— As a pioneer in the field of stereophonic recording, through his devotion to the AES and beloved as a mentor to many of today's leading audio professionals, Irv Joel leaves a lasting legacy —
New York, NY — The Audio Engineering Society mourns the loss of Irving L. Joel, for decades an integral member of the New York recording community and a beloved member of the Audio Engineering Society. “Irv Joel was an inspiration and mentor to many of today’s most noted audio professionals,” says Bob Moses, Executive Director of the Audio Engineering Society. “He also contributed in huge ways to the AES over decades. Well beyond his contributions to the industry and the AES, Irv was beloved as a warm and caring man. He will be missed. On behalf of the AES, I offer our deepest sympathies to Irv’s family and loved ones.”
Irv Joel’s lifetime of contribution to the art of recording included 15 years at Capitol Records and early experiments with stereophonic recording. His Capitol discography ranged from stereo recordings of the Pittsburgh Symphony and the Broadway cast recording of The Music Man, to location recording of Tennessee Ernie Ford. He became chief engineer at A&R Recording (co-owned by Phil Ramone), where he recorded such artists as Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli.
Joel’s contributions to the AES include work on Standards Committees and the Historical Committee. The Oral History Project, composed of audio/video recordings of interviews with over thirty significant contributors to the art and science of recording, and which Joel created and supported, may be his most lasting contribution, with his interviews creating a significant first-person account of the recording community.
Irv Joel was honored with an number of AES awards for his contributions to audio and the AES: an AES award in 1962, a citation in 1972, a Fellowship in 1973, a Board of Governors award in 1994, a Bronze Medal in 1999, and, for his decades of dedication to the Society, a Distinguished Service Medal in 2009. The AES NY section honored Joel with a special evening of reminiscing in 2011, titled "An Evening with Irv Joel – The Man Behind the Scene."
