Guy Eckstine

Guy Eckstine is a music industry A&R & new media executive, record producer, musician and composer, who has produced and executive produced over 40 records. Four albums that Eckstine has produced or executive produced have won Grammy Awards, including The New Standard by Herbie Hancock.

Biography

The son of singer and bandleader Billy Eckstine, Guy Eckstine is currently a Partner at Iconique Music Group.

Throughout his 25 year executive career, Eckstine has distinguished himself in a variety of positions in the music industry as SVP Creative Development, MP3.com; VP A&R, Verve Records; Director A&R, Columbia Records; Creative Manager, Virgin Music Publishing, and Co-founder/CEO, MIAATV.com- Music Industry Television.

After attending UCLA as an Ethnomusicology Major and John Bergamo's percussion program at California Institute of the Arts, Eckstine began his music career as a session musician playing drums for Quincy Jones, Michael McDonald, Eddy Grant, Miles Davis alum,Michael Henderson, James Ingram, and Herbie Hancock, among others.

He is also a founding member of the avant-progressive rock band Soma, featuring guitarist Allan Holdsworth, bassist, Tony Levin, and keyboardist/composer, Mark Gleed.

His executive music business career began in 1988 at Virgin Music Publishing. As Creative Manager at Virgin Music, Eckstine pitched and secured songwriter covers for Virgin's stable of songwriters, including songs for Whitney Houston, and Vanessa Williams, Shortly thereafter in 1989, Eckstine was hired as Director of A&R at Columbia Records, where he worked with, Terence Trent d'Arby, Shawn Smith, (lead singer of Brad/Satchel), Regina Belle, Lenny Hamilton Jr. and Philip Bailey.

In July 1991, Eckstine then joined Verve Records as VP/A&R, at which he signed and produced/executive produced recordings by Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chris Botti, Jeff Lorber, Art Porter, Gino Vannelli, Pete Belasco, Peter Delano, Evan Marks, and Roy Hargrove, among others. He also executive produced the Frank Zappa tribute album, "Zappa's Universe," which received a Grammy Award for "Best Rock Instrumental Performance."

From 1991-1997 as VP A&R at Verve Records, which included his discovery of trumpet superstar Chris Botti, Eckstine's creative vision helped guide Verve to 6 consecutive years (1991–1997) as Billboard Magazine's premiere jazz label in the World. Eckstine's artists and productions scored an unprecedented 15 chartopping Gavin Report records in a row. Groundbreaking artists, Chris Botti, Art Porter, and Pete Belasco, along with Jazz Legends, Herbie Hancock, Gino Vannelli, Jeff Lorber and UK Jazz/Funksters, Incognito, had their respective careers launched, reinvigorated, and introduced to the USA marketplace under Eckstine's A&R vision and guidance. Eckstine also discovered, produced and signed, 17 year old Jazz piano phenomenon, Peter Delano. Seminal and Grammy winning jazz recordings of the 1990s included, Herbie Hancock's, "Dis Is Da Drum," and "The New Standard", Chris Botti's debut recording, "First Wish," and the debut of saxophonist, Art Porter, "Pocket City."

Eckstine also delved into remixes under the moniker, "Fly Guy X," remixing Art Porter's, "Straight To The Point," with Guru, and the award winning UK remixes of Evan Marks', "Jazz Not Jazz."

In the late 1990s, Eckstine became SVP/Creative Development, for the pioneering online music service provider, MP3.com, providing artist development expertise on the MP3.com "Music and Technology Tour" featuring, Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos, Christina Aguilera, and TLC. Becoming a part of the .com revolution, Eckstine was initially hired as Genre Manager for Jazz, World and Classical Music. The iconoclastic company sold to Vivendi /Universal in 2002 for $370 million.

Post MP3.com, Eckstine spent his time independently producing records including the chart-topping Billboard Jazz release, "Nice and Slow," by Brian Culbertson, (WB) (2002), "A Charlie Brown Christmas," by Cyrus Chestnut,(Atlantic) (2003), which featured Brian McKnight, Vanessa L. Williams, The Manhattan Transfer, Pat Martino,among others. In 2004 for Savoy Jazz, Eckstine produced "Moondance," by the worlds' greatest jazz flautist, Hubert Laws, which featured, Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, and Brian Culbertson. The album also showcased two of Eckstine's compositions, "Nighttime Daydream," and "Summer of '75."

Eckstine has produced many independent artists, and successfully solicited the recording contracts for Julia Fordham, (Atlantic Records) and Carol Welsman, (Savoy Records). In 1999, he produced and performed on the debut album of Charlottesville, VA singer/songwriter, Alexandra Scott, "Styrofoam," in 2002, he produced San Diego funk jazz combo, "Spaceman Spiff," in 2006-2007, Eckstine produced, performed and co-wrote the Southern California based rock group, "Feels Like Friday," and NYC based singer/songwriter, Sandra Small. Eckstine also scored music for TV and Film, including the Fox Television series T.R.A.X., (2001), directed by Renny Harlin, and the television commercials for CBS, "Courting Alex," starring Jenna Elfman, (2006), and TV/commercial music for the drug Avodart, (2006).

