Biography
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Born
31 October 1956
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Born In
Evanston, Cook County, Illinois, United States
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Died
20 May 2015 (aged 58)
James Robert Belden (born October 31, 1956) is an American saxophonist, arranger, composer, bandleader and producer. He is noted for his Grammy Award winning jazz orchestral recording titled The Black Dahlia. He is also a past head of A & R for Blue Note Records.
Belden was born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in South Carolina. In his formative years, Belden studied saxophone with Lou Marini Sr., father of famed jazz saxophonist, Lou Marini (Buddy Rich Big Band, Blood, Sweat and Tears, best known as "Blue Lou" of the Blues Brothers Band). Belden attended the University of North Texas and was a member of the famed One O'Clock Lab Band.
Belden's works as arranger and composer show an extremely wide ranging versatility, often being compared to the works of Gil Evans and Maria Schneider. In 2008 he arranged and produced Miles from India, a world fusion music record, based on the compositions of Miles Davis. In the record he assembled alumni of Davis and musicians of India
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