Boris Midney

Boris Midney (born October 22, 1937) is a Soviet-born American musician, producer, composer and conductor.

Biography Midney was born in Moscow to a conductor and pianist father and classical singer mother. He studied classical composition and clarinet also teaching himself to play saxophone.

In 1964 he defected from the USSR via the US embassy in Japan. After arriving in New York City, he formed The Russian Jazz Quartet with whom he recorded an album for Impulse Records. In the 1960s, Midney married Tania Armour from the Armour & Company family.

Later, Midney became a prolific composer and producer of disco music although he rarely was credited under his own name. Using guises such as USA-European Connection, Masquerade, Double Discovery, Caress, Companion and Festival, Midney produced a large body of disco music. He is recognised as being among the first producers to take full advantage of 48-track recording and one of the creators of the Eurodisco genre. Among his productions were disco adaptations of the Broadway musical Evita and of the score for The Empire Strikes Back.

Describing his disco music, critics Alan Jones and Jussi Kantonen wrote:On the Mount Olympus of disco there are numerous gods but there is only one Zeus and his name is Boris Midney. He's the Stephen Sondheim, David Hockney and Stanley Kubrick of the disco genre all rolled into one. In 1999 Midney released Trancetter, a progressive trance album.

Discography

Music From The Empire Strikes Back (RSO, 1980) Trancetter (Max Music & Entertainment Inc., 1999)

With The Russian Jazz Quartet

Happiness (Impulse, 1964) With Paul Levinson

Twice Upon a Rhyme (HappySad Records, 1972)

As USA-European Connection

Come into My Heart (Marlin, 1978) USA-European Connection (Marlin, 1978) As Beautiful Bend

Make That Feeling Come Again! (aka Beautiful Bend) (Marlin, 1978) US Billboard Dance Chart DatePosition19793 As Festival

Evita (RSO, 1979) US Billboard Dance Chart DatePosition19793 As Masquerade

Pinocchio (Prelude, 1979)

As Caress

Caress (Warner Bros., 1979) US Billboard Dance Chart DateTitlePosition1979"Catch The Rhythm"31 As Companion

Companion (Barclay, 1981)