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66-524: Fischer went on to work with Donald Byrd and Dizzy Gillespie , and became known for his Latin and bossa nova recordings in the 1960s. He composed the Latin jazz standard " Morning ", and the jazz standard " Pensativa ". Consistently cited by jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock as a major influence ("I wouldn't be me without Clare Fischer"), he was nominated for eleven Grammy Awards during his lifetime, winning for his landmark album, 2+2 (1981),

132-550: A "Clare Fischer Productions" recording, as has his Clare Fischer's Jazz Corps recording. In December 1999, Michigan State University School of Music conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts Degree on Fischer in recognition of his "creativity and excellence as a jazz composer, arranger and performer". On October 22, 2009, Manhattan School of Music's Concert Jazz Band , under the direction of Justin DiCoccio, commemorated two Clare Fischer anniversaries - both his 81st birthday and

198-495: A 4-acre (1.6 ha) parcel of land. U.S. Route 9W , combined with NY Route 218 run north-south through West Point. New York Route 293 also runs northeast-southwest through the post. Running through the lower portion of the town is U.S. Route 6 , combined with the upper extent of the Palisades Interstate Parkway . The New York Central Railroad well into the 1950s operated several passenger trains

264-478: A Grammy in 1981. After that he recorded And Sometimes Voices and Free Fall with the vocal group. Free Fall was nominated in three categories for the Grammy Awards and won under the category of "Best Jazz Album By A Vocal Duo Or Group". Crazy Bird was with the instrumental group and Alone Together , a solo piano album recorded on a Hamburg Steinway . It was recorded for Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer and

330-568: A campaign to take control of the Hudson River, so he had been interested in the plans and information of the defenses of West Point and other defenses on the Hudson River. Arnold wrote a series of letters to Clinton, one of which was written on July 12, making explicit the offer to surrender West Point to the British , later for a finalized offer of £ 20,000. On August 3, 1780, Arnold obtained command of West Point, which also gave him command of

396-734: A day on the West Shore Railroad through the academy's Gothic style station; both the limited stop trains bound for Albany and the local trains to Newburgh and Kingston made stops at the station. Service finally ended in 1958. Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District is the local school district. James I. O'Neill High School is its high school. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) maintains elementary and middle schools for children of military personnel on-post at USMA, but sends high school aged students who are dependents of on-base military personnel to O'Neill. In March 2022 USMA's contract with O'Neill

462-404: A fifteen percent understanding of a foreign language. He knows what language it is and is familiar with one or two words. With music it is not different. Most people only hear the lyrics to a song or feel the beat. I have always made music for good listeners, with 65 to eighty percent of musical understanding. That is why with my vocal sextet all pieces are sung in the original language, whether that

528-564: A half minute orchestral work, was performed with a symphony orchestra and Stoltzman on clarinet all around the world. Starting in 1984, Fischer wrote orchestral arrangements for pop artist Prince . Fischer's arrangements appeared both on Prince's albums and in the Prince film soundtrack music for Under the Cherry Moon (Fischer's first screen credit), Graffiti Bridge , Batman and Girl 6 . Prince's 2005 single " Te Amo Corazon ",

594-525: A jazz artist. As a bandleader, Byrd was an influence on the early career of Herbie Hancock and many others. Byrd was born in 1932 in Detroit, Michigan . His family came from the African-American middle-class . His father, Elijah Thomas Byrd, was a Methodist minister who greatly valued education and oversaw his son's schooling. His mother, Cornelia Taylor, introduced Byrd to jazz music and it

660-526: A key influence in his early career, recounting that Byrd took the young pianist "under his wing" when he was a struggling musician newly arrived in New York, even letting him sleep on a hide-a-bed in his Bronx apartment for several years. He was the first person to let me be a permanent member of an internationally known band. He has always nurtured and encouraged young musicians. He's a born educator, it seems to be in his blood, and he really tried to encourage

726-602: A mid-tempo Latin jazz track, is one example of his collaboration with Fischer. As a jazz educator, Fischer performed solo piano concerts and conducted clinics and master classes in universities and music conservatories in Europe and throughout the United States. In 1995, Fischer released the solo jazz piano album, Just Me , on the Concord Jazz label. In 1997, his Latin-jazz group, which featured six singers, released

