Victor Stanley Feldman (7 April 1934 – 12 May 1987) was an English jazz musician who played mainly piano, vibraphone, and percussion. He began performing professionally during childhood, eventually earning acclaim in the UK jazz scene as an adult. Feldman emigrated to the United States in the mid-1950s, where he continued working in jazz and also as a session musician with a variety of pop and rock performers.
Early life Feldman was born in Edgware on 7 April 1934. He caused a sensation as a musical prodigy when he was discovered, aged seven. His family were all musical and his father founded the Feldman Swing Club in London in 1942 to showcase his talented sons. Feldman performed from a young age; from 1941 to 1947 he played drums in a trio with his brothers; when he was nine he took up piano; when he was 14 started playing vibraphone. He featured in the films King Arthur Was a Gentleman (1942) and Theatre Royal (1943). In 1944, he was featured at a concert with Glenn Miller's AAAF band, as "Kid Krupa" (in reference to drummer Gene Krupa). He also took a prominent role in the musical Piccadilly Hayride (1946–1948).
Professional life and career His drums teacher Carlo Krahmer encouraged Feldman to play the vibraphone, which he did first in the Ralph Sharon Sextet and later in the Roy Fox band. Feldman played with Vic Lewis and Ted Heath. Feldman played with Sharon from late 1949 to 1951, including performances in Switzerland. There were further overseas trips with Ronnie Scott (to Paris in 1952) and Harry Parry (to India). He also played with Parry in the UK from October 1953 to January 1954. From 1954, when he recorded with Jimmy Deuchar, and played again with Scott, he was working mainly as a pianist and vibraphonist; his early vibraphone playing showed the influence of Milt Jackson.
He was a notable percussionist, but it was as a pianist and vibraphone player that he became best known.
Feldman recorded with Ronnie Scott's orchestra and quintet from 1954 to 1955, which also featured other important British jazz musicians such as Phil Seamen and Hank Shaw. It was Scott who recommended that Feldman emigrate to the US, which he did in 1955. Once there, his first steady work was with the Woody Herman Herd. Afterward he studied arranging with Marty Paich. He had frequent return trips to the UK over the following years. His eight-week visit in 1956–57 included studio recording sessions and club appearances. After Herman he joined Buddy DeFranco for a short time. In 1958, he had his own working band on the west coast, which included the innovative bassist Scott LaFaro. His 1958 album The Arrival of Victor Feldman includes LaFaro and Stan Levey on drums. He recorded with many jazz artists, including Benny Goodman, George Shearing, Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis, most notably on Davis' 1963 album Seven Steps to Heaven, the title tune of which was Feldman's composition. Davis invited Feldman to join his group full-time, but Feldman declined, preferring the stability of studio work to the career of a touring musician.See Bob Belden's liner notes to the 2005 reissue of Seven Steps to Heaven. Columbia/Legacy CK 93592 The 5-CD Shelly Manne Black Hawk set, originally released on LP in September 1959, is a good representation of Feldman's unmistakable driving comping behind the soloists, helping to define the session as a valuable hard bop genre element.
In 1957, Feldman settled in Los Angeles permanently and then specialised in lucrative session work for the US film and recording industry, with the exception of joining the Cannonball Adderley Quintet in 1960–61. Feldman's vibraphone soloing is featured extensively on the Grammy Award–winning The Music from Peter Gunn, with AllMusic writing, "There's some particularly impressive work by drummer Shelly Manne and vibes player Victor Feldman, whose cool, understated playing seems to deliberately recall that of Milt Jackson."
He also branched out to work with a variety of musicians outside of jazz, recording with artists such as Frank Zappa in 1967, Joni Mitchell in the 1970s and Tom Waits and Joe Walsh in the 1980s. Feldman is the only musician to appear on all seven Steely Dan albums released in the 1970s and 1980s (prior to the band's long hiatus) aside from its leaders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. Though he does not appear on Steely Dan's non-album single "Dallas" b/w "Sail the Waterway", he did play on Poco's cover of "Dallas".
Feldman died of a heart attack in 1987 at his home in Los Angeles, aged 53, following an asthma attack.
