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Jim Barba
Courtesy of ScoopMarketing
Jim Beard, Grammy-winning keyboardist, songwriter and member of Steely Dan since 2008, died Saturday in a New York hospital of complications from a sudden illness, a publicist announced. He was 63 years old.
Beard had been touring with Donald Fagen’s Steely Dan on the Eagles’ current “Long Goodbye” tour; His last performance was on January 20 in Phoenix.
Beard worked alongside jazz legends such as Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny and John McLaughlin and recorded with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, The Brecker Brothers, Dianne Reeves, Meshell Ndegeocello and Steve Vai during his career.
He produced for Chick Corea, Al Jarreau, and Esperanza Spalding and taught at institutions such as the Mason Gross School of the Arts, Berklee College of Music, the Aaron Copland School of Music, and the Sibelius Academy in Finland.
Beard recorded six solo CDs between 1990 and 2013 and won his Grammy in 2007 for featured album performer. A little Skunk Funkby Randy and Michael Brecker.
Beard was born on August 26, 1960 in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. He attended Indiana University and worked with artists such as Connie Stevens, Roger Miller and Bobby Rydell before settling in New York in 1985.
He is survived by his children, Victor and Caitlin; his mother, Sara; his sister Nancy; and his brother Bill.
Metheny called Beard “one of the few people whose vision of the past is complete enough to carry it into the future, and with a very refined and subtle musicality at work, he is a musician from whom I always look forward to each new release.” .”