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792-500: A record by trumpeter Donald Byrd , which, by virtue of Fischer's use of strings and harps, imbued well-known standards with an unaccustomed, melancholic quality. Although it would be twenty-five years before the album was finally released, September Afternoon paid immediate dividends when Byrd played a copy for Dizzy Gillespie . In turn, Gillespie hired Fischer to write arrangements for a small ensemble featuring brass and woodwinds for his own album, A Portrait of Duke Ellington , which

858-689: A rich source of samples for acid jazz artists such as Us3 . Most of the material for the albums was written by Larry Mizell. In 1973, he helped to establish and co-produce the Blackbyrds , a fusion group consisting of then-student musicians from Howard University , where Byrd taught in the music department and earned his J.D. in 1976. They scored several major hits including "Happy Music" (No. 3 R&B, No. 19 pop), "Walking in Rhythm" (No. 4 R&B, No. 6 pop) and "Rock Creek Park". During his tenure at North Carolina Central University during

924-506: A standing army as "dangerous", Congress demobilized American forces but left fewer than a hundred men at West Point. However, it was still the largest post in the army in the immediate years after the Revolutionary War. Favoring West Point due to its location and defenses, Henry Knox and Alexander Hamilton made the first official recommendation to establish a military academy at West Point in 1790. However, Congress rejected

990-453: Is 23.5% under the age of 18, and 0.4% who were 65 years of age or older. There were 860 households, out of which 79.5% were a married couple family household, 16.4% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 3.3% had a male householder with no spouse present. The average household size was 3.79. The median income for a household in the CDP was $ 121,219. About 2.3% of the population

1056-561: Is German, Spanish or Japanese. Fischer graduated in 1951 with a B.M., cum laude , and began his first year of graduate work in composition. The U.S. Army drafted him the next year, sending him to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri , for basic training. There he played alto saxophone in the band and ended his service as an arranger at the U.S. Military Academy Band at West Point, New York . After the army, Fischer returned to Michigan State. In 1955, he received his Master of Music. Fischer next lived in Detroit, Michigan , whereupon, after first hearing

1122-576: Is a re-issue of Art Pepper 's Tokyo Debut on Galaxy (1995). In addition to his work with Prince, Fischer provided arrangements for Michael Jackson , Amy Grant , João Gilberto , Paula Abdul , Natalie Cole , Chaka Khan and Branford Marsalis . This work enabled Fischer to record his own music with a band of twenty brass instruments called "Clare Fischer's Jazz Corps". The recordings of this band contain an arrangement of Antonio Carlos Jobim 's " Corcovado ". Fischer said of Jobim that "[t]he death of my friend Tom Jobim has affected me deeply. Like me, he

1188-694: Is below the poverty line . In 1937, the West Point Bullion Depository was constructed and in 1938 opened to store silver bullion . In 1988, it became the West Point Mint , as a branch of the United States Mint and gained official status as a branch of the United States Mint on March 31 of that year. The West Point Mint has a deep storage of 54,067,331.379 fine troy ounces of gold. It sits on

1254-565: Is commonly called "West Point" as well. West Point is a census-designated place (CDP) located in the town of Highlands in Orange County , located on the western bank of the Hudson River. The population was 7,341 at the 2020 census . It is part of the New York–Newark–Jersey City, NY–NJ–PA Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark, NY–NJ–CT–PA Combined Statistical Area . The site for West Point

1320-671: Is located in the town of Highlands and is in Orange County . West Point and the contiguous village of Highland Falls are on the western bank of the Hudson River . West Point has a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ), with four distinct seasons. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are cold with moderate snowfall. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 27.5 °F (−2.5 °C) in January to 74.1 °F (23.4 °C) in July. The average annual precipitation

1386-562: Is the nation's oldest service academy, and is metonymically called "West Point" as well. West Point has the distinction of being the longest continuously occupied United States military installation. West Point is located at 41° 23′ 42" N 73° 57' 18" W (41.395° N 73.955° W). According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 25.1 sq mi (65 km ); 24.3 sq mi (63 km ) land and 0.7 sq mi (1.8 km ) water. It

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1452-752: Is the oldest continuously occupied military post in the United States . Located on the Hudson River in New York , General George Washington stationed his headquarters in West Point in the summer and fall of 1779 during the American Revolutionary War , and later called it "the most important Post in America" in 1781 following the war's end. West Point also was the site of General Benedict Arnold 's failed attempt at treason during

