{{short description|Recording engineer}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Gene Paul | image = Gene Paul at G&J Audio in 2012.jpg | caption = Gene Paul at G&J Audio in 2012 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1944|08|20}} | birth_place = Hollywood, California, U.S. | occupation = Audio recording / mixing / mastering engineer, producer and musician | instrument = Drums | years_active = 1959–present | associated_acts = | website = {{URL|www.gandjaudio.com}} }}
'''Gene William Paul''' (born August 20, 1944) is an American audio recording / mixing / mastering engineer, producer and musician. He was an engineer at Atlantic Recording Studios during their famed 1960s–80s period and is currently the chief mastering engineer at G&J Audio, a mixing and mastering studio for major and independent labels focused on reissues and new recordings. He has worked on thousands of projects, and has engineered 9 Grammy Award-winning albums with 29 total nominations in 15 different categories. He has engineered many hit recordings, including 7 #1's on the Billboard National Charts, 6 #1's on the Pop Charts, 10 #1's on the Jazz Charts and 5 #1's on the R&B Charts.
==Early years== thumb|200px|left|Gene Paul, Mary Ford & Les Paul in the mid-1960s Gene Paul is the son of the guitarist and inventor Les Paul, the inventor of the solid-body electric guitar and early innovator of multitrack recording.<ref name=williamson>Williamson, Don, [http://www.jazzreview.com/index.php/reviews/jazz-artist-interviews/item/13129- "Gene Paul... A Stickler for Imperfection”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121229041543/http://www.jazzreview.com/index.php/reviews/jazz-artist-interviews/item/13129- |date=December 29, 2012 }}, '’Jazz Review'’, January 29, 2006. Retrieved 2012-08-05.</ref> Gene spent his youth developing his engineering skills in the family recording studio<ref name=williamson/> and spent a decade as the drummer in his father's touring band from 1959 to 1969, with singer Mary Ford (his stepmother) for the first half.<ref name=kruth>Kruth,John, [http://www.gandjaudio.com/Interview.html "Shut Up & Learn – The Auspicious Apprenticeship of Gene Paul”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221171635/http://www.gandjaudio.com/Interview.html |date=February 21, 2013 }}, '’Wax Poetics'’, March/April 2010. Retrieved 2012-08-05.</ref> "Without even knowing it, I was being taught about presenting music, which was a great experience. I worked on putting the shows together with dad. I watched him record his own music as well as groups. If he said, 'Do you want to know about this?' I'd say, 'Yes.' And I'd go set up a mic. By the time I grew up, I knew how to record."<ref name=williamson/>
==Atlantic Records== thumb|290px|right|Gene Paul at Atlantic Records in the 1970s His career took off after joining Atlantic Records in 1969 where he quickly became a world-renowned engineer and producer. "The people there, like Tom Dowd, Arif Mardin, Joel Dorn, Ahmet Ertegun, they were all gentle people. You would think that they were all superstars, but they never acted that way. Being at Atlantic was like being welcomed into someone's house. It was a house of music. You never knew who was going to come in, one day [[Aretha Franklin|Aretha [Franklin]]], the next The Modern Jazz Quartet, King Curtis, Gladys Knight. ... It was truthfully hard to go home at night."<ref name="littwin">{{cite magazine | last=Littwin | first=Danny | url=http://en.calameo.com/read/000066004a3d3148bb073 | title=It's about the music, not the technology | magazine=Producao Audio | date=September 2010 | accessdate=2012-08-05 | pages=26–36 | language=Portuguese }}{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
==Mastering== In the 1980s, Paul began working with Atlantic Records producer Joel Dorn and Atlantic Records engineer Joel Kerr to restore and remaster the recordings of rare live performances by famous artists.<ref name=williamson/> This led Paul & Kerr to form DB Plus Digital Services, an independent mastering studio which operated in New York City from 1987 to 2009.<ref name=littwin/> In 2010, he became Chief Mastering Engineer at G&J Audio, a mixing and mastering studio for major and independent labels focused on reissues and new recordings, alongside Kerr and engineer Jamie Polaski.<ref name=littwin/>
