Irving Townsend (November 27, 1920 – December 17, 1981) was an American record producer and author. He is most famous for having produced the Miles Davis album Kind of Blue, which is the best-selling jazz album of all time according to the RIAA. He later served as president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States.
Townsend, a former jazz bandleader, became an advertising copywriter for Columbia Records. He then convinced George Avakian to have him assist on recording sessions, and by the mid-1950s he was a full-time producer. He became Davis's producer after the departures of Avakian and Cal Lampley.Kahn, Ashley (2001). Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, p. 91. Da Capo Press.
Townsend wrote many liner notes for Columbia,Irving Townsend Retrieved July 28, 2018. including notes for the album Black, Brown and Beige by Duke Ellington and Mahalia Jackson. In 1975, Townsend wrote an article in The Atlantic Monthly called "Ellington in Private" detailing his meeting with Duke at Newport Jazz Festival in 1956 which led to Ellington's subsequent signing with Columbia.
Selected Production Discography Billie HolidayBillie Holiday – Lady In Satin Discogs. Retrieved July 28, 2018. Miles Davis Mahalia JacksonMahalia Jackson – Mahalia Jackson's Greatest Hits Discogs. Retrieved July 28, 2018. Leonard Bernstein Duke Ellington André Previn Johnny MathisJohnny Mathis – Live It Up! Discogs. Retrieved July 28, 2018. Percy Faith Wayne Shorter Chico HamiltonThe New Dynamic Chico Hamilton Quintet – Drumfusion Discogs. Retrieved July 28, 2018. Jimmy Rushing Dave Brubeck Doris Day Ada Moore Flatt & Scruggs Frankie Laine
Author John Hammond on Record: An Autobiography (co-author) The Less Expensive Spread: Delights & Dilemmas of a Weekend Cowboy The TavernIrving Townsend books Biblio.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018. Separate Lifetimes Articles in various publications including The Atlantic Monthly
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