1518-647: The United States Air Force , Byrd obtained a bachelor's degree in music from Wayne State University and a master's degree from Manhattan School of Music . While still at the Manhattan School, he joined Art Blakey 's Jazz Messengers as Clifford Brown's successor. In 1955, he recorded with Gigi Gryce , Jackie McLean and Mal Waldron . After leaving the Jazz Messengers in 1956, he performed with many leading jazz musicians of

1584-718: The 1960s, Byrd (who eventually gained his PhD in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1982) taught at a variety of postsecondary institutions, including Rutgers University , the Hampton Institute , New York University , Howard University , Queens College , Oberlin College , Cornell University , North Carolina Central University and Delaware State University . Byrd returned to somewhat straight-ahead jazz later in his career, recording three albums for Orrin Keepnews ' Landmark Records . Byrd

1650-451: The 1980s, he formed a group which included students from the college called the "125th St NYC Band". They recorded three albums; Love Byrd and Words, Sounds, Colors and Shapes which featured Isaac Hayes . " Love Has Come Around " on Love Byrd became a disco hit, reaching number No. 4 on Billboard's U.S. Dance Club Songs and in the UK and reached No. 41 on the charts. Beginning in

1716-447: The 40th anniversary of the release of his well-regarded big band LP, Thesaurus - with a concert whose program concluded with five consecutive arrangements culled from that album. Fittingly, the five-tune sequence both began and ended, much like the album itself, with "The Duke" and "Upper Manhattan Medical Group", respectively, Fischer's tributes to his twin jazz inspirations, Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn . Fischer could not attend

1782-553: The American-controlled portion of the Hudson. Arnold then intentionally started weakening the fort's defenses, and through a letter sent to Clinton, proposing a meeting with British Major John André to discuss information on West Point. A meeting was set for September 11, however, Arnold and André did not meet until September 21. Carrying the plans for West Point, André was captured on September 23 by three militiamen, and

1848-404: The CDP, with the average household size being 3.79 persons per household. The population density was 398.2 inhabitants per square mile (153.7/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 69.3% white , 5.4% African American , 0.2% Native American , 4.4% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , and 10.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.0% of the population. The age distribution

1914-780: The German company MPS Records. In the 1970s, Fischer began doing orchestral sweeteners for R&B groups. His nephew, André Fischer, was the drummer of the band Rufus , featuring Chaka Khan . "Apparently the arrangements I made for their early records were appreciated, for in the following years I was hired almost exclusively by black artists." Among the artists Fischer worked for are The Jacksons , Earl Klugh , Switch , Debarge , Shotgun (a late 70s offshoot of 24-Carat Black ) and Atlantic Starr . His walls are now covered with gold and platinum records from these recordings, Grammy Award nominations, and several NARAS MVP Awards, culminating in an MVP-emeritus in 1985. Once his fame as an arranger

1980-498: The Hudson River, which was never tested by the British. The site comprised multiple redoubts , as well as Fort Putnam , situated on a high hill overlooking the river. Named after its builder, Revolutionary War General and engineer Rufus Putnam , the fort is still preserved in its original design. Parliament sent instructions to General Sir Henry Clinton to force George Washington out of West Point. Clinton decided to capture

2046-613: The Michigan State University were Latin Americans, as were the majority of his friends outside the music department. He was introduced to the music of Tito Puente , Tito Rodriguez , Machito and others. Through his friends he became interested in the Spanish language and took it as a minor on his Master's degree. Fischer's passion for music was always matched by his love of languages. The average person has about

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2112-636: The Revolutionary War. West Point was first occupied by the United States Armed Forces in January 1778, when Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons and his brigade occupied West Point. From then to the present, West Point has been occupied by the United States Army. It comprises 25.1 sq mi (65 km ) land and water including the campus of the United States Military Academy , which

2178-716: The Yamaha EX-42 and Clare Declares (1977) which once again featured the pipe organ. In 1975, after ten years of studio work and artistically successful yet obscure solo records, Fischer found a new direction. Just like Hancock and Chick Corea he was a pioneer on the electric keyboard, and in that capacity he joined vibraphonist Cal Tjader's group. The reunion with Tjader gave a new impulse to Fischer's love of Latin-American music. He started his own group with Latino musicians, "Salsa Picante", which showed great eclecticism in musical styles. Later he expanded to include four vocalists billed separately as "2 + 2". The album 2+2 won

