Remembering Claus Ogerman

In 2015, the Newark, New Jersey-based public radio station WBGO Jazz 88 announced that the  German-born conductor/arranger/composer Claus Ogerman had turned 85 years old. My introduction to him was via two George Benson albums he arranged and conducted in the late 1970s, Breezin' and Inflight. I later bought an album he recorded called Gate of Dreams at the now-defunct Colony record store in Midtown Manhattan. I thank Kevin Jeff and his Jubilation! Dance Company for inspiring me to seek out the vinyl LP. Jeff used one of the recording's tracks for a dance work he choreographed. The music was so beautiful and moving that I had to buy the album.

I learned  recently via Wikipedia that Ogerman died in March of 2016.