Born November 3rd, 1945 “Pianist Mark Kramer is an unheralded Philly jazz institution: self taught, prodigiously gifted, obscure . . . yet among musicians his reputation couldn�t be heavier; his list of credits as an accompaniest and arranger reads like a modern jazz encyclopedia.” (Nate Chinen.) Numerous critics have favorably compared Mark Kramer�s style to that of Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, and Herbie Hancock, but one which is singularly his own. Yet, he is credited with inventing a rich harmonic vocabulary and a distinctive pianistic style, nearly, if not fully, in tandem with the above masters.
From age four, Mark was classically trained on violin by members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. In his mid-teens, Kramer shifted entirely to bass, saxophone and piano, and then focused entirely on jazz piano. In the early years, Kramer played piano regularly with Randy and Mike Brecker, Charles Fambrough, Stanley Clarke, Eric Gravatt, Sonny Fortune and many other Philadelphia jazz giants. Arguably, an unwritten portion of jazz history took place at Mark's apartment on Ridge avenue in Philly. There one would find Charles Fambrough, Eric Gravatt, Mike and Randy Brecker, Daryl Brown, Stanley Clarke and so many others assembled for hours/days of non-stop jamming and home recording.
Mark Kramer still plays with and/or produces records with Fambrough, Brecker, and Gravatt.
Mark Kramer is best known for his work with the Mark Kramer Trio. Originally miscast and conceived as an acoustic-electric-fusion group in the late 1970s - featuring Paul Klinefelter on bass, and Mike Dougherty on drums - it would quickly mature into a complex acoustic chamber ensemble. Over the years the trio performed several times weekly at clubs and concert halls, and won numerous awards by local jazz organizations -e.g., “best” Philadelphia jazz pianist and trio in the early 1980s.
In 1985 and 1987, Kramer was selected nationally as a top undiscovered jazz pianist by the judges and creators of the Jacksonville Jazz Piano Competition. There, Teddy Wilson critiqued Mark as a highly developed jazz pianist who played “melodically and from the heart, with a very advanced harmonic and rhythmic sense. It will take decades for his work to be properly assimilated.”
In the late 80s, Mark Kramer's trio (mainly consisting of Bill Miller, bass and Butch Reed, drums) hosted approximately 50 world class but regional guest artist/soloists (including Junior Cook, Lee Konitz, George Coleman, Steve Turre, Bobby Watson, Al Cohn, Tal Farlow and a few dozen more) at Si Ristorantee Jazz in Philadelphia - a beautifully appointed jazz club owned by Gianfranco Cherici. These concerts were generally SRO, most were recorded, and are stored in the National archives. During that time Mark's trio was featured in major print media almost weekly, and was broadcast on New Year's Eve by Tobias Poole of nationally acclaimed FM radio station WRTI.
Subsequently, for 13-14 years Mark Kramer served as the official Jazz Director at Ye Olde Temperance House, a jazz club in Bucks County. PA; the Mark Kramer Trio was the house trio playing up to 4-5 nights weekly. His group (featuring over the years mainly bassists William Zinno and Gary Mazzaroppi [see Marion McPartland], and drummers Butch Reed and John Mosemann) accompanied approximately 300 guest artists mostly from Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York. For 2 years Mark Kramer and Arnie Lawrence played together there. (Lawrence was the co-founder of the renowned NYC New School of Music Jazz program.) Though clearly suburban and off the beaten track, Ye Olde Temperance House received Philadelphia magazine�s coveted Best of Philly Jazz Award in 1999.
In the late 1990s Mark Kramer's trio recorded for Telarc Records, EVITA en JAZZ [still in print] - strange fruit for jazz. The CD did well, but reviews were mixed. Mark and the trio came through just fine; but many could not understand Mark's choice of subject material. In the ensuing years, Kramer's trio would go on to record about 5 more jazz versions of complete Broadway shows.
In about 2001, Mark left the suburban jazz venue, and returned mainly to perform locally in the city proper of Philadelphia. He was introduced by bassist Charles Fambrough to a local club there called Chris' Jazz Cafe (now also a favorite jaunt of NYC musicians soliciting work.) Through Kramer - working closely with Chris' management - Kramer's old friends George Coleman, Lee Konitz, Lew Tabackin, Eddie Gomez and others came to pay Kramer's trio a visit at Chris' Jazz Cafe. During that year Chris' won best Casual Jazz Club in Philadelphia award. Kramer has also been featured as a headliner at Zanzibar Blue and at other jazz clubs in the Philadelphia region. Upon release of his other CDs, Mark performed at Birdland (NYC) and other leading jazz venues throughout the world.
