Suite Sixteen and Seven Dan : Victor Feldman's major impact on popular culture

Shining a light of one of the finest, today we might say a goat (greatest of all time). Child prodigy Victor Feldman, born in 1930s London, is a composer and jazz musician known for piano, vibraphone, percussion and recording with Steely Dan.

The Feldman's were a musical family. Victor’s mother Kitty played cello and his elder brothers Robert (played clarinet and saxophone) and Monty (piano and accordion). Victor’s sons play drums and alto sax (Trevor) and bass (Jake). 

Victor Stanley Feldman took up drums age six and one year later, in 1941, gigged at The No. 1 Rhythm Club in London. He first recorded age eight and two years later guested with Glenn Miller’s Army Airforce Band (easily Miller’s best ever band !). At this stage in Victor’s career he was affectionately known as Kid Krupa (after legendary drummer and big band leader Gene Krupa).

From October ‘42 Victor would regularly play in a family trio with brothers Robert and Monty at what became known as the Feldman Club at 100 Oxford Street in London. He began playing piano at nine and vibes at fourteen and led his own small groups between 1946 and 1949. After Victor returned from playing in India, in 1952/53, he joined clarinettist Harry Parry until January 1954 and then moved to the Ronnie Scott 10-piece band on piano, vibes and conga drums (1954/55)

Feldman featured on numerous albums for Tony Hall’s Tempo Records, including sessions with Jimmy Deucher, Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott. For context unsung Scottish trumpeter Jimmy Deucher would later appear on a certain rolling stone and Jazz lover Charlie Watts Live At Fulham Town album. Tubby Hayes is widely regarded as one of the all-time tenor saxophone greats and Ronnie Scott made a name not only as one of the most renowned Jazz venue owners in the world but one of the most accomplished musicians too playing alongside many of the visiting greats from the US. Tempo Records gave the world Dizzy Reece later to work with Blue Note Records and music executive Tony Hall would go on to discover and manage The Real Thing and Anita Baker.

Shortly before leaving the UK Feldman records the now very collectable Suite Sixteen for Tempo Records (later issued in the US on the Contemporary label). And on the advice of Ronnie Scott, on the 12 October 1955 Victor Feldman emigrated to the USA. A year later he joined the Woody Herman Band and following an exhaustive 15 months of coast to coast US touring left the band and settled in Los Angeles in July 57. Victor’s first recorded album as a leader aptly named The Arrival Of Victor Feldman with Scott La Faro bass and Stan Levy drums yielding the classics Serpent’s Tooth and Minor Lament. As a sideman he has appeared on far too many to mention sessions including recordings for JJ Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Shelly Manne, and Mel Torme.

Feldman contributed to both Peter Gunn soundtracks whilst in Henry Mancini’s orchestra alongside John Williams, later of Star Wars film-score fame. Williams remarked “Victor made an instant hit with all of his fellow musicians because he was so multi-faceted, highly musical and always an inspiration to play with.” Feldman would play on successive Mancini albums aswell as Quincy Jones and Lalo Schiffrin soundtracks.

Following a tour with Cannonball Adderley in 1963 Victor Feldman cowrote and recorded the title track Seven Steps To Heaven with Miles Davis in the first half of the pivotal albums recording. The 2nd session based in New York features Herbie Hancock on piano. Feldman also composed the album’s closing title Joshua (which Hancock performed on).

Where the 60s saw achievements in Jazz, Feldman’s instant and major impact on popular culture came in the 70s with ascension into the mainstream significantly contributing to recordings from Marvin Gaye (Let’s Get It On), Candi Staton (Young Hearts Run Free) and The Doobie Brothers’ Livin On The Fault Line sees Feldman’s vibes take centre stage, leading the guitar bass intro and soloing post chorus. Truly magnificent recording !

However, Feldman’s Steely Dan involvement goes much much deeper. Seven Dan albums in eight years. Many top musicians passed through and were cast out by the gruelling Steely Dan recording process but Feldman remained a constant further cementing his greatness. From the Latin rhythms on Do It Again to marimba and percussion adding to the swagger of Show Biz Kids. On hit record Rikki Don’t Lose That Number Feldman pre-empts the Horace Silver Song For My Father referenced intro with niche percussion relative flapamba.

Going full circle appearing alongside a who’s who of Jazz including Steve Gadd, Wayne Shorter, Lee Ritenour and (frequent Feldman collaborator) Tom Scott on Steely Dan’s widely regarded pivotal moment Aja. The notably hip hop sampled and album opener Black Cow showcasing Feldman on electric keys (ahead of Scott’s earthy saxophone).

It’s no ordinary recording with a backing vocal line up of Michael McDonald, Patti Austin and Valerie Simpson. Feldman delivers percussion on the Gaucho album’s breakaway success Hey Nineteen which, along with Peg and Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, are Steely Dan's longest-running chart hits.

Here is a playlist celebrating Feldman’s incredible impact on popular culture