Intuitive Music

With recognition and respect, we want to remember all the wonderful musicians that left us during the last year and thank them for their beautiful lifetime work. Spencer Dryden (Jefferson Airplane), Jim Capaldi (Traffic), Martyn Bennet, David Measham, Keith Knudsen (The Doobie Brothers), Jimmy Smith, Dave Goodman, Pierre Moerlen (Gong), Robert Moog, and Luc Ferrari. They’re gone but not forgotten.

Spencer Dryden (Jefferson Airplane), 10th of January
Jefferson Airplane drummer Spencer Dryden, passed away on January the 10th in Penngrove, CA, at the age of 66 after a brief battle with colon cancer. In 1966 he would join Jefferson Airplane and play on some of the Airplane’s most memorable albums including “Surrealistic Pillow”. Jefferson Airplane was one of the most influential bands from the psychedelic scene in San Francisco during the late 60’s.

Jim Capaldi (Traffic), 28th of January
Legendary drummer Jim Capaldi, especially known for his work as member of 60’s rock band Traffic, died of stomach cancer in London hospital on the 28th January at the age of 60. Jim Capaldi was founding member of Traffic in 1967 along with Steve Winwood, Dave Mason and Chris Wood. Traffic is considered one of the most important rock bands from the late 60’s who wrote all-time rock classics such as ‘Feelin Alright’ and ‘Hole In My Shoe’.

Martyn Bennet, 30th of January
Canadian artist and producer Martyn Bennet died of cancer on the 30th of January in Edinburgh (Scotland). Bennett was an influential artist during the last decade who fusioned different music styles including celtic, folk, and electronica in a very personal way.

David Measham, 6th of February
Conductor David Measham passed away on the 6th February in Perth, Western Australia, after a year long struggle with pancreatic cancer. Measham was one of the orchestra conductor who was more attached to rock music. Measham worked for artists such as the Who, Rick Wakeman, Ornette Coleman and James Galway.

Keith Knudsen (The Doobie Brothers), 8th of February
The Doobie Brothers drummer Keith Knudsen died of pneumonia on tuesday February the 8that the age of 56. Knudsen was a member of the band from 1974 to the band’s split in 1982 and took part in the band’s reunion in 1993 until this day.

Jimmy Smith, 8th of February
Jimmy Smith, the legendary organ player who revolutionized Jazz with the Hammond B3, died at 76 of natural causes at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, on February the 8th. Jimmy Smith is considered the best Hammond B-3 organ player ever, who made the fuzzy sound of the instrument during the 50’s and 60’s classic. Smith was one of the first musicians to fuse different styles such as jazz, bebop, rhythm and blues, blues, funk, and gospel, creating a new sound that preceded acid jazz.

Dave Goodman 10th of February
Underground producer Dave Goodman died on February the 10th at his home in Malta. He was one of the most important British alternative producers during three decades and the first producer for the Sex Pistols.Goodman produced numerous artists throughout his career, including Space Goats, Theo and Shannon, the Vibrators, UKSubs, the Cash Pussies (featuring Sid Vicious), Expo, The Maniacs, The Users, Front, Chelsea, and Angie Bowie, and in 1997 was founding member of the ethno-ambient band New Age Radio.

Pierre Moerlen (Gong), 3rd of may

The percussionist of legendary band Gong Pierre Moerlen died unexpectedly in his sleep on the 3rd of May in Strasbourg. 53 year old Moerlen was at the moment attending rehearsal sessions for the new Pierre Moerlen’s Gong Band. Moerlen played for musicians such as Mike Oldfield, Supersister, Henry Cow, Pekka Pohojol, Robert Wood, Steve Winwood, Terry Oldfield and Mick Taylor. He will be remembered as one of the most creative and skilled percussionists of the jazz rock and Canterbury scene.

Robert Moog, 21st of August
Robert Moog, the legendary father of the modern synthesizer, died on the 21st of August in Asheville, N.C. at the age of 71. He was one of the men whose work changed the shape of modern music and made it richer. In 1964, Robert Moog produced the first modular synthesizer with the collaboration of composer Walter Carlos and in 1970, he produced the very first commercial portable synthesizer, the legendary Minimoog, which influenced the whole history of electronic music and completely changed the shape of popular music that was entering in a new electronic era.

Luc Ferrari, 22nd of August
Luc Ferrari, the French avant-garde composer and pioneer of magnetic tape music, died on August the 22nd in Arezzo, Italy at the age of 79. Ferrari was born in Paris in 1929 and studied piano under Alfred Cortot, musical analysis under Olivier Messiaen and composition under Arthur Honegger. Luc Ferrari’s early works were focused on the free atonal composition. In 1960, Luc Ferrari wrote the famous “Harozygote” piece of music for magnetic tape, using ambient environmental sounds. This was the first of a long series of works where he used environmental sounds. Luc ferrari was also a pioneer in the use of granular synthesis, which was later in the 90’s used commonly in soundscapes and digital electronic music works.