Al Schmitt, Maestro of Recorded Sound, Is Dead at 91
The winner of multiple Grammys, he engineered or produced records by Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Jefferson Airplane and many others.
The recording engineer and producer Al Schmitt in an undated photo. He was renowned for his ability to make subtle but critical changes during a recording session.Credit.Chris Schmitt
Published April 30, 2021Updated May 2, 2021
Al Schmitt, who as a boy watched Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters record music in his uncle’s studio, and who went on to become a Grammy Award-winning engineer for a long roster of artists including Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Diana Krall, died on April 26 at his home in Bell Canyon, Calif. He was 91.