NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Grammy award winning jazz saxophonist, composer and producer Bob Belden, the first American to perform in post-revolution Iran, has died in New York City. He was 58.
According to the New York Times, Belden's sister Elizabeth Belden Harmstone said that Belden died on Wednesday at Lenox Hill Hospital after suffering a heart attack.
Belden was known for producing multi-artist albums such as "Miles From India," which used both Native American and Indian musicians to perform Miles Davis material. The album earned a Grammy nomination in 2009 for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.
Another hit for Belden was his 2001 album on Blue Note, "Black Dahlia" an orchestral suite informed by the 1947 Los Angeles murder of actress Elizabeth Short. The album would go on to win a Grammy for Belden.
In February, Belden performed in Tehran amidst nuclear talks between Iran and western powers as a part of a visit organized by Search for Common Ground, a U.S. nonprofit organization that seeks to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Iran. – Staff Writers