==Grammy Awards== Gene Paul has engineered 9 Grammy Award-winning albums with 29 total nominations in 15 different categories. (Years listed are album release dates.) {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Artist !! Album !! Label !! Producer !! Category !! Role<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web | publisher=Allmusic.com | title=Gene Paul | url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gene-paul-mn0000199572|accessdate= 2012-08-05}}</ref> |- | 1970 || Aretha Franklin || ''Don't Play That Song'' || Atlantic Records || Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd || '''WINNER:''' Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female<ref name="grammysearch" /> || Recording Engineer<ref name="G&J">{{cite web | publisher=G&J Audio | title=Staff | url=http://www.gandjaudio.com/Staff.html | accessdate=2012-08-05 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413132451/http://www.gandjaudio.com/Staff.html | archive-date=April 13, 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> |- | 1971 || Aretha Franklin || "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (single) || Atlantic Records || Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd || '''WINNER:''' Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female<ref name="grammysearch" /> || Recording Engineer<ref name="franklinbridge">[http://www.discogs.com/Aretha-Franklin-Arethas-Greatest-Hits/release/2918364 "Aretha Franklin – Aretha’s Greatest Hits”], Discogs. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> |- | 1971 || Aretha Franklin || ''Young, Gifted and Black'' || Atlantic Records || Arif Mardin, Jerry Wexler, Tom Dowd || '''WINNER:''' Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female<ref name="grammysearch" /> || Recording Engineer |- | 1973 || Roberta Flack || ''Killing Me Softly'' || Atlantic Records || Joel Dorn || '''WINNER:''' Record of the Year<ref name="grammysearch" /> || Recording Engineer |- | 1973 || Roberta Flack || "Killing Me Softly with His Song" (single) || Atlantic Records || Joel Dorn || '''WINNER:''' Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female<ref name="grammysearch" /> || Recording Engineer<ref name="littwin" /> |- | 1974 || Average White Band || ''AWB'' || Atlantic Records || Arif Mardin || Best R&B Instrumental Performance (for "Pick Up the Pieces")<ref name="awb">[http://www.averagewhiteband.com/_news/bio.html "AWB History”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024093024/http://www.averagewhiteband.com/_news/bio.html |date=October 24, 2012 }}, Average White Band.com. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Recording Engineer |- | 1975 || Average White Band || ''Cut the Cake'' || Atlantic Records || Arif Mardin || Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male (for "Cut the Cake")<ref name="awb" /> || Recording Engineer |- | 1978 || Average White Band || ''Warmer Communications'' || Atlantic Records || Arif Mardin || Best R&B Instrumental Performance (for "Sweet & Sour")<ref name=awb/> || Recording Engineer |- | 1995 || John Coltrane || ''Heavyweight Champion: The Complete Atlantic Recordings'' || Rhino Records || Joel Dorn || Best Historical Album<ref name=porter>Porter, Lewis, [https://books.google.com/books?id=qlilxHfYcW4C&dq=coltrane+heavyweight+%22best+historical+album%22&pg=PA384], '’John Coltrane: His Life and Music’’, University of Michigan Press, January 27, 2000. Retrieved 2012-08-24.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 1997 || Various Artists || ''Cuba: I Am Time'' || Blue Jackel Entertainment || Jack O'Neil || Best Historical Album<ref name=chicago>Carlozo, Lou, [https://web.archive.org/web/20120616054144/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-01-07/news/9801070058_1_jazz-vocal-performance-grammy-award-nominations-year-and-best-r-b/4 "Chicago Artists are Well-represented In Grammy Nominations”], Chicago Tribune, January 7, 1998. Retrieved 2012-08-24.