2244-566: The album Rockin' In Rhythm on the JVC Music label. In 1993, the Dutch jazz pianists Cor Bakker and Bert van den Brink recorded an album of Fischer compositions together entitled DeClared . In 1998, the album The Latin Side , which also featured Fischer compositions, was released by The Netherlands Metropole Orchestra (led by Rob Pronk and Vince Mendoza ). Another notable recent CD with Clare

2310-485: The already popular Latin jazz group led by vibraphonist Cal Tjader . Both his playing and arranging made an immediate impression on Tjader, who went on to employ Fischer in both capacities on several recordings over the next three years; the two would reunite in the mid-1970s, leading eventually to the formation of Fischer's own Latin jazz unit, Salsa Picante. In 1961, Fischer became interested in Brazilian music through

2376-438: The arrangements. After graduating in 1946, he began undergraduate studies in 1947 at Michigan State University , majoring in music composition and theory, and studying with H. Owen Reed . During his teens there were no funds for him to study piano, so he was mostly self-taught. Therefore his major instrument in college was cello, and piano a minor. Later he changed his major to piano and minor in clarinet. Fischer's roommates at

2442-452: The boy and, because the family could not afford it, gave him free lessons in music theory, harmony, and orchestration. Fischer returned the favor by orchestrating and copying music for him. Whenever the concert band needed an instrument, Fischer would be supplied with it and the fingering chart to play it in concert. This gave him a personal training in orchestration that was invaluable. Fischer started his own band at 15, for which he wrote all

2508-465: The day, including John Coltrane , Sonny Rollins , Thelonious Monk , and later Herbie Hancock . Byrd's first regular group was a quintet that he co-led from 1958 to 1961 with baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams . The ensemble's hard-driving performances are captured live on At the Half Note Cafe . Byrd's 1961 LP Royal Flush was Hancock's Blue Note debut. Hancock has credited Byrd as

2574-404: The development of creativity. Hancock also recalled that Byrd helped him in many other ways: he encouraged Hancock to make his debut album for Blue Note, connected him with Mongo Santamaria , who turned Hancock's tune " Watermelon Man " into a chart-topping hit, and that Byrd also later urged him to accept Miles Davis ' offer to join his quintet. Hancock also credits Byrd with giving him one of

2640-409: The early 1970s, Fischer embarked on a parallel (and far more lucrative) career, eventually becoming a much sought-after arranger, providing orchestral "sweeteners" for pop and R&B artists such as Rufus (with Chaka Khan ), Prince (a regular client from 1984 onwards, and by far Fischer's most frequent in pop music), Robert Palmer , Paul McCartney , Michael Jackson and many others. Fischer

2706-512: The first of Fischer's records to incorporate the vocal ensemble writing developed during his Hi-Lo's days into his already sizable Latin jazz discography; it was also the first recorded installment in Fischer's three-decade-long collaboration with his son Brent . Fischer was also a posthumous Grammy winner for ¡Ritmo! (2012) and for Music for Strings, Percussion and the Rest (2013). Beginning in

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2772-452: The harmonic depth of Bach , Shostakovich and Stravinsky . They were well received by the critics, but commercially not very successful. Fischer presented himself both as pianist and arranger and composed his most famous pieces, " Pensativa " and "Morning" . His many talents, however, proved a disadvantage. Whenever I played with a trio, people said: "Fischer owes a lot to Bill Evans." Who I had never heard playing. My big musical example at

2838-459: The harmonies I used on Speak Like a Child - just being able to do that. I really got that from Clare Fischer's arrangements for the Hi-Lo's. Clare Fischer was a major influence on my harmonic concept... I heard some of his last records, and he was still doing amazing harmonic stuff. And, of course, he was a wonderful pianist, too. But it was those vocal harmonies that were the first thing I heard. I

2904-643: The information to West Point was found. After Arnold's betrayal, the fort, which was also known as Fort Arnold at the time, was renamed to Fort Clinton after General James Clinton. After the conclusion of the American Revolution, West Point was used as a storage facility for cannon and other military property used by the Continental Army and until November 28, 1779, was used as the temporary headquarters to George Washington, who called it "the most important Post in America" in 1781. Viewing

2970-450: The main fort), was built as well. The southern and western walls were nine feet high and twenty feet thick. Three redoubts and batteries on the south were named Forts Meigs, Wyllys, and Webb. West Point was staffed by a small garrison of Continental Army Soldiers from early in 1776 through the end of the war. A great iron chain was laid across the Hudson at this point in 1778 in order to prevent British Navy vessels from sailing further up

