Max Margulis (1907–1996) was an American musician, writer, music teacher, voice coach, record producer, copywriter, photographer and left-wing

activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fr ...

. He had a significant influence on the New York artistic and performing community particularly from the 1930s to the 1950s. He was a co-founder of

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue notes of jazz and the blues. Or ...

in 1939 responsible for the seed capital to fund the record label, although from the beginning his participation was more as a supporter of the music, rather than as creative producer. He did, however, write advertising brochures and ad copy for the label. Margulis reviewed music and wrote for left-wing and Marxist periodicals including ''

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'' and the ''

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'' in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s under the pseudonyms Max March and Martin McCall. From 1949 through the 1960s, he was an active stereo photographer who photographed many of the most significant painters of the New York art scene in their studio, including

Willem de Kooning Willem de Kooning (; ; April 24, 1904 – March 19, 1997) was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist. He was born in Rotterdam and moved to the United States in 1926, becoming an American citizen in 1962. In 1943, he married painter ...

. As voice teacher, Margulis's pupils included many singers and actors, among them actors

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Harris Yulin Harris Yulin (born November 5, 1937) is an American actor who has appeared in over a hundred film and television series roles, such as '' Scarface'' (1983), '' Ghostbusters II'' (1989), ''Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), '' Looking for Richard' ...

Faye Dunaway Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) is an American actress. She is the recipient of many accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, and a BAFTA Award. In 2011, the government of France made ...

, and

Sigourney Weaver Susan Alexandra "Sigourney" Weaver (; born October 8, 1949) is an American actress. A figure in science fiction and popular culture, she has received various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Gramm ...

. Margulis taught actor

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to sing for the 1960 film '' The Entertainer''. Singer-songwriter

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ...

, credits Margulis with honing her skills, overcoming troublesome voice issues, and with the longevity of her career.

Notes

References

* Cook, Richard. ''Blue Note Records: A Biography''. . 1907 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American photographers Record producers from New York (state) Musicians from New York City 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American musicians 20th-century American businesspeople Jazz musicians from New York (state) {{US-photographer-stub