In Milwaukee, Ben Sidran might be best known for his lively theme music for Wisconsin Public Radio’s popular Zorba Pastor show. If you’re a music fan, you’ll have heard some of the Madison-reared keyboardist’s albums from his 50-year career; you might even know that he’s written several insightful books on jazz and popular music.
His latest is a biography of Tommy LiPuma (1936-2017), a producer whose credits include Randy Newman, Dave Mason, Dr. John, Diana Krall and—yes—Ben Sidran. LiPuma solidified his reputation by winning a Grammy for George Benson’s “Masquerade.”
Sidran was the producer’s friend for many years—you could call the book The Authorized Biography of Tommy LiPuma. But unlike most music biz reminiscences, Sidran’s is literature, composed of beautifully wrought prose. He also has a journalist’s eye for what’s important and revealing about his subject, including the Sicilian American producer’s affinity for Jews (he worked with many in the industry), his discovery of 1950s R&B on late-night radio and his love of jazz.
Sidran also understands how to put LiPuma and his stories into their cultural context. The producer got started at the bottom—in the shipping room of a music distributor—and worked his way up from there. He became a music business insider who really loved music.
