Home / Biography / Clare Fischer

Clare Fischer

Biography

Clare Fischer had a varied profession while keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. The author of two criteria, “Pensativa” and “Morning hours,” Fischer lengthy had a pastime in Latin rhythms. After graduating from Michigan Condition University, he transferred to LA in 1957, functioning as accompanist and arranger for the Hi-Lo’s. He composed for the 1960 Dizzy Gillespie record (A Family portrait of Duke Ellington) and documented bossa nova as soon as 1962; that same season he documented two trio pieces and the next season he led his first big music group time. Fischer, who alternated between your two formats over time, recorded in a multitude of configurations from single piano to proceeding a vocal-dominated Latin group Salsa Picante. Located in LA, Fischer (who’s also a highly effective organist and a solid electric keyboardist) documented extensively over time for such brands as Pacific Jazz/Globe Pacific, Revelation, Breakthrough, MPS, and Concord. In 2003, he created his first traditional CD, Following the Rainfall. Clare Fischer passed away on January 26, 2012 in a Burbank, California medical center after struggling a coronary attack fourteen days previously. He was 83 yrs . old.

Quick Facts


Full Name Clare Fischer
Died January 26, 2012, Los Angeles, California, United States
Profession Composer, Keyboard Player, Session musician, Music Arranger, Bandleader, Jazz Pianist
Education Michigan State University
Nationality American
Spouse Donna Fischer
Siblings Stewart "Dirk" Fischer
Awards Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition, Grammy Award for Best Latin Recording
Music Songs Morning, Pensativa, Rockin' in Rhythm, Gaviota, Sleep Sweet Child, 'Twas Only Yesterday, Clavo, Blues Bossa, Minor Sights, Pajaro Loco, Starbright, Machaca, Love's Walk, Novelho, Malibu Glide, Quiet Nights, Guarabe, Ornithardy, Como come?, Miles Behind, La Mucura, San Francisco P.M., Yesterdays, Guajira, Corcovado Funebre, Brunner-Schwerpunkt, Pan Pipe Dance, Nigerian Walk, Millbrae Walk, The Quiet Side, Funquiado, Upper Manhattan Medical Group
Albums First Time Out, Salsa Picante, Surging Ahead, Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, Manteca!, Só Danço Samba, Introspectivo, Extension, 2+2, Machaca, Alone Together, Songs for Rainy Day Lovers, One to Get Ready, Four to Go, The State of His Art, The Latin Side, Clare Declares, Music for Strings, Percussion and the Rest, Easy Livin', Bert van den Brink Invites Clare Fischer, Thesaurus, Clare Fischer and Ex-42, Time on My Hands, Clare Fischer's Jazz Corps, The Music of Fernando Gelbard, Symbiosis, Pacific Jazz, Keep Calm and Listen Clare Fisher & Bud Shank, Lembranças, Continuum, America the Beautiful, Out of the Blue, Crazy Bird, Jazz and the City with Claire Fisher & Bud Shank, After the Rain, Just Me, A Family Affair, Rockin' In Rhythm, Bossa Nova Jazz Samba + Brasamba! (Bonus Track Version), The Essential Jazz Masters Collection, Vol. 5, The Essential Jazz Collection: First Time Out, Jazz, Famous Hits by Clare Fischer, Jazz & Limousines By Clare Fischer And Bud Shank, Bossa Nova Cafe, Blues for Home, Jazz Roots Ultimate Collection, Vol. 11, Autumn Leaves
Nominations Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instrumental Or A Cappella


  • Facts
  • Filmography
  • Awards
  • Salaries
  • Quotes
  • Trademarks
  • Pictures

#Fact
1 He would record and collaborate on more than 50 albums; from approximately 1980, most of those involved his son, bassist and musical arranger, Brent Fischer, in one capacity or another. Moreover, Dr. Fischer provided arrangements for hundreds of additional albums by pop, R&B and jazz artists - it was in this area of his career in which his son's assistance and, eventually, more active collaboration, became particularly invaluable. The senior Fischer was also a band leader and, in both his own early recordings as well as collaborations with Bud Shank and Cal Tjader, he was a prescient advocate for the Bossa Nova and other Latin Jazz styles; in fact, his dedication to, palpable affection for, and thorough integration of, those various idioms would garner Fischer a large and faithful following throughout Latin America.
2 He was the son of a barbershop quartet singer in Michigan.
3 He collaborated with Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Prince, Chaka Khan, and many others in the musical industry.
4 He was awarded the 1982 Grammy Award in the Latin Category and nominated for several more Grammies.
5 He is survived by his wife, Donna Fischer of Burbank, California; two sons, Lee Fischer and Brent Fischer; a daughter, Tahlia Fischer; a brother, Stewart Fischer; and three grandchildren.
6 He wrote musical arrangements for the United States Military Academy.
7 He earned his Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degrees both in music at Michigan State University.


