four, he moved with his family from Germany to New Jersey. He studied classical piano at an early age. In 1977 when he was eighteen, Peter mo ...

* 1994 ''

We Live Here ''We Live Here'' is the seventh studio album by the Pat Metheny Group. It won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 1996. Track listing Personnel * Pat Metheny – guitars, guitar synthesizer * Lyle Mays – piano, keyboards * ...

'',

Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progre ...

* 1994 ''World Tour'',

Jason Miles Jason Miles (born June 30, 1951) is an American jazz keyboardist, composer, and record producer. Throughout his career, he has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, bassist Marcus Miller, and singer Luther Vandross, as well as maintaining a successfu ...

* 1997 ''Playin' Hooky'', Bob James * 2002 '' Speaking of Now'',

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Samuels, Dave 1948 births 2019 deaths People from Waukegan, Illinois Boston University alumni Musicians from Illinois Writers from Illinois American percussionists Latin Grammy Award winners Latin jazz musicians Caribbean Jazz Project members Spyro Gyra members