Chasing Tales is the third release in three years by guitarist Mark Kleinhaut. In addition to his frequent collaborators, bassist Jim Lyden and drummer Mark Macksoud, Kleinhaut has augmented his ensemble with legendary trumpeter, Tiger Okoshi. Mr. Okoshi, who has toured the world and recorded with vibist Gary Burton, Roy Haynes, Steve Swallow and Bob Moses, and his group, Tiger's Baku, now brings his world-class touch to Chasing Tales . The nine new compositions Kleinhaut composed for Chasing Tales extends the “tone-poem" and cinematic writing style he introduced on his previous two discs. From the breezy opening track, “Cape Hatteras,” to the dramatic yearning of “Cry Wolf,” to the scorching hard bop of “Talk to You Later,” Kleinhaut’s new tunes, plus one penned by Okoshi, weave varied landscapes, exploring realms of human experience and emotion. Okoshi, Kleinhaut, Lyden and Macksoud are consummate storytellers who spin tales that create a welcoming world that is beautiful and conversational. This intimate recording seamlessly integrates Okoshi into the trio's history of intricate interplay, and Okoshi's lush and soulful playing lights a fire of inspiration that ignites the trio to new heights of expression.
Mark Kleinhaut has been playing jazz guitar for over twenty-five years, during which time he has developed a highly personal sound and recognizable voice on his instrument. His unprocessed clean sound first recalls the great tradition of mainstream jazz guitarists like Wes Montgomery and Pat Martino, but the listener soon detects something else in Kleinhaut's highly evolved vocabulary. His playing avoids the cliches and trappings of the too-familiar jazz jargon in favor of melodic phrases that twist and leap passionately with the immediacy of each moment, and yet always follow his relentless pursuit of logic, balance and beauty.
Initially self-taught, Kleinhaut has enjoyed a flexible education in music, starting with the relatively loose and informal program of jazz studies that existed in the mid to late 70's at Livingston College, Rutgers University where he was mentored by the late Ted Dunbar. This Rutgers experience was an invaluable apprenticeship, with masters such as Kenny Baron, Frank Foster and Dunbar. Their emphasis focused on individual expression and artistic connection to the music that produced a number of notables among Kleinhaut's classmates, such as the vibist Steve Nelson and saxophonist, the late, Thomas Chapin.
Kleinhaut has since studied with Jack Wilkins and participated in master classes with guitar legends Pat Martino and Jim Hall.
Mark teaches privately and has been adjunct faculty at University of Southern Maine, teaching guitar and improvisation techniques to the school's most advanced students. Since locating to Maine in 1988, Mark has become well known locally for his distinctive sound and his work with the area's top jazz musicians is highly regarded. He has appeared with Tiger Okoshi, Jerry Bergonzi, Brad Terry, Scott Reeves, Steve Grover, Sheyvonne Wright (BET's 1997 Jazz vocalist of the year) and many others. As leader of the Mark Kleinhaut Trio, (with Lyden and Macksoud), he has performed his repertoire of original jazz compositions in a wide variety of venues and concert series ranging from the Keybank Maine Jazz Festival in Portland, Maine to the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City. He has recorded three CDs as a leader and appeared on numerous others jazz recordings.
The lynchpin to Kleinhaut's artistic and financial independence comes from something completely outside of music, however. Twenty years ago, he did what many jazz musicians have done for years to deal with financial realities: He got a day job. Although, Kleinhaut's choice of a musician's day job was a little different than most. He went to work at a bank in the Boston suburbs, where he quickly rose to the position of Vice President. While working on his career in the financial industry, Kleinhaut continued to pursue his musical ambitions by maintaining rigorous practice and gigging schedules. He credits his perseverance to his wife, Erika Aberg (founder of the jazz record label Invisible Music), who, being unsure that he could sustain his dedication to his musical career with the rigors of such an exacting day job, told Kleinhaut, “I married a jazz musician, and intend to stay married to a jazz musician." Currently, Kleinhaut is a well-established professional in financial circles, and he now uses his considerable business acumen for the betterment of jazz in his community. He serves as president of the Maine Jazz Alliance, a non-profit jazz support and advocacy group, is a member of the University of Southern Maine's School of Music advisory board, and he has also served on the boards of the Maine Jazz Festival and the Maine Jazz Camp.
Kleinhaut's wife, Aberg, continues to run Invisible Music, a small indie label that focuses on the work of jazz artists of northern New England. The label's catalog, which now features 28 titles by 18 artist/leaders, represents a wide diversity of styles within jazz, yet brings out the predominantly modern acoustic qualities favored in this region. Aberg's background in recording and mastering engineering assures a meticulous attention to detail and a consistently high level of production standards. Invisible Music recordings can be purchased online at their secured website: www.invisiblemusicrecords.com, or by telephone mail-order (207) 721-0958.
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