Guy Eckstine
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Guy Eckstine | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1956 (age 69–70) |
| Alma mater | University of California, Los Angeles[1] |
| Occupations | |
| Parent | Billy Eckstine |
| Website | Iconique Music Group |
Guy Eckstine is an artist manager and record producer, also known for his tenure as A&R executive at Columbia Records, and Verve Records.[2][3] Eckstine's work as a music producer has earned four Grammy® Awards and seven nominations, including with jazz keyboardist Herbie Hancock, on the Grammy® winning Hancock album The New Standard.
In 2007 he co-founded Iconique Music Group, an artist management, creative development, and record production company, currently representing Grammy® winners and nominees, Mike Stern, Simon Phillips, House Of Waters, Ricky Kej, Thana Alexa, Nir Felder, and Tiempo Libre.
In 2024 Eckstine Produced, House Of Waters album, On Becoming which earned a Grammy® Award nomination in the Best Contemporary Instrumental Album category.[1] Iconique Music Group[4]
Eckstine was born in 1956 to Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award winner, American jazz/pop singer Billy Eckstine and his wife Carolle Drake, an actress and model. Eckstine's siblings include four older brothers and two younger sisters. The family eventually settled in Encino, California, where Eckstine was raised.[2] His brother Ed later served as president of Mercury Records.
Early Music Career
After studying Ethnomusicology at UCLA and percussion at California Institute of the Arts, in addition to his band Soma featuring Allan Holdsworth, Eckstine's early music career was as a touring and session drummer involved in various musical projects in Los Angeles for Quincy Jones, Billy Eckstine, James Ingram, Michael McDonald, Michael Henderson, Eddy Grant, and more.
Virgin Music in America
As an A&R music publishing executive in the late 1980s, he was Creative Manager for Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, developing staff songwriters including, Allee Willis, Jon Lind, Derek Bramble, Elliot Wolf, and Oliver Leiber. Eckstine also secured song placements for Virgin Music songwriters with Whitney Houston, Vanessa Williams, Kool and the Gang, The Whispers. Eckstine was the Music Supervisor for the movie, Side Out and he signed a major publishing agreement with Avatar Music Publishing Avatar Records, featuring songwriters, Kipper Jones, and Kenny Harris.
Columbia Records
As Director/A&R, from 1989 to 1991 Eckstine worked for Columbia Records, leading their West Coast Urban and Jazz A&R, developing artists, Shawn Smith, Sananda Maitreya/Terence Trent D'arby, Regina Belle, and Philip Bailey, among others.
Verve Records
[5] From 1991 to 1997 as VP, A&R Verve Records,[1] fostered a period when Verve was praised for its creativity. For Verve Forecast Records, among others, Eckstine signed, Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, vocalist, Gino Vannelli and keyboardist Jeff Lorber. Trumpeter Chris Botti credited Eckstine for his decision to sign with Verve.[6] Eckstine also signed an American record deal for British acid jazz group Incognito.[7]
MP3.com
Post Verve, from 1999 to 2002, Eckstine was Senior Vice President, Creative Development at the original MP3.com helming the jazz, world and classical music genres.
Guy Eckstine Productions
From 2002- 2007 as an independent producer Eckstine produced and executive produced recordings by Brian Culbertson, Hubert Laws, Cyrus Chestnut, and Alexandra Scott, as well as securing recording contracts for Julia Fordham (Atlantic Records), and Carol Welsman (Savoy Label Group).
