Bob Belden facts for kids

James Robert Belden (born October 31, 1956 – died May 20, 2015) was a talented American musician. He played the saxophone and was also a composer, arranger, bandleader, and producer. He was famous for his Grammy Award-winning jazz album called Black Dahlia. Bob Belden also helped make old recordings by the famous trumpeter Miles Davis sound new again.

Bob Belden's Life Story

Bob Belden was born in Evanston, Illinois. He grew up in a town called Goose Creek near Charleston, South Carolina. He went to the University of South Carolina for a short time. There, he met a composer named Jay Knowles, who showed him the music of Gil Evans.

Later, Bob studied saxophone and how to compose music at the University of North Texas. After his studies, he joined the Woody Herman band. This was a well-known jazz band.

His Music Albums

Bob Belden released his first album, Treasure Island, in 1990. After that, he made several exciting albums. These albums often featured jazz versions of popular songs. His album Black Dahlia came out in 2001 and was very successful.

In 2008, Bob helped create and produce an album called Miles from India. This album mixed different styles of music from around the world. It was based on songs by Miles Davis. For this project, Bob brought together musicians who had worked with Miles Davis and musicians from India.

Awards and Other Work

Besides making music, Bob Belden also wrote notes for other famous recordings. These notes are often found inside album covers and give information about the music. Some of his notes even won Grammy Awards.

In early 2015, Bob Belden did something special. He was the first American musician in 35 years to bring a band from the USA to perform in Iran.

Bob Belden passed away on May 20, 2015, from a heart attack. He was 58 years old.

Bob Belden's Music Albums

Bob Belden created many albums, both as a band leader and with other musicians. Here are some of his main albums:

Albums as a Leader

• Treasure Island (Sunnyside, 1990)
• La Cigale (Sunnyside, 1990)
• Straight to My Heart: The Music of Sting (Blue Note, 1991)
• When the Doves Cry: The Music of Prince (Metro Blue, 1994)
• Shades of Blue (Blue Note, 1996)
• Bob Belden Presents: Strawberry Fields (Blue Note, 1996)
• Tapestry – The Blue Note Cover Series (Blue Note, 1997)
• Black Dahlia (Blue Note, 2001)
• Three Days of Rain (Sunnyside, 2006)

With Tim Hagans and Animation

Bob Belden also worked a lot with Tim Hagans and a group called Animation.

• Re-Animation Live! (Blue Note, 1999)
• Animation - Imagination (Blue Note, 1999)
• Agemo (RareNoise, 2011)
• Asiento (RareNoise, 2011)
• Transparent Heart (RareNoise, 2012)
• Machine Language (RareNoise, 2015)

See also

In Spanish: Bob Belden para niños

• List of jazz arrangers