George Avakian

American record producer, artist manager, writer, educator and executive of Armenian heritage.
Born March 15, 1919 in Armavir, Russia.
Died November 22, 2017 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.

In 1940, Avakian produced the first jazz album, a collection of six 78RPM discs titled "Chicago Jazz" for ECM Records), and as a freelance producer. He returned to Columbia in the 1990s to reissue some of the recordings he had produced decades earlier.

Avakian was married to the violinist Anahid Ajemian for 68 years.