Farewell to Mike Lang

Above: Mike Lang, photographed by Dan Goldwasser.

I was so sorry to hear of the passing of Mike Lang (1941–2022), one of the all-time great keyboard players. Please see the Variety obituary by Jon Burlingame.

I met Mike in the early days of FSM when we ran an interview with him. He was a brilliant, beloved musician and pianist, with a miles-long résumé of scores and recording projects, and a dear and sweet man who was also a huge film music aficionado.

I would see him from time to time at scoring sessions or at jazz gigs (like with Ron Jones’ various bands), and he was always so friendly, warm and engaging.

Fortunately he leaves behind a mammoth legacy of recorded music—and video content like this 2020 concert performance:

Here’s a podcast and article from The Legacy of John Williams.

And here’s a 2015 feature from the Academy of Scoring Arts.

Farewell to a great musician and a great friend to all.