In October 2005, Eckstine became the Co-founder/CEO of MIAATV.com- Music Industry Television. In addition to acquiring talent and interviewing over 250 artist and music industry legends for MIAATV.com, including artists Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Phil Ramone, Chris Botti, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, and Joss Stone, Eckstine negotiated and implemented strategic partnerships and affiliations with major brands such as Atlantic Records, Gibson Musical Instruments, Hal Leonard Music Publishing, A.E.S- Audio Engineering Society, M.I.T. - Musicians Institute, NAMM, IAJE, Mobile Music Now, Emergenza, and ASCAP.

Over the course of his executive and professional career, Eckstine has been a featured speaker, panelist, and moderator at entertainment industry conventions and events. Eckstine most recently spoke at AMCON 2010, IBS 2009, CMJ 2008, and moderated at Digital Hollywood 2007. In the past decade Eckstine provided expertise at IAJE, (International Association Of Jazz Educators), the Radio and Records Convention, the Urban Network Convention, the Gavin Convention, and the L.A.S.S,- Los Angeles Songwriter Showcase. Eckstine has also been a guest lecturer at the Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, Tisch School Of The Arts, at New York University, and Eckstine has also lectured on the creative process, A&R, Record Production and Music Publishing at the UCLA Music Business Program and the CalArts Alumni Entertainment Group.

In June 2007, Eckstine co-founded Iconique Music Group with business partner Scott Barkham. Iconique Music Group manages recording artists, Nailah Porter (Universal), Sasha Dobson (Norah Jones' Band), Pete Belasco, DJ, Rich Medina, Producer, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Justyna Kelley, Anna Thomas, Sy Smith, and patent developers, Phoam Technologies. In the summer of 2009, Eckstine co-produced the debut of Nashville born and L.A. based singer/songwriter Justyna Kelley, "Over The Moon," with producers, David Kershenbaum and Kevin Killen. In 2010 Eckstine executive produced,"ConJazzNess," by Universal Music Group/EmArcy recording artist, Nailah Porter to be released in April 2011.

Discography

Selected discography (produced, executive produced, and A&R):

• Herbie Hancock - The New Standard, (Verve) Dis Is Da Drum, (Mercury) The Essential Herbie Hancock, (Verve)
• Wayne Shorter - High Life, (Verve Forecast)
• Chris Botti - First Wish, (Verve Forecast) Midnight Without You, (Verve Forecast) Caught, (Verve Forecast) Best of Chris Botti, (GRP)
• Gino Vannelli - Yonder Tree, (Verve Forecast) Slow Love, (Verve Forecast)
• Brian Culbertson - Nice and Slow, (WB)
• Jeff Lorber - Worth Waiting For, (Verve Forecast) West Side Stories, (Verve Forecast) State of Grace, (Verve Forecast) The Very Best of Jeff Lorber, (GRP)
• Art Porter - Pocket City, (Verve Forecast) Straight to the Point, (Verve Forecast) Undercover, (Verve Forecast) Lay Your Hands on Me, (Verve Forecast) For Art's Sake, (Verve Forecast)
• Cyrus Chestnut and Friends - A Charlie Brown Christmas, (Atlantic)
• Peter Delano - Peter Delano, (Verve) Bite of the Apple, (Verve)
• Pete Belasco - Get It Together, (Verve Forecast)
• Tom Grant - In My Wildest Dreams, (Verve Forecast) The View From Here, (Verve Forecast) Hands, (Verve Forecast)
• Evan Marks - Long Way Home, (Verve Forecast) Three Day Weekend, (Verve Forecast)
• Hubert Laws - Moondance, (Savoy Jazz)
• Alexandra Scott - Styrofoam, (Indie)
• Feels Like Friday - We Like Supermodels, (Drugs)
• Ricardo Silviera - Small World, (Verve Forecast)
• Incognito - Inside Life, (Verve Forecast) Tribes, Vibes and Scribes, (Verve Forecast) Positivity, (Verve Forecast) Tales From The Beach, (Heads Up/Concord)
• Julia Fordham Concrete Love, (Atlantic/Vanguard)
• Sandra Small 5 - Small World, (Smallworld)
• Spaceman Spiff - The Love EP (Indie)
• Soma - Soma (Occidental)
• Various artists - Zappa's Universe, (Verve)
• Various Artists- Playboys - Playboys 40 Years Of Jazz (Verve)
• Movement Ex - Movement Ex,(Columbia)
• Justyna Kelley- Over The Moon(Indie)
• Nailah Porter- ConJazzNess, (Universal/EmArcy)

Awards

Award-winning productions by Eckstine:

Grammy award

• "The New Standard", "Dis Is Da Drum" - Herbie Hancock,
• "Zappa's Universe" - Various artists
• "Highlife"- Wayne Shorter

References

Billboard Magazine, Radio and Records, The Gavin Report, NARAS, Jazziz, Down Beat, Jazztimes, Urban Network, Verve Records, Atlantic Records, Savoy Jazz, Columbia Records, Mercury Records, ASCAP

External links

• Guy Eckstine at Allmusic
• Guy Eckstine at Linked In
• Guy Eckstine at Iconique Music Group