Jim Beard, an accomplished jazz pianist, composer, and producer who served as Steely Dan’s touring keyboard player for the last 16 years, has passed away, according to Billboard. He was 63. A Steely Dan rep confirmed to Billboard that Beard died on March 2 of “complications from a sudden illness.”
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Beard began touring with Steely Dan in 2008 and continued playing with the group through a January 20, 2024, concert in Phoenix, as part of the band’s ongoing stint opening for the Eagles’ Long Goodbye farewell trek. Beard also had been playing keyboards with the Eagles’ touring band during the outing.
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About Beard’s Prolific Music Career
According to his online bio, while studying jazz at Indiana University, Beard played in a bar band that featured longtime Steely Dan touring guitarist Jon Herington, John Fogerty touring drummer Kenny Aronoff, Grammy-winning bassist Bob Hurst, and acclaimed trumpet player Chris Botti.
After moving to New York City in 1985, began touring and/or recording with a variety of artists, among them Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, Dizzy Gillespie, the Brecker Brothers, and Steve Vai.
As a composer, Beard’s work has been recorded by McLaughlin, Michael Brecker, and many others. His compositions also were featured in television shows and films.
Beard’s production work has included projects by Mike Stern, Bob Berg, Bill Evans, Chick Corea, Al Jarreau, Medeski Martin and Wood, Bill Frisell, and Esperanza Spalding.
In 2007, Beard won a Grammy Award in the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album category for his contributions to Randy and Michael Brecker’s Some Skunk Funk. He also released six solo albums, the most recent being Show of Hands in 2013.
Beard also taught at several respected music schools, including 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.
You can hear Beard’s work with Steely Dan on the 2021 album Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live! The album was recorded at shows at several venues in the northeastern U.S.
Steely Dan’s Upcoming Tour Plans
Steely Dan will continue the Long Goodbye Tour with the Eagles with a March 8 show in Chicago.
Tickets for the concerts are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images
