Jim Beard, a musician known for his work with Steely Dan for the past 16 years, has died at the age of 63.
The Hall-of-Fame rock band confirmed on Wednesday the death of their longtime keyboardist. “It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of our friend and colleague,” it wrote on its website.
Mr. Beard died on March 2 at a New York City hospital due to complications from a sudden illness “surrounded by loved ones,” a spokesperson for the late musician told media outlets. An exact cause of death was not released.
Musicians flooded social media with tributes to Mr. Beard, including Jazz drummer Peter Erskine, who called him “a great presence on so many projects.”
“I’m going to miss the man, his wit and his musical incisiveness,” he wrote on social media platform X. “You made a difference, Jim.”
Ben Wendel, a Canadian-American saxophonist, posted on X a picture of him with Mr. Beard, whom he called a “musical giant.”
“Thank you for everything Jim Beard,” he said. “You were a musical giant and inspiration to so many. I am incredibly grateful I had a chance to hang with you and get a little insight into your genius.”
At Indiana University, Mr. Beard studied with famed jazz professor David Baker. According to his biography, after moving to New York to pursue his professional career in 1985, Mr. Beard went on to tour with “some of the greatest names in music,” including Steely Dan, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin and Wayne Shorter.
Mr. Beard had been a member of Steely Dan since 2008. His last performance with the group was on Jan. 20 in Phoenix, Arizona, as part of the opening sets on the Eagles’ “The Long Goodbye” final tour.
As a studio musician, he recorded with artists from “an extremely wide range of musical styles,” including Dizzy Gillespie, the Brecker Brothers, Dianne Reeves, Meshell Ndegeocello, Toninho Horta, and Steve Vai.
According to his bio, Mr. Beard published more than 100 compositions in his lifetime. His writings have been used in movies, TV shows, and radio call signals, including with Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Blue Note, Verve, Columbia, NBC, ABC, and CBS/Sony.
In addition, Mr. Beard had performed with the Metropole Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He had also taught at famous music institutions around the world, such as the Mason Gross School of Arts in New Jersey, Berklee College of Music in Boston, Aaron Copland School of Music in New York, and the Sibelius Academy in Finland.
Between his performance tours, composing, and teaching, Mr. Beard recorded six solo CDs, spanning from 1990’s “Song of the Sun” to 2013’s “Show of Hands.” His productions and compositions were nominated for seven Grammy awards and shared in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Grammy in 2007 as a featured performer on “Some Skunk Funk” by Randy and Michael Brecker.
Mr. Beard is survived by his son Victor, daughter Caitlin, mother Sarah, sister Nancy Canale, and brother Bill.
