This project started in 1998 shortly after Dan Skea had a serendipitous meeting and conversation with Rudy at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Despite Rudy’s massive body of work, Dan realized that no such discography existed at that time, which inspired Dan to embark on the task of creating one himself. Dan spent more than two years fully immersed in research to accurately catalog the work of the greatest jazz recording engineer of all time.
Dan research involved examining other discographies, album jackets, liner notes, academic archives, and nearly every other published resource he could get his hands on. But what set Dan’s work apart was his willingness to pick up the phone and call musicians, record producers, and other individuals who had first-hand knowledge (and documentation) of recording sessions. Dan conducted approximately 350 interviews which garnered abundant historical details and personal anecdotes.
While other established discographies and databases often covered specific artists or record labels, Dan soon discovered that some of the existing sources simply included errors or omissions that had been perpetuated from earlier incorrect sources. Coinciding with his commitment to catalog Van Gelder’s work was Dan’s obsession with correcting mistakes and filling in missing information.
Dan maintained contact with Rudy for over a year and attempted to solicit his input from time to time, or fill Rudy in on his progress toward documenting his legacy. At first, Rudy was friendly, but somewhat reticent. It was no mystery that Rudy was a very private person and could be difficult at times. Subsequently, Dan’s correspondence with him became strained as Rudy grew more suspicious and less cooperative, especially when he learned that Dan had begun conducting interviews with the people with whom he had worked. But the information Dan was collecting was simply too important, and he aspired to expand the project into a full biography.
Dan was heartbroken at the dissolution of what he hoped would be a partnership with the iconic figure he was seeking to commemorate. To those who knew Rudy, this was not a surprising development. For those who knew Dan, it was no surprise that he chose to continue his research with the same (or perhaps even more) passion. This project was always a scholarly labor of love for Dan. He had no aspiration to profit financially from his output.
In mid-July of 2001, Dan ceased working on his “RVG” project. Dan’s wife recalls that Rudy may have threatened some sort of legal action. For whatever reason, Dan packed all of his work into a large metal cabinet and imagined that he might revisit the project after Rudy died.
Dan’s own health declined and he was unable to resume work when Rudy Van Gelder eventually dies in 2016. Sadly, Dan passed away a few years later on May 13, 2019. His nephew, Carl Severance acquired Dan’s files and has worked to bring this significant work into view.