Music Department

Music Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Clare Fischer: Keep It in the Family 2005 Video composer: additional music / music arranger / musician: piano / orchestrator
Robert Palmer: Ridin' High 1992 TV Movie arranger / orchestrator
Ridin' High: The Video 1992 Video conductor / music arranger / orchestrator
Havana 1990/I musician: keyboards - uncredited
Under the Cherry Moon 1986 orchestra composer and arranger
Tiger Town 1983 TV Movie musician: piano - uncredited
CHiPs 1978 TV Series musician - 1 episode
Big Wednesday 1978 musician: piano - uncredited
Logan's Run 1977 TV Series musician - 1 episode
The Big Bus 1976 musician: piano - uncredited
Earthquake 1974 musician: piano - uncredited
Shaft 1973 TV Series musician - 1 episode
Enter the Dragon 1973 musician: keyboards - uncredited
Soylent Green 1973 musician: keyboards - uncredited
The Thief Who Came to Dinner 1973 musician: keyboards - uncredited
The Getaway 1972 musician: synthesizer - uncredited
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean 1972 musician: organ - uncredited
Shaft's Big Score! 1972 musician: piano - uncredited
The Hot Rock 1972 musician: keyboards - uncredited
The Omega Man 1971 musician: organ - uncredited
Young Rebel 1967 musician: US Version - uncredited
Center Stage 1967 TV Mini-Series musician - 1 episode
The Andy Williams Show 1964-1965 TV Series musician - 33 episodes
Frankly Jazz TV Series composer - 1 episode, 1962 musical director - 1 episode, 1962 musician - 1 episode, 1962
Marco Polo 1962/I musician: piano - US version, uncredited

Soundtrack

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Clare Fischer: Keep It in the Family 2005 Video arranger: "Pajaro Loco", "Sakura", "I Wonder U", "Solar Patrol" / performer: "Pajaro Loco", "Sakura", "Solar Patrol", "When You Wish Upon a Star", "Blues in G" / writer: "Pajaro Loco", "I Wonder U", "Solar Patrol", "Blues in G"
Girl 6 1996 arranger: "Pink Cashmere"
Frankly Jazz TV Series performer - 1 episode, 1962 writer - 1 episode, 1962

Thanks

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Under the Cherry Moon 1986 special thanks: 2 Clare Fischer 4 Making Brighter the Colors Black and White

Self

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Prince: The Glory Years 2007 Documentary Himself
Clare Fischer: Keep It in the Family 2005 Video Himself
Club Date 1978 TV Series Himself - Pianist
Frankly Jazz 1962 TV Series Himself

Looks like we don't have awards information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have salary information. Sorry!


#Quote
1 [on his father] I used to see him sit at the piano and plunk and plunk and plunk.
2 [on the composers who've influenced his orchestral writing for pop and R&B artists (2005)] My writing for this type of stuff is greatly influenced by my classical composing. You just can't say I grew up on Duke Ellington or something. I've got Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Béla Bartók, the whole works: those are a very important part of my early training and exposure, so they're part of me.
3 [on his working relationship with Prince (1998)] Prince is intelligent. He never visits the studio when I am working for him; and I have never met him in person. He sends me memos and we talk over the phone. Once I sent him my '2+2' Grammy winning CD. I heard from people that were present at the time that while he took out the disc he looked away from the cover, saying, 'I don't want to know what he looks like. It is working just fine as it is.' Prince does not want to meet me because he knows that the minute he walks into a studio he will start interfering. It is uncommon that a person with such a strong ego realizes that I have an ego too.
4 [on Fischer's tribute to his friend, the late Antonio Carlos Jobim (1998)] The death of my friend Antonio Carlos Jobim touched me deeply. Like me, he was 68, and I am still alive. After he died, I had a dream in which I was conducting his 'Corcovado', but it was not the usual version of that tune. There were these harmonic counter-melodies in the bass. When I awoke I wrote down what I had dreamed. It became Jobim's in memoriam, a piece I called 'Corcovado Funebre.'
5 [on record companies (2005)] You must get it into your head that the record companies are not going to be any smarter than you are. Follow your tastes and preferences in what you do. They think they're the commanding power, and they are, but by god, if you fight them doggedly, they'll back off. So do it.
6 [on producers (2005)] Most of the time they had that feeling of omnipotence, that they had the right to make every damn decision that was there. And it was only - excuse me, I'm a bitcher, not just a Fischer, but a bitcher - and I would always have to deal with those folks until finally, they got tired of me complaining and backed off and let me do what I wanted to do. There's no sense in doing it - and this is not a matter of self-preoccupation or conceit - but if you allow somebody to doctor your product, it's like becoming a whore. It's not the right thing to do. And yet that's what that... You see, a producer thinks if he's going to have that position of 'producer,' he must say something, even though he's got nothing to say; he must say something to tell you how to do it. And boy, they are a pain in the culo.


Looks like we don't have trademarks information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have pictures. Sorry!

Check Also

Dottie Dodgion

A swinging and supportive drummer who’s also a personable singer, Dottie Dodgion has were able …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.