Albert Harry Schmitt (April 17, 1930 – April 26, 2021) was an American recording engineer and record producer. He won twenty Grammy Awards for his work with Henry Mancini, Steely Dan, George Benson, Toto, Natalie Cole, Quincy Jones, and others. He also won 2 Latin Grammys, and a Trustees Grammy for Lifetime Achievement.
Biography
Early career
Schmitt grew up in New York City and lived in Brooklyn until the late 1940s. He bought his first 78 at the age of 10, Jimmie Lunceford's record "White Heat." Schmitt's favorite band was Jimmie Lunceford & His Orchestra.
On the weekends, Schmitt would spend time at his uncle's recording studio, Harry Smith Recording (Smith had changed his name from "Schmitt" to "Smith" because of the anti-German sentiment of the era).
Smith was friends with Les Paul, who became "like another uncle" to Schmitt. Schmitt and Paul remained friends for life. Schmitt was the only one at the studio and couldn't get the owner or engineer Tom Dowd on the phone so he did the session in person. Schmitt said he told Ellington many times, "Mr. Ellington, I’m not qualified to do this". Ellington responded by patting him on the leg, looking him in the eye and saying, "It’s okay sonny, we are going to get through this". the first engineer hired for the studio.
He also worked on the Samsung's Over the Horizon telephone ringtone theme of 2015 as a recording/mixing engineer.
Capitol Studios
After leaving RCA, Schmitt worked almost exclusively at Capitol Studios, with occasional sessions at United Recording Studios and EastWest Studios, formerly Western Recording. He appeared in an advertisement for AMS Neve that featured the Neve 88R console at Capitol's Studio A.
Schmitt also appeared on the online internet television series "Pensado's Place", hosted by Dave Pensado and Herb Trawick. During one of the segments he mentioned that his favorite microphone was the Neumann U 67 tube (valve) condenser microphone, and explained that he used it on numerous sources.
Death
Schmitt died in Bell Canyon, California, on April 26, 2021, aged 91.
Selected production discography
- Twist Party Vol. 2 The Ventures (1962)
- Mashed Potatoes and Gravy The Ventures (1962)
- Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts — Paul Horn, composed and conducted by Lalo Schifrin (RCA Victor, 1965)
- After Bathing at Baxter's — Jefferson Airplane (1967)
- Crown of Creation — Jefferson Airplane (1968)
- Bless Its Pointed Little Head — Jefferson Airplane (1969)
- Volunteers — Jefferson Airplane (1969)
- Hot Tuna — Hot Tuna (1970)
- Playing My Fiddle for You — Papa John Creach (1974)
- On the Beach — Neil Young (1974)
- Late for the Sky — Jackson Browne (1974)
- We Got By — Al Jarreau (1975)
- Farther Along — Spirit (1976)
- Glow — Al Jarreau (1976)
- Look to the Rainbow — Al Jarreau (1977) (co–produced w/Tommy LiPuma)
- All Fly Home — Al Jarreau (1978)
- Dream Machine — Paul Horn (1978)
- Casiopea — Casiopea (1979)
Awards and honors
During his career, Schmitt recorded and mixed more than 150 Gold and Platinum albums.
He won more Grammy Awards than any other engineer or mixer. He was the first person to win both the Grammy and Latin Grammy for Album of the Year. After being Grammy nominated for his work on the film Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), he won his first Grammy in 1963 for engineering the Hatari! score by Henry Mancini. He was awarded two Latin Grammy Awards in 2000 including Album of the Year. In 2005 he won five Grammys for his work on Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company, including Album of the Year, setting the record for most Grammys won by an engineer or mixer in one night. In 2006, he was given the Grammy Trustees Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2014, Schmitt was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star recognizes his contribution to the music industry and is located at 1750 N. Vine Street.
Don Was, Joe Walsh, and president/CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, Leron Gubler were speakers at Schmitt's Star Unveiling Ceremony. Gubler declared that August 13 would be designated "Al Schmitt Day" in Hollywood. Although Natalie Cole and Paul McCartney were unable to attend the ceremony, both released statements that were read by Gubler at the ceremony.
He was inducted into the TEC Awards Hall of Fame in 1997. In September 2014, he received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music.
Grammy Awards
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Category
! Title
! Note
|-
| 1962
| Best Engineering Contribution – Other Than Novelty And Other Than Classical
| Hatari!
| Henry Mancini
|-
| 1976
| Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical
| Breezin
| George Benson
|-
| 1977
| Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical
| Aja
| Steely Dan
|-
| 1978
| Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical
| "FM (No Static at All)"
| Steely Dan
|-
| 1982
| Best Engineered Recording – Non-Classical
| Toto IV
| Toto
|-
| 1991
| Best Engineered Album – Non-Classical
| Unforgettable… with Love
| Natalie Cole
|-
| 1996
| Best Engineered Album – Non-Classical
| Q's Jook Joint
| Quincy Jones
|-
| 1999
| Best Engineered Album – Non-Classical
| When I Look in Your Eyes
| Diana Krall
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2000
| Album of the Year
| Amarte Es Un Placer
| Luis Miguel
|-
| Pop Album
| Amarte Es Un Placer
| Luis Miguel
|-
| 2001
| Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
| The Look of Love
| Diana Krall
|-
| 2002
| Best Jazz Vocal Album
| Live in Paris
| Diana Krall
|-
|rowspan="5"| 2004
| Best Surround Sound Album
| Genius Loves Company
| Ray Charles
|-
| Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
| Genius Loves Company
| Ray Charles
|-
| Best Pop Vocal Album
| Genius Loves Company
| Ray Charles
|-
| Album of the Year
| Genius Loves Company
| Ray Charles
|-
| Record of the Year
| "Here We Go Again"
| Norah Jones & Ray Charles
|-
| 2006
| Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
| The Ultimate Adventure
| Chick Corea
|-
| 2008
| Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
| Still Unforgettable
| Natalie Cole
|-
| 2010
| Best Jazz Vocal Album
| Eleanora Fagan (1915–1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee Bridgewater
| Dee Dee Bridgewater
|-
| 2012
| Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
| Kisses on the Bottom
| Paul McCartney
|-
| 2013
| Best Surround Sound Album
| Live Kisses
| Paul McCartney
|}
References
External links
- Al Schmitt Interview at NAMM Oral History Collection (2011)