Jerry Wexler, the music titan who produced Aretha Franklin's finest recordings and signed Led Zeppelin, died August 15 at his home on Siesta Key in Sarasota. I didn't see the news online until returning from a late night of revelry. Nonetheless, I felt compelled to write, immediately, and posted this entry here Aug. 16. The piece has since been rejiggered a bit, tweaked and augmented with quotes from the interview I did with Wexler in 2003. Here's a snippet:
Bob Dylan's controversial gospel album, 1979's Slow Train Coming, has always moved me deeply. Despite explicit born-again-Christian rhetoric that I don't subscribe to, there's a me-against-the-world passion in the singer's voice that transcends dogma. Not only did Wexler produce it, but he also witnessed Dylan's proselytizing firsthand. "I said, 'Bob, forget about me, you're talking to a confirmed, 62-year-old, card-carrying Jewish atheist,'" Wexler said. "[Dylan and I] only had good times."
Click here to read "Remembering soul man Jerry Wexler" in its entirety.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2008.