About

RVG Legacy is a website dedicated to preserving the legacy of Rudy Van Gelder, whose recording activities during a six-decade career proved essential to the historical development of audio engineering and jazz. RVG Legacy is brought to you by the following individuals and organizations:

Richard Capeless

Richard is the author, developer, and designer of RVG Legacy. His interest in the history of audio engineering began in 2004 while reading the book Temples of Sound. Taking an interest in jazz soon after, by 2012 he was an avid collector of vintage jazz records, specifically those recorded and mastered by Rudy Van Gelder. Richard’s passion for the hobby developed quickly, and he published his first article for the London Jazz Collector website in 2013. At this time he also launched the collector blog Deep Groove Mono, and has since published several articles on vintage vinyl playback. In 2019, Richard presented to the Audio Engineering Society on Rudy Van Gelder, and he has also assisted in Van Gelder Studio’s application for National Landmark status.

The Van Gelder Estate & Van Gelder Studio

The Van Gelder Estate has provided RVG Legacy with many never-before-seen photographs from the personal collection of Rudy Van Gelder. Van Gelder Studio has also been an essential research collaborator. Very special thanks is due to Maureen Sickler, trustee of the Van Gelder Estate and owner of Van Gelder Studio.

Tommaso Gambini

Tommaso is an important ally of RVG Legacy. His unique combination of knowledge and experience from both a historical and technical perspective has made him irreplaceable in the RVG Legacy research effort.

Mosaic Images

Permission for the use of many photos on this site was originally provided by Mosaic Images. (As of May 2022, ownership of the Francis Wolff photography collection has been transferred to Blue Note Records.)

Special Thanks

The quality of information here is also the result of the efforts and generosity of many individuals who are due special thanks:

Bert Caldwell
Michael Cuscuna
Tom Fine
Kevin Gray
Steve Hoffman
Chris Jenrick
Andrew Karp
Ashley Khan
Sean McClowery
Jay McKnight
Dan Mortensen
Ako Nakagawa
Atane Ofiaja
Bill Pauluh
Jennifer Rothschild
Don Sickler
Jeremy Smith
Drew Techner
Joseph Vella
Jacob Weinstein
Bert Caldwell
Michael Cuscuna
Tom Fine
Kevin Gray
Steve Hoffman
Chris Jenrick
Andrew Karp
Ashley Khan
Sean McClowery
Jay McKnight
Dan Mortensen
Ako Nakagawa
Atane Ofiaja
Bill Pauluh
Jennifer Rothschild
Don Sickler
Jeremy Smith
Drew Techner
Joseph Vella
Jacob Weinstein

Thank you for visiting RVG Legacy. We hope you enjoy learning about Rudy Van Gelder and the many ways he has changed our world for the better.