Jay 36,977 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 https://www.facebook.com/michael.levine.50/posts/pfbid05rY59si4C4527ZMFR2TYLkiMMdZKcuW93ovL2TtwrQ1S7Lb4tynLjSYmzDWnJMPml Smaug The Iron, Chewy, publicist and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TownerFan 4,983 Posted August 5, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted August 5, 2022 This is horrible news. He wasn’t just the consummate musician, a terrific jazzman and a true studio legend who performed in thousands of recordings, including countless film scores for the greatest composers (Williams, Goldsmith, Barry, Mancini among many others)… He was one of the most generous and kindest persons I ever had the honour to know, even just so briefly. I will be forever grateful for the generosity he showed for the interview he did for the Legacy of JW podcast. He said some lovely words I will treasure forever. RIP to a true legend. blondheim, Falstaft, publicist and 3 others 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post karelm 2,862 Posted August 5, 2022 Popular Post Share Posted August 5, 2022 Such a kind and generous man. He had absolutely no ego and did whatever was needed to deliver an outstanding score and always with a big smile. RIP. Bespin, blondheim, Falstaft and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bespin 8,432 Posted August 5, 2022 Share Posted August 5, 2022 Oh... I'll listen to this album tonight. publicist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edmilson 7,208 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 Does anyone have a list of scores he performed? I'd like to know his work a little better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TownerFan 4,983 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 His credits are an endless list. He performed on literally thousands of recordings. His most famous solo for JW is “Banning Back Home” from Hook, but he has some really nice spotlight in Close Encounters, Sabrina and Catch Me If You Can. For Goldsmith, he did many many solos. My most favourite ones are The Russia House and The Edge. Btw, here’s a beautifully written obit by Jon Burlingame: https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/mike-lang-dead-jazz-pianist-1235335081/ Edmilson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 RIP. His name for me was really synonymous with everything that came out of Hollywood studios from the 70's onwards. Almost 700 credits here, and this is probably not complete: https://www.discogs.com/artist/305375-Mike-Lang?sort=year%2Casc&limit=500&type=Credits&filter_anv=0&page=1 Bespin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuartalHarmony 527 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 I have loved Banning Back Home since first hearing it in 1991 and was just listening to it the other day for the nth time. I’m now going to have to listen to it for the (n+1)th time. I’d appreciate some clarification on Sabrina - I thought JW himself played piano on at least some tracks - is there a list of which Mike did? Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy 3,937 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 Did he do the piano in the Time Out segment of Twilight Zone the Movie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TownerFan 4,983 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 3 minutes ago, Andy said: Did he do the piano in the Time Out segment of Twilight Zone the Movie? Yes, that was four pianos (plus synth) played by Mike Lang, Ralph Grierson, James Newton Howard and Ian Fraser. 1 hour ago, QuartalHarmony said: I’d appreciate some clarification on Sabrina - I thought JW himself played piano on at least some tracks - is there a list of which Mike did? Mark I believe that the opening solo as heard on the album is indeed JW, but the rest was Mike Lang and Chet Swiatkowski. Sometimes is very difficult to know who exactly is playing as the musicians’ memory is often foggy and often the same cue is done by a different musician at every take. As Randy Kerber told in the podcast interview for LOJW, Williams likes to have different pianists do a take on the same piece, so it’s more than one keyboardist. QuartalHarmony and Andy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy 3,937 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 40 minutes ago, TownerFan said: Yes, that was four pianos (plus synth) played by Mike Lang, Ralph Grierson, James Newton Howard and Ian Fraser. That's incredible. It's a tour de force. Fabulin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 36,977 Posted August 7, 2022 Author Share Posted August 7, 2022 Jon Burlingame's obit https://variety.com/2022/artisans/news/mike-lang-dead-jazz-pianist-1235335081/ Bespin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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