David Bowie

Blackstar

First released2016

Blackstar was recorded at the Magic Shop in New York City during 2015, with David Bowie working primarily with producer Tony Visconti, who had collaborated with him on numerous previous albums. The album featured contributions from jazz musicians including Donny McCaslin on saxophone, reflecting Bowie's deliberate stylistic shift toward jazz influences in his final work. Bowie maintained strict secrecy around the project, with recording sessions kept confidential and few details released publicly until the album's surprise release on his 69th birthday in January 2016. The production employed analog recording techniques and featured experimental arrangements that showcased Visconti's sophisticated approach to blending rock and jazz elements. The album was completed while Bowie was battling cancer, though this fact remained unknown to the public until after his death two days following the album's release.