Van Dyke Parks

Van Dyke Parks came up in Orange County, California, and his music has always had a particular kind of American eclecticism to it. He worked with Brian Wilson on the Beach Boys' 'Smile' sessions, and later contributed orchestrations to Randy Newman's albums like '12 Songs' and 'Sail Away'.

His own 1967 album 'Song Cycle' is the one people usually point to, with its dense arrangements and literary feel. He followed it with records like 'Discover America' in 1972 and 'Jump!' in 1984, which pulled from calypso and other folk traditions. You can hear some of that in songs like 'Calypso' and 'Black Gold'.

Parks has never been a straightforward commercial artist. His work is often intricate and layered, more interested in musical ideas than hits. He kept making records into the 2000s, including 'Orange Crate Art' with Brian Wilson and 'Song Dogs' in 2013.