RIP Vince Montana, Jr. (member of MFSB and founder of the Salsoul Orchestra)
According to a message on his Facebook page, the legendary Vince Montana, Jr. passed away today. Born in South Philadelphia, we was 85 years old. Montana was a producer, arranger, writer, vibraphonist, and percussionist. He was one of the founding members of MFSB, the studio band that played on hundreds of The Sound of Philadelphia recordings, the founder and conductor of the Salsoul Orchestra, the Montana Orchestra and Goody Goody. Montana also expanded his musical language to include house music working with the likes of Masters At Work, Dimitri From Paris, David Morales, and the Pet Shop Boys.
According to this interview on Disco Music.com by Bernard Lopez, during the Fifties Montana performed in jazz clubs around Philadelphia, did studio work at Cameo-Parkway Records in the Sixties and was followed by a year long stint in the band on the Mike Douglas television show. After leaving the television show he reconnected with Thom Bell, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff from their previous days at the Cameo-Parkway label. Gamble & Huff went on to form Philadelphia International Records and the birth of MFSB, in which Montana played an integral part. Montana left behind an impressive discography filled with some of the most influential songs ever recorded.