3036-425: The most important pieces of advice of his career – not to give away his publishing rights. When Blue Note offered Hancock the chance to record his first solo LP, label executives tried to convince him to relinquish his publishing in exchange for being able to record the album, but he stuck to Byrd's advice and refused, so the meeting came to an impasse. At this point, he stood up to leave and when it became clear that he

3102-427: The plain on West Point. General George Washington watched the construction of the fort closely and considered the fort to be General Alexander McDougall 's "first priority". In 1778, Major General Israel Putnam wrote, "The place agreed upon to obstruct the navigation of Hudson river was at West Point." A fort there, Fort Clinton, named after the governor 's brother, Colonel James Clinton (whose brigade built

3168-403: The proposal, although earlier in 1790, New York merchant and American Revolution patriot Stephen Moore sold his estate (known as "Moore's Folly") to the United States, following an Act of Congress that solidified the sale on September 10, 1790, for $ 11,085, which meant Congress had gained full possession of the fort. The United States Military Academy was established at West Point in 1802. It

3234-521: The recordings of Elizete Cardoso and Joao Gilberto . This discovery, coupled with his introduction to the music of Mexican composer Mario Ruiz Armengol , led to Fischer's subsequent collaboration with Cal Tjader, a 1962 LP devoted jointly to Armengol's music and that of assorted contemporary Brazilian composers. Over the following year, Fischer collaborated on two Bossa Nova-themed LPs with saxophonist Bud Shank , and arranged another for pianist George Shearing . While with The Hi-Lo's, Fischer arranged

3300-520: The strategically important posts Stony Point and Verplanck's Point, which were twelve miles south of West Point. Clinton captured the forts on June 1, 1779. To block the British advance, Washington moved his troops further up the Hudson. Early on in May 1779, General Benedict Arnold had met with a Philadelphia merchant named Joseph Stansbury. Afterwards, Stansbury had gone to Sir Henry Clinton, to whom he offered Arnold's "services". Clinton had been pursuing

3366-486: The time was Lee Konitz . And when I orchestrated a record it was Gil Evans , the arranger, that I copied. I called this my "Evans Brothers syndrome". Arrangements for Sérgio Mendes , Willy Ruff and others followed. In the 1960s, Fischer began playing the organ again, having studied the pipe organ at sixteen. He began to record on a Hammond B-3 for Pacific and on an album by Cal Tjader, Soña Libre. Years later, Fischer would record T'DAAA (1972) which showcased his skill on

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3432-594: The tribute; following a medical emergency on the flight home from a family reunion in Michigan the previous year, the family had decided that air travel was "just too stressful." On January 8, 2012, Fischer suffered a cardiac arrest in Los Angeles, following a minor surgery a few days before. His wife of 18 years, Donna, was at his side and performed CPR. He remained in ICU on life support, and died on January 26, 2012. He

3498-462: The vocal quartet The Hi-Lo's in a live performance, he promptly offered his services. Over the next five years, Fischer recorded several albums with the group, serving as pianist and, on occasion, arranger. In addition, he contributed several vocal arrangements, making his debut in that capacity; it was these arrangements that Herbie Hancock would later point to as a major influence: [T]hat's when I really learned some much farther-out voicings - like

3564-498: Was "lacking" in the knowledge needed to hold his position. Thus it was completed under Polish Colonel Tadeusz Kościuszko between 1778–1780; it was a key defensive fortification, overlooking the turn in the Hudson River and the Great Chain . On January 27, 1778, Brigadier General Samuel Holden Parsons and his brigade, including elements of Connecticut Colony 's patriot militia , crossed an iced over Hudson River and climbed to

3630-459: Was 68, and I am still alive. After he died I had a dream in which I was conducting his 'Corcovado'. Only it was not a normal version, there were these harmonic countermelodies in the bass. When I awoke I wrote down what I had dreamed. It became Jobim's In Memoriam, a piece I called 'Corcovado Fúnebre.'" One of Fischer's last projects in his own name was a recording with Brazilian guitarist Hélio Delmiro called "Symbiosis" which has been released on

3696-706: Was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey . He died on February 4, 2013, in Dover, Delaware, at age 80. With Art Blakey With Kenny Burrell With Paul Chambers With Sonny Clark With Kenny Clarke With John Coltrane With Eric Dolphy With Lou Donaldson With Red Garland With Dexter Gordon With Guru With Hank Jones With Hank Mobley With Jackie McLean With Duke Pearson With Oscar Pettiford With Sonny Rollins With Horace Silver With Jimmy Smith With George Wallington With others West Point, New York West Point

