Burt Bacharach died of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles on February 8th. He was 94 years old. Bacharach was born in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1928. Known for his collaboration with lyricist Hal David, he wrote many hit songs for Gene Pitney, Dionne Warwick, the Carpenters, and others from the early 60s to the 80s. Known for his signature songs such as "A Little Bit of Money," "Rain and Rain," and "The Road to San Jose," he established himself as a composer at the top of the pop music world with his unique style known as the "Bacharach Sound." He had 73 Top 40 hits in the US and 52 in the UK. The British newspaper The Guardian described his achievements as "the composer and performer who transformed easy listening into high art." He also began to work on film music in the 1960s, working on the soundtracks for films such as "What's the Big Deal, Kitten?" (1965), "007/Casino Royale" (1967), and "Lost Horizon" (1973). He won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Song for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969). The theme song for the film, "Rain or Shine" (sung by B.J. Thomas), became a worldwide hit. He then won another Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1981 for "Mr. Arthur." In 1998, he won a Grammy Award for the album "Painted from Memory," which he collaborated with Elvis Costello. In 2003, he released the album "Here I Am - Isley Meets Bacharach," a collaboration with Ronald Isley (the Isley Brothers). His sophisticated compositional techniques, which make extensive use of key changes and irregular time signatures, had a major influence on Japanese musicians such as Kyohei Tsutsumi. In 1981, Diana Ross and Lionel Richie had a big hit duet called "Endless Love." It's a great hit, but the song that won the Academy Award for Best Original Song that year was "Mr. Arthur's Theme (New York City Serenade)," a song by Bacharach, whose movie itself was a flop. Both are equally great songs. Personally, I like Christopher Cross's relaxed, airy singing, so I have no objections. (Of course, I like both Diana Ross and Lionel Richie.) So, in my mood today, I recommend this song by Bacharach. Herb Alpert is a very famous trumpeter. His indescribable vocals and Bacharach's melody match perfectly. Just like Satchmo's singing has a certain flavor, Herb Alpert's is also just right. By the way, Herb Alpert is still alive. I'm sure by tomorrow I'll want to listen to Dionne Warwick, the Carpenters, Bacharach's songs, and many more again. May he rest in peace. Sad news.