In the same year (2001), Mark announced to legendary NYC bassist Eddie Gomez [bassist with pianist Bill Evans for 11 years] that Mark would be available on a full-time basis [see below] to travel, record, and generally revitalize their 12 year collaboration. Mark Kramer and Eddie Gomez thus quickly formed the Eddie Gomez-Mark Kramer Production Company and Trio, began to catalog and remix a backlog of their recordings - three CDs worth]; they started touring. In late 2001 their recording, THE TRIO, was released along with IN-CONCERT and ORIGINALS. In 2002, they also recorded afresh their trio's jazz version of Fiddler on the Roof, , co-released on the MYTHIC JAZZ RECORD label and TARA records, and is now scheduled for re-release in 2004 on the internationally distributed TWINZ record label. The album features Eddie Gomez in top form. His agile bow work, as well as rapid fire interactions with Mark Kramer are unprecedented. The show's original composer Mr. Jerry Bock [Too Close for Comfort, etc.] opined that the Eddie Gomez-Mark Kramer version of the show “is a true transformation, a masterpiece; bringing tears of joy; I am honored and my gratitude knows no bounds.” Currently Eddie and Mark are featured in each others' groups and as co-leaders.
Around the same time as the recording of “Fiddler”, The Mark Kramer Trio completed its ambitious recording of Harry Potter Jazz, vol. 1 (Sorcerer�s-Philosopher�s Stone)based on the intriguing score by composer John Williams. The CD was never released by a major label due to an unresolved dispute with WARNER BROTHERS over the name HARRY POTTER and interpretation of compulsory licensing statutes.
In early 2003, Mark co-produced, engineered, and played piano on a “Tribute to Rosemary Clooney and Peggy Lee” featuring two local Philadelphia vocalists as well as a local trumpeter John Swana [see CRISS CROSS records] and saxophonist Larry McKenna [see DREAMBOX MEDIA].
In July-August 2003, Mark Kramer (along with Charles Fambrough, Lennie White, Mulgrew Miller and others) was featured on -- -- Stonejazz -- a jazz tribute to the Rolling Stones -- distributed through Warner Brothers EA. The CD charted nationally in the top 20 for weeks.
Overall, Mark has recorded several dozen records as leader and sideman. Mark is also an invited lecturer at Rutger�s University and The New School of Music on the Art of the Jazz Trio and Jazz Harmony. Together Eddie Gomez and Mark Kramer now provide advanced courses on interactive improvisation at major universities throughout the world. Eddie and Mark are also currently completing their latest duo recording of original music. They have tour dates set up next year to support the work.
Mark Kramer and guitarist Jimmy Bruno [CONCORD RECORDS] have also just begun to perform frequently together in multiple venues, and have discovered what some are calling a “radical duo sound” which they are in the process of recording.
With all of this activity, why then is Mark Kramer an obscure jazz pianist? The unstated fact of Mark's jazz career is that he had been pre-occupied. It is only recently that he went full-time into music. Thus, most of his milestones in the field of jazz took place even as he worked both as an MD and PhD (Temple), 80 hour weeks as the head of Psychopharmacology at Merck Research Laboratories. Merck and Co. - a very large corporation. A point of fact is that Kramer's high profile career in medical research was not often known to his jazz collaborators, nor was his jazz career known to most of his scientist colleagues. Until recently, Mark Kramer kept these areas of his life separate so they would not cloud the issue of professional qualifications, lead to gimmicky reviews, such as might be advanced by people in either field. Currently, this is not an issue, as he now works almost entirely as a musician.
About his career in music and his abilities as a pianist: “Mark Kramer is one of the most self-effacing musicians you'll ever meet!”, says jazz historian/sociologist Dr. Jack Beurckle of WRTI-FM. “You may think just the opposite on first meeting him. But in fact, he doesn't realize, and will not accept, that he is one of the true masters. His recordings are magnificent. He is not pumped up by the major media, nor does he have big recurring support. I do not think he's ever had a formal media campaign. He'll take all and any criticism directly to heart, and use almost anything anybody says as an impetus for self-improvement, needed or not. But, Eddie Gomez, Charles Fambrough, Gary Mazzaroppi, Joe Chambers, and countless others at a high level and without an agenda understand that Mark Kramer really is a rare one - a genius. When Mark and Eddie [Gomez] play together, there is just no better pianist in the world today; no better combination, no deeper emotion. Just listen to his stuff. It is hand and glove. It is a taste of heaven. Miles would have dug it.”
~ Jack Redmond
[ 
