Dennis Budimir (1938-2023)

Dennis Budimir, whose credits as a session guitarist on movie soundtracks and rock, folk and jazz recordings rank him as one of the most diverse and prolific in-demand studio musicians in the second half of the 20th century, died in January 2023. He was 84.

On films alone, Budimir reportedly recorded on more than 900 movies from the early 1960s to the 2000s. He also appeared on albums by pop and rock artists ranging from Linda Ronstadt and the Carpenters to Johnny Mathis, George Harrison and Joni Mitchell. In short, if an artist recorded in Los Angeles, the odds were high that Budimir was on one or more of their dates. The reason Budimir was on so many sessions was his razor-sharp sight-reading skills and his glorious taste in chord voicings and fills. The downside, of course, is that he spent his career in the studio shadows accompanying others and recording few leadership albums.

Born in Los Angeles, Budimir played his first paying job at 14. From 1961 to 1963, Budimir was in the military service. Upon his discharge, he became a session player just as pop rock was emerging and in need of skilled musicians who had deep recording experience and could ace rhythm-section master takes fast. But that work didn't change his passion for jazz recording.

Budimir's earliest recording came in the spring and summer of 1958, when he played on a pair of sensational big band albums by Harry James—New James and Harry's Choice. In October, he played on Chico Hamilton's With Strings Attached and in December on Gongs East! Both are with Eric Dolphy and can be found on Fresh Sound here. Peggy Lee, Bud Shank and Bobby Troup with Julie London came next, and Budimir was off to the races.

Here are 10 of my favorite Budimir clips:

Here's Ernie Wilkins's Fair and Warmer, from Harry James's New James in 1958...



Here's Speak Low in 1958 from Chico Hamilton's Strings Attached, with Eric Dolphy (as,fl,bcl), Nat Gershman (cello), Dennis Budimir (g), Wyatt Ruther (b), Chico Hamilton (ds) and Fred Katz (arr,cond) strings...



Here's Nature by Emerson in 1958 from Chico Hamilton's Gongs East!, with the same personnel as above, minus the strings. Dig Budimir comping behind Dolphy...



Here's The Blues, Sprung Free, in 1961, with Gary Peacock on bass and Bill Goodwin on drums...



Here's Budimir in 1964 backing Keely Smith singing You'll Never Know, from The Intimate Keely Smith, her finest solo album...



Here's Budimir on acoustic guitar in 1964 playing the title track from Clare Fischer's album Só Danço Samba...



Here's Budimir swinging behind Peggy Lee on the theme song to TV's Bewitched...



Here's Budimir on Pavane, from Victor Feldman's beautiful The Venezuela Joropo album in 1967...



Here's Budimir playing Workin' on a Groovy Thing in 1968 from Richard “Groove" Holmes's album of the same name...



And here's the entire Julie London Show taped for television in Japan in 1964, featuring Dennis Budimir throughout.