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 1997 || Various Artists || ''Cuba: I Am Time'' || Blue Jackel Entertainment || Jack O'Neil || Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package<ref name="chicago" /> || Mastering Engineer |- | 1998 || Arkadia Jazz All Stars || ''Thank You, John! Our Tribute to John Coltrane'' || Arkadia Jazz || Bob Karcy || Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (soloist: David Liebman)<ref name=liebman>[http://www.daveliebman.com/profile.php "Full Biography”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120901072418/http://www.daveliebman.com/profile.php |date=September 1, 2012 }}, Dave Liebman.com. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer<ref name=thankyoujohn>[http://www.viewb2bonline.com/www/ar70002-credits.html "Arkadia Jazz All-Stars: Thank You John”], VIEW Video & Arkadia Label Group. Retrieved 2012-08-24.</ref> |- | 1998 || Arkadia Jazz All Stars || ''Thank You, Gerry! Our Tribute to Gerry Mulligan'' || Arkadia Jazz || Bob Karcy || Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (soloist: Randy Brecker)<ref name="mulligan">[https://archive.today/20130116135822/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/m/musician.php?id=3920 "About Ted Rosenthal”], All About Jazz. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 1998 || Benny Golson || ''Tenor Legacy'' || Arkadia Jazz || Bob Karcy || Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (for "Body and Soul")<ref name=jalc>[http://www.jalc.org/dccc/artists/artist09.asp?personID=690 "Benny Golson”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609085712/http://www.jalc.org/dccc/artists/artist09.asp?personID=690 |date=June 9, 2012 }}, Jazz at Lincoln Center. 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 1999 || Joanne Brackeen || ''Pink Elephant Magic'' || Arkadia Jazz || Bob Karcy || Best Jazz Instrumental Solo (for "In Vogue")<ref name=brackeen>[http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/joanne-brackeen "JoAnne Brackeen, Professor”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424090851/http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/joanne-brackeen |date=April 24, 2012 }}, Berklee College of Music. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2000 || Bobby Sanabria || ''Afro-Cuban Dream... Live & in Clave!!!'' || Arabesque Recordings || Bobby Sanabria || Best Latin Jazz Album<ref name=sanabria>[http://www.newschool.edu/facultyexperts/faculty.aspx?id=23670 "Faculty Experts”], The New School. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2003 || Shirley Horn || ''May the Music Never End'' || Blue Note Records || Shirley Horn || Best Jazz Vocal Album<ref name=horn>[http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/cape-may/cape-may-gazette/25138-tribute-to-mesterhazy-featured-in-second-week-of-cape-may-music-festival.html "Tribute to Mesterhazy featured in second week of Cape May Music Festival”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823122301/http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/cape-may/cape-may-gazette/25138-tribute-to-mesterhazy-featured-in-second-week-of-cape-may-music-festival.html |date=August 23, 2012 }}, '’Shore News Today'’, September 2010. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2003 || Kurt Elling || ''Man in the Air'' || Blue Note Records || Bill Traut || Best Jazz Vocal Album<ref name=elling>[http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/musician.php?id=6519 "Kurt Elling”], All About Jazz. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer<ref name="G&J" /> |- | 2004 || Norah Jones || ''Feels Like Home'' || Blue Note Records || Norah Jones, Arif Mardin || '''WINNER:''' Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for "Sunrise")<ref name=grammysearch>[http://www.grammy.com/nominees/search "Past Winners Search”], '’Grammy.com'’. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2004 || Maria Schneider Orchestra || ''Concert in the Garden'' || ArtistShare || Maria Schneider || '''WINNER:''' Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album<ref name=grammysearch/> || Mastering Engineer<ref name=schneiderconcert>[http://www.mariaschneider.com/albuminfo.aspx?ID=60 "Album Details”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013055940/http://www.mariaschneider.com/albuminfo.aspx?ID=60 |date=October 13, 2012 }}, Maria Schneider.com. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> |- | 2005 || Rick Moranis || ''The Agoraphobic Cowboy'' || WEPI / ArtistShare || Tony Scherr || Best Comedy Album<ref name=abc>Gerstein, Ted & Berman, John, [https://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=1582734&page=1 "Rick Moranis on His Transformation Into a Grammy-Nominated Country Western Singer”], ABC's '’Nightline'’, February 5, 2006. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2005 || John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble || ''A Blessing'' || Omnitone Records || John Hollenbeck || Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album<ref name=hollenbeck>[http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/news/48th-annual-grammy-awards-roundup-jazz-field "The 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards Roundup: Jazz Field”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314223255/https://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/news/48th-annual-grammy-awards-roundup-jazz-field |date=March 14, 2016 }}, Grammy.org. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2005 || Various Artists || ''Songs from the Neighborhood: The Music of Mister Rogers'' || Nostalgia Records || Dennis Scott || '''WINNER:''' Best Musical Album for Children<ref name=grammysearch/> || Mastering Engineer<ref name=allmusic/> |- | 2007|| Maria Schneider Orchestra || ''Sky Blue'' || ArtistShare || Maria Schneider || '''WINNER:''' Best Instrumental Composition (for "Cerulean Skies")<ref name=schneidersky/> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2007|| Maria Schneider Orchestra || ''Sky Blue'' || ArtistShare || Maria Schneider || Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album<ref name="schneidersky">[http://www.mariaschneider.com/albuminfo.aspx?ID=773 "Album Details: Sky Blue”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222080743/http://www.mariaschneider.com/albuminfo.aspx?ID=773 |date=December 22, 2012 }}, Maria Schneider.com. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2007 || Bobby Sanabria || ''Big Band Urban Folktales'' || Jazzheads || Bobby Sanabria || Best Latin Jazz Album<ref name="sanabria" /> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2009 || Leslie Mendelson || ''Swan Feathers'' || Rykodisc || Joel Dorn || Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical<ref name="mix">[http://mixonline.com/news/grammy_award_nominations_0312/ "2010 Grammy Award Nominations Announced”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140817195453/http://mixonline.com/news/grammy_award_nominations_0312/ |date=August 17, 2014 }}, '’Mix'’, December 3, 2009. Retrieved 2012-08-024.</ref> || Mastering Engineer |- | 2011 || Fred Hersch || ''Alone at the Vanguard'' || Palmetto || Fred Hersch || Best Improvised Jazz Solo (for "Work")<ref name=hersch>[http://www.grammy.com/news/exploring-the-grammys-jazz-field-nominees “Exploring the GRAMMYs’ Jazz Field Nominees”] Grammy.com. Retrieved 2012-08-24.</ref> || Mixing & mastering engineer |- | 2011 || Various Artists || ''All About Bullies... Big and Small'' || Cool Beans Music || Steve Pullara || Best Musical Album for Children<ref name=allaboutbullies>[http://www.grammy.com/news/exploring-the-childrens-field-nominees “Exploring the Children’s Field Nominees”] Grammy.com. Retrieved 2012-08-24.</ref> || Mastering Engineer<ref name="G&J" /> |- |}
==Recordings== In addition to the Grammy Awards listed above, Gene Paul has engineered many hit recordings, including 7 #1's on the Billboard National Charts, 6 #1's on the Pop Charts, 10 #1's on the Jazz Charts and 5 #1's on the R&B Charts. {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year !! Artist !! Album !! Chart Position<ref name="allmusic" /> !! Role<ref name="allmusic" /> |- | 1961 || Eddie Harris || "Exodus" (single) || #16 R&B, #36 US || Remastering Engineer |- | 1968 || Eddie Harris || "It's Crazy" (single) || #88 US || Remastering Engineer |- | 1969 || Eddie Harris & Les McCann || ''Swiss Movement'' || #1 Jazz, #2 R&B, #29 US || Remixing & Remastering Engineer |- | 1969 || R.B. Greaves || ''R.B. Greaves'' || #24 R&B, #85 US || Mixing Engineer |- | 1971 || Eddie Harris & Les McCann || ''Second Movement'' || #1 Jazz, # 41 US || Recording and Remastering Engineer |- | 1971 || Les McCann || ''Invitation to Openness'' || #8 Jazz || Remastering Engineer |- | 1971 || Donny Hathaway || ''Donny Hathaway'' || #6 R&B, #89 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1972 || Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway || ''Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway'' || #3 US, #2 R&B, #10 Jazz || Recording Engineer |- | 1972 || Cream || ''Live Cream Volume II'' || #27 US || Remixing Engineer |- | 1972 || Herbie Mann || ''Hold On, I'm Coming'' || #7 Jazz || Mixing Engineer |- | 1973 || Bette Midler || ''Bette Midler'' || #6 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1973 || Hall & Oates || ''Abandoned Luncheonette'' || #33 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1973 || Willie Nelson || ''Shotgun Willie'' || #41 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1973 || Les McCann || ''Layers'' || #5 Jazz || Remastering Engineer |- | 1973 || Modern Jazz Quartet || ''Blues on Bach'' || #34 Jazz || Recording and Mixing Engineer |- | 1973 || Donny Hathaway || ''Extension of a Man'' || #18 R&B, #69 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1973 || Bee Gees || ''Mr. Natural'' || #178 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1974 || Modern Jazz Quartet || ''The Complete Last Concert'' || #34 Jazz || Mixing Engineer |- | 1976 || The Rolling Stones || ''Black and Blue'' || #1 US || Recording Engineer<ref name=williamson/><ref name=rolling>"Black and Blue", Wikipedia.org. Retrieved 2012-08-25.</ref> |- | 1976 || Willie Nelson || ''The Troublemaker'' || #1 Country, #60 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1977 || Ben E. King || ''Benny & Us'' || #14 R&B, #33 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1979 || Bette Midler || ''Thighs and Whispers'' || #65 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1983 || Paul Simon || ''Hearts and Bones'' || #35 US || Recording Engineer |- | 1993 || David "Fathead" Newman || ''Bigger & Better'' || #10 Jazz, #42 R&B || Remastering Engineer |- | 1998 || Various Artists || ''Jazz for the Open Road'' || #1 Jazz || Mastering Engineer |- | 1998 || Various Artists || ''Jazz for the Quiet Times'' || #1 Jazz || Mastering Engineer<ref name="G&J" /> |- | 1999 || Various Artists || ''Jazz for When You're Alone'' || #1 Jazz || Mastering Engineer<ref name="G&J" /> |- | 1999 || Various Artists || ''Jazz for a Lazy Day'' || #4 Jazz || Mastering Engineer<ref name="G&J" /> |- | 2000 || Various Artists || ''Jazz for a Rainy Afternoon'' || #1 Jazz || Mastering Engineer<ref name="G&J"/> |- | 2000 || Jane Monheit || ''Never Never Land'' || #2 Jazz || Mixing & Mastering Engineer |- | 2000 || Various Artists || ''Jazz for When You're in Love'' || #9 Jazz || Mastering Engineer<ref name="G&J" /> |- | 2001 || Jane Monheit || ''Come Dream with Me'' || #1 Jazz || Mixing & Mastering Engineer |- | 2002 || Jane Monheit || ''In the Sun'' || #2 Jazz || Recording, Mixing & Mastering Engineer |- | 2003 || Various Artists || ''Jazz for Those Peaceful Moments'' || #4 Jazz || Mastering Engineer<ref name="G&J" /> |- | 2007 || Mocean Worker || ''Cinco de Mowo!'' || #16 Electronic || Mastering Engineer |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.gandjaudio.com G&J Audio] *[http://www.allmusic.com/artist/gene-paul-mn0000199572 Gene Paul] on AllMusic *[http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/credits/gene-paul/477563 Gene Paul] on Artistdirect *[http://albumcredits.com/Profile/112863 Gene Paul]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} on Album Credits *[https://web.archive.org/web/20121229041543/http://www.jazzreview.com/index.php/reviews/jazz-artist-interviews/item/13129- Gene Paul interview] by Don Williamson in Jazz Review, Jan. 2006 *[http://www.gandjaudio.com/Interview.htm Gene Paul interview]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} by John Kruth in Wax Poetics, Mar./Apr. 2010 *[http://en.calameo.com/read/000066004a3d3148bb073 Gene Paul interview]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} by Danny Littwin in Producao Audio, Sept. 2010
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Paul, Gene}} Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:Mastering engineers Category:Atlantic Records Category:Record producers from California Category:American audio engineers Category:20th-century American drummers Category:American male drummers Category:20th-century American male musicians Category:Drummers from Los Angeles