In 2009, he was inducted in the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
Discography
As leader Year recordedTitleLabelYear releasedPersonnel/Notes1948–54The Young VicEsquire1987Nine quartet tracks, with John Dankworth (clarinet), Eddie Thompson (piano), Bert Howard (bass), Feldman (drums); Feldman (vibes), Stan Watson (guitar), Lennie Bush (bass), Freddie Manton (drums); four trio tracks, with Feldman (vibes), Bush (bass), Tony Crombie (drums); two solo tracks, with Feldman (vibes, piano, drums)1955Suite SixteenTempo/Contemporary1958Three septet tracks, with Jimmy Deuchar, Dizzy Reece (trumpet), Derek Humble (alto sax), Feldman (vibes), Tommy Pollard (piano), Lennie Bush (bass), Tony Crombie (drums); five quartet tracks, with Feldman (vibes), Pollard (piano), Eric Peter (bass), Crombie (drums); Feldman (vibes), Norman Stenfalt (piano), Bush (bass), Phil Seamen (drums); four big band tracks, with Deuchar, Reece, Jimmy Watson (trumpet), Ken Wray (trombone, bass trumpet), John Burden (French horn), Jimmy Powell (tuba), Humble (alto sax), Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott (tenor sax), Harry Klein (baritone sax), Feldman (vibes, drums, congas), Stenfalt (piano), Bush (bass), Seamen (drums)1956Victor Feldman in London, Vol. 1: The QuartetTempo1957Quartets, with Feldman (vibes), Terry Shannon (piano), Pete Blannin (bass), Phil Seamen (drums); Feldman (vibes, piano), Shannon (piano), Lennie Bush (bass), Phil Seamen (drums), Dizzy Reece (trumpet, one track)1956–57Transatlantic AllianceTempo1958Five quartet tracks, with Dizzy Reece/Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Feldman (piano), Lloyd Thompson/Kenny Napper (bass), Phil Seamen (drums); one sextet track, with Reece (trumpet), Ronnie Scott (tenor sax), Tubby Hayes (baritone sax), Feldman (piano), Lennie Bush (bass), Tony Crombie (drums); one trio track, with Feldman (piano), Bush (bass), Benny Goodman (drums)1956–57Victor Feldman in London, Vol. 2: Big BandTempo1957Six big band tracks, with Jimmy Deuchar, Bobby Pratt, Dizzy Reece (trumpet), Ken Wray (bass trumpet), John Burden (French horn), Jimmy Powell (tuba), Derek Humble (alto sax), Ronnie Scott (tenor sax), Tubby Hayes (tenor, baritone sax), Joe Temperley/Pete King (baritone sax), Feldman (vibes), Norman Stenfalt (piano), Lennie Bush (bass), Phil Seamen (drums)1957Vic Feldman on VibesMode1957Four quartet tracks, with Feldman (vibes), Carl Perkins (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Stan Levey (drums); three sextet tracks, with Frank Rosolino (trombone), Harold Land (tenor sax) added; reissued as Mallets A Fore Thought (Interlude, 1959)1958The Arrival of Victor FeldmanContemporary1958Trio, with Feldman (vibraharp, piano), Scott LaFaro (bass), Stan Levey (drums)1958; 1965His Own Sweet WayRonnie Scott's Jazz House1996Trio, with Feldman (piano, vibes), Rick Laird (bass), Ronnie Stephenson (drums); live1959Latinsville!Contemporary1960Five octet tracks, with Conte Candoli (trumpet), Walter Benton (tenor sax), Feldman (vibes), Vince Guaraldi (piano), Scott LaFaro/Al McKibbon (bass), Mongo Santamaria (congas), Armando Peraza (bongos), Willie Bobo (timbales); four tentet tracks, with Frank Rosolino (trombone) and Stan Levey (drums) added; three quintet tracks, with Feldman (vibes), Andy Thomas (piano), Tony Reyes (bass), Ramon Rivera (congas), Frank Guerrero (timbales)1960–61Merry Olde SoulRiverside1961Six trio tracks, with Feldman (piano, vibes), Sam Jones/Andy Simpkins (bass), Louis Hayes (drums); three quartet tracks, with Hank Jones (piano) added1962Stop the World I Want to Get OffWorld Pacific1962Trio, with Feldman (piano, vibes), Bob Whitlock (bass), Lawrence Marable (drums)1962A Taste of Honey and a Taste of Bossa NovaInfinity1962Seven quartet tracks, with