Remembering Lyle Mays: His Life in Music

Keyboard pioneer and frequent Pat Metheny collaborator Lyle Mays died on February 10 after complications from a long illness. He was 66. A full obituary on this innovative musician can be found here. At JAZZIZ, we like to honor the legacy of departed musicians through the music they left behind, and for that, we turned to JAZZIZ Publisher — and devoted Lyle Mays fan — Michael Fagien. Michael interviewed Lyle for a podcast episode back in 2016, and the interview shed a brand new light on the brilliant and reclusive musician. Here, Michael has put together his favorite Lyle Mays tracks in a playlist that celebrates the artist’s profound impact on jazz. The process, Michael tells us, was as cathartic as it was bittersweet. “I would be my honor to put together this playlist as a tribute to one of my musical heroes,” he said.