John Snyder

One of the most important jazz record producers of the past 30 years, John Snyder on several occasions has succeeded in recording an extensive series of non-commercial music. He worked for CTI in the early '70s, most notably on sessions by Jim Hall and Paul Desmond. In the mid-1970s, he created the Horizon subsidiary for A&M, which included a who's who of modern jazz — Hall, Desmond, Ornette Coleman, Dave Brubeck, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra and Charlie Haden. When that stint ran out, Snyder recorded many of the same musicians for his Artists House label — a company notable for its deluxe LP packaging and quality music — from 1977-79. Since that time, John Snyder has been an important behind-the-scenes player responsible for documenting many worthwhile dates.