Harold Budd – born in Los Angeles, California on May 24, 1936 – was an
avant-garde musician and composer who has been credited as being a pioneering
force in the ambient and jazz minimalism genres. His career began in 1962 as he
became recognized by the avant-garde music community. His early years focused on
John Cage-influenced minimalist drone music. He stepped away from composing
after becoming disheartened by the avant-garde community. After teaching for two
years, he returned to composing and worked on a quartet of individual works that
made up a larger piece called The Pavi...