Charles Samuel "Chuck" Loeb (December 7, 1955 – July 31, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist and a member of the groups Steps Ahead, Metro and Fourplay.
Early years and education Loeb was born in Nyack, New York, near New York City. At a young age, he listened to Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Cream, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan. According to a 2005 JazzTimes article, the first song he learned on guitar was Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone", which he would later play at a guest appearance with Dylan. He discovered jazz when he was sixteen through the music of guitarists Wes Montgomery, George Benson, John McLaughlin, and Pat Martino. At that point, Loeb chose to become a musician and "never thought of doing anything else".
He studied with local music teachers, then traveled to Philadelphia and became a student of jazz guitarist Dennis Sandole. In New York City, he learned from Jim Hall. For two years he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, then left in 1976 to seek professional work in New York City.
Groups In New York, Loeb played with Chico Hamilton, Ray Barreto, and Hubert Laws. Starting in 1979, he was a member of Stan Getz's group. Getz later became the best man at his wedding to singer Carmen Cuesta. Loeb and Mitchel Forman, who was also in Getz's group, formed the jazz fusion band Metro (1994). In the 1980s, he was a member of the group Steps Ahead, which included Michael Brecker, someone Loeb credits as an influence. He replaced Larry Carlton as guitarist in Fourplay (2010).
Loeb and his wife recorded together, with Cuesta providing vocals on his albums and Loeb playing on Cuesta's albums, and their daughters Lizzy and Christina contributing vocals.
Solo career Loeb began a solo career in 1988 with his debut album My Shining Hour on the Japanese record label Pony Canyon. He released subsequent albums on DMP Digital Music Products among them Life Colors (1990). Loeb ultimately achieved commercial success with Shanachie Records on The Music Inside (1996). The title song from the album held the number one position on the jazz charts for six weeks. Later, he produced The Moon, the Stars, & the Setting Sun (1998), Listen (1999) In a Heartbeat (2001), and All There Is (2002).
Loeb's music has appeared on TV shows, commercials, and movie soundtracks, including The Untouchables, You've Got Mail, and Hitch.
His composition Logic of Love was nominated for a Grammy in 2015.
Death Loeb died of cancer on July 31, 2017, at the age of 61.
Discography
Solo albums 1990: Magic Fingers 1990: Life Colors 1991: Balance 1993: Mediterranean 1994: Simple Things 1996: Memory Lane 1996: The Music Inside 1998: The Moon, The Stars And The Setting Sun 1999: Listen 2001: In A Heartbeat 2002: All There Is 2003: eBop 2005: When I'm With You 2005: The Love Song Collection 2007: Presence 2009: #1 Smooth Jazz Radio Hits! 2009: Between Two Worlds 2011: Plain 'n' Simple 2013: Silhouette 2016: Unspoken
With Metro #yeartitlelabelnotes11994MetroLipstick21995Tree PeopleLipstick32000MetrocafeHip Bop/Koch42002GrapevineHip Bop/Koch52004Live At The A-TraneMarsis Jazz62007ExpressMarsis Jazz72015Big Band BoomJazzlinewith WDR Big Band Cologne
With the Fantasy Band #yeartitlelabelnotes11993The Fantasy BandDMP with George Jinda, Dave Samuels21994 Sweet Dreams DMPwith George Jinda, Dave Samuels31997 The KissShanachie
With Fourplay #yeartitlelabelnotes12010Let's Touch the Sky Heads upwith Bob James, Nathan East, Harvey Mason22012Esprit de Four Heads up32015SilverHeads up
Compilations
yeartitlelabelnotes2004Jazz for Couch Potatoes!Shanachieby The Couch Potato All-Stars (Chuck Loeb with David Mann, Eric Alexander, Randy Brecker, Dave Samuels, Mike Ricchiuti, David Finck, Ron Jenkins, Mike Pope, Brian Dunne, David Charles)2007The Love Song CollectionShanachiecompilation2009No. 1 Smooth Jazz Radio HitsShanachiecompilation
Live albums yeartitlelabelnotes2003Live 1994AA (Japan)with Adam Holzman, Paul Wertico
With Stan Getz Billy Highstreet Samba (EmArcy, 1981 [rel. 1990])
References
External links