One of the most significant and sought-after producers in contemporary music, Blue Note at Sea host Don Was has won multiple Grammy Awards and numerous other accolades for his work with a diverse array of artists, including The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison & Kurt Elling.
A native of Detroit, Was first came to prominence as a founding member, songwriter and bassist of the influential multi-genre band Was (Not Was) and scored commercial success in the 1980s with songs like “Walk the Dinosaur” and “Spy in the House of Love.” He has also served as music director for major motion pictures such as Thelma and Louise and Toy Story, and won an Emmy in 2014 for outstanding musical direction. In 1994 he won a Grammy as Producer of the Year for The Rolling Stones’ Voodoo Lounge. He has produced every one of their albums since.
As President of Blue Note Records since 2012, Was is both the company’s leader and ambassador for its music, presenting the label’s artists to worldwide audiences and building upon the label’s singular 77-year legacy of great recordings.
Founded in 1939 by Alfred Lion, Blue Note is the most respected and longest running jazz label in the world. Blue Note’s legendary catalog includes a true Who’s Who of jazz history: Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith, Dexter Gordon, Grant Green, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Donald Byrd, Andrew Hill, Ornette Coleman and many more.
Under the leadership of current President Don Was, Blue Note has renewed its dedication to Lion’s original vision that “any particular style of playing which represents an authentic way of musical feeling is genuine expression.”