Maynard Solomon

Maynard Elliott Solomon (January 5, 1930 – September 28, 2020) was an American writer and a music producer. He was a co-founder of Vanguard Records, and later became a writer on music.

Career

Maynard Solomon started Vanguard Records with his brother Seymour Solomon, in 1950. The label was popular for folk music and blues for the next fifteen years. As well as producing many albums, he wrote many liner notes.

Solomon won the rights to record and release music from the Newport Folk Festival. This meant he could release recordings by artists who had not actually signed with Vanguard. At this time, Elektra was the main label for folk artists. Their singers, Phil Ochs and Judy Collins, were recorded at Newport, as was a Columbia artist, Bob Dylan.

In 1960, he signed Joan Baez. In the late 60's Vanguard had some success with rock artists, One of these was Country Joe and the Fish (today usually called Country Joe McDonald).

Death

Solomon died on September 28, 2020 at his home in Manhattan from dementia with Lewy bodies, aged 90.

Selected discography

• "Best of the Vanguard Years" (2000) (The Clancy Brothers)
• "Best of the Vanguard Years" (2000) (Tom Paxton)
• "Best of the Vanguard Years" (1998) (Ian and Sylvia)
• "Best of the Vanguard Years" (2004) (The Rooftop Singers)
• "Best of the Vanguard Years" (2003) (Buffy Sainte-Marie)
• "Best of the John Hammond" (1989) (John Hammond)
• "Best of the Eric Anderson" (1970) (Eric Anderson)
• "Vanguard Sessions: Baez Sings Dylan" (1998) (Joan Baez)
• "Reunion at Carnegia Hall, 1963, Pt 1" (2001) (The Weavers)
• "Reunion at Carnegia Hall, 1963, Pt 2" (2001) (The Weavers)

Bibliography

• The Joan Baez Songbook (1964, by Maynard Solomon and Eric von Schmidt)
• Noel: The Joan Baez Christmas Songbook (1967, by Joan Baez, Maynard Solomon and Eric von Schmidt)
• Marxism and Art (1973)
• "Beethoven and the Enlightenment" in Telos, 19 (Spring 1974). New York: Telos Press.
• Myth Creativity Psychoanalysis: Essays in Honor of Harry Slochower (1979)
• Mozart (1994)
• Beethoven: Vida e Obra (1987)
• Beethoven (1998)
• Beethoven Essays (1988)
• Memories of Beethoven (2003, by Gerhard von Breuning and Maynard Solomon).
• Late Beethoven: Music, Thought, Imagination (2004)
• Mozart: A Life (1995)

Other websites

• Norman Weinstein (December 4 - 11, 1997). "Folk'd Up: The Good and the Bad of Vanguard", BostonPhoenix.com.