Nino Tempo (tenor sax), Feldman (piano), Bob Whitlock (bass), Colin Bailey (drums); Buddy Collette (tenor sax, flute), Feldman (piano, vibes), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Ron Jefferson (drums); four quintet tracks, with Clifford Scott (flute, tenor sax), Feldman (piano, vibes), Laurindo Almeida (guitar), Al McKibbon (bass), Chico Guerrero (drums)1962Soviet Jazz ThemesÄva1963Sextets, with Harold Land (tenor sax), Nat Adderley (cornet), Feldman (vibes), Joe Zawinul (piano), Bob Whitlock (bass), Frank Butler (drums); Land (tenor sax), Carmell Jones (trumpet), Feldman (piano, vibes) Herb Ellis (guitar), Whitlock (bass), Butler (drums)1964Love Me with All Your HeartVee Jay1964Feldman (piano), with unknown others1964It's a Wonderful WorldVee Jay1965Quartet, with Bill Perkins (flute), Feldman (piano, vibes), Monty Budwig (bass), Colin Bailey (drums)1967Victor Feldman Plays Everything in SightPacific Jazz1967With Feldman (piano, vibes, drums, Novachord, alto vibes, tympani, electric piano, electric Fender bass piano, organ, marimba, xylophone, congas, tambourine, chocalho, jawbone, cabasa, cowbell, triangle, squeak sticks, sand blocks)1967The Venezuela JoropoPacific Jazz1967Four quintet tracks, with Bill Perkins (flute, alto flute), Feldman (vibes, marimba, harpsichord), Dennis Budimir (guitar), Monty Budwig (bass), Colin Bailey (drums); five octet tracks, with Perkins (flute, alto flute), Dorothy Remsen (harp), Emil Richards (vibes, marimba), Feldman (vibes, marimba, harpsichord), Al Hendrickson (guitar), Max Bennett (bass), Larry Bunker (timbales), Milt Holland (maracas, percussion)1973Your Smile – with Tom ScottChoice1974Quartet, with Feldman (piano, vibes, percussion), Tom Scott, (flute, alto flute, alto and tenor sax), Chuck Domanico (bass), John Guerin (drums); reissued as Rockavibabe (DJM, 1977) and Seven Steps to Heaven (Choice, 2009)1977?The Artful DodgerConcord Jazz1977Quartet, with Jack Sheldon (trumpet, vocals), Feldman (piano, Fender Rhodes piano), Monty Budwig/Chuck Domanico (bass), Colin Bailey (drums)1977In My PocketCohearent Sound1978Sextet, with Feldman (piano, Fender Rhodes piano), Hubert Laws (flute), Fred Tackett (guitar), Chuck Domanico (bass), Harvey Mason (drums), Eddie Karam (marimba); reissued as Rio Nights (TBA, 1987)1978Together AgainYupiteru1978Trio, with Feldman (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Shelly Manne (drums)1982Secret of the AndesNautilus1982Septet, with Victor Feldman (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, percussion), Hubert Laws (flute, alto flute, piccolo flute), Harvey Mason (drums, percussion), Lee Ritenour (guitar), Abraham Laboriel (bass, percussion), Alex Neciosup Acuña (percussion, drums), Milt Holland (percussion), Trevor Feldman (percussion, one track)1983Soft ShoulderPalo Alto 1983As Generation Band; with sons Trevor Feldman (drums), Jake Feldman (bass), and Josh Feldman (management), Tom Scott and various others1983To Chopin with LovePalo Alto1984Trio, with Victor Feldman (piano), John Patitucci (bass), Trevor Feldman (drums)1984 Call of the WildTBA1984 As Generation Band; with sons Trevor Feldman (drums), and Josh Feldman (mixing engineer), Tom Scott, Robben Ford and various others1984FiestaTBA1984With Chuck Mangione (flugelhorn, trumpet), Chick Corea (keyboards), Dianne Reeves (vocals)1985High VisibilityTBA1985As Victor Feldman's Generation Band; with various1986SmoothTBA1986Septet, with Victor Feldman (Fender Rhodes piano, acoustic piano, percussion, synthesizer), Tom Scott (Lyricon, soprano and tenor sax), Lee Ritenour (guitar), Joseph Conlan (synthesizers and programmed drums), Nathan East (bass), Trevor Feldman (drums)
As sideman
With David Ackles Subway to the Country (Elektra Records, 1970) With Arthur Adams