3762-634: Was about to walk out, the executives relented and allowed him to retain his publishing. Thanks to Santamaria's subsequent hit cover version of "Watermelon Man", Hancock was soon receiving substantial royalties, and he used his first royalty check of $ 6,000 to buy his first car, a 1963 Shelby Cobra (also recommended by Byrd) which Hancock still owns, and which is now the oldest production Cobra still in its original owner's hands. In June 1964, Byrd played with Eric Dolphy in Paris only two weeks before Dolphy died from insulin shock . By 1969's Fancy Free , Byrd

3828-404: Was approximately 51.47 in (1,310 mm) from 1991-2020; snow averaged at 35.7 in (91 cm) from 1991-2020, although this total may vary considerably from year to year. Extremes in temperature range from 106 °F (41 °C) on July 22, 1926, down to −7 °F (−22 °C) on January 22, 1984. As of the census of 2020, there were 7,341 people, and 860 households residing in

3894-489: Was established, Fischer also worked with pop musicians such as Paul McCartney , Prince , Celine Dion and Robert Palmer . "I am surprised that my arrangements are now considered one of the prerequisites for a hit album. People feel that they make a song sound almost classical." Classical concert artist Richard Stoltzman commissioned him in 1983 to write a symphonic work using Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn themes. The result, "The Duke, Swee'pea and Me", an eleven and

3960-532: Was her brother who gave Byrd his first trumpet. He attended Cass Technical High School . He performed with Lionel Hampton before finishing high school. During this period, his first professional recording session was in 1949 at Fortune Records in Detroit with the Robert Barnes Sextette for the single "Black Eyed Peas" / "Bobbin' At Barbee's." After playing in a military band during a term in

4026-565: Was in awe of him. When Fischer moved to Hollywood in 1958, he went to East Los Angeles, to play and learn more about Latin-Jazz. He started in a charanga group with Modesto Duran as leader and played with many different groups. On November 2, 1959, he made a particularly fruitful connection within this genre when he appeared with the Hi-lo's at the First Annual Los Angeles Jazz Festival on the same bill with

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4092-680: Was moving away from the hard bop jazz idiom and began to record jazz fusion and jazz-funk . He teamed up with the Mizell Brothers (producer-writers Larry and Fonce) for Black Byrd (1973) which was, for many years, Blue Note's best-selling album. The title track climbed to No. 19 on Billboard 's R&B chart and reached the Hot 100 pop chart, peaking at No. 88. The Mizell brothers' follow-up albums for Byrd, Street Lady , Places and Spaces and Stepping into Tomorrow , were also big sellers, and have subsequently provided

4158-552: Was originally picked because of the pronounced S-curve in the Hudson River at that point during the American Revolutionary War , and was the subject of a committee reporting on fortifications in the Hudson River in November 1775, which first recommended occupying the land. Construction of the fort was begun under Captain Louis de la Radiere as chief engineer of the fort, however, New York Governor George Clinton thought that Radiere

4224-465: Was survived by his wife; three children, Lee, Brent and Tahlia; and two stepchildren, Lisa and Bill Bachman. Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few hard bop musicians who successfully explored funk and soul while remaining

4290-667: Was the third of four children born to Cecil and Louella (Roussin) Fischer of Durand, Michigan , United States. His parents were of German, French, Irish-Scot, and English backgrounds. In grade school he started his general music study with violin and piano as his first instruments. At the age of seven, he began to pick out four-part harmony on the piano. After two years of piano lessons the family moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan , where Fischer began composing classical music and making instrumental arrangements for dance bands. At South High School he took up cello, clarinet, and saxophone. His high school instructor, Glenn Litton, took an interest in

4356-576: Was well received. In 1960, albums for vibraphonist Cal Tjader and pianist George Shearing followed, as did an eight-year career of writing music for commercials, as well as the signing of Fischer's first record contract. The first recording under his own name began in 1961 with a nonet under the album name Jazz. He later recorded these for Pacific Jazz Records: First Time Out , Surging Ahead , Manteca! and Extension , plus recordings with Bud Shank and Joe Pass . These early records are meticulous studies in jazz, bossa nova and mambo , with

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