Jazz Articles about Mark Masters

About Mark Masters

Album Review

The Mark Masters Ensemble: Blue Skylight

Read "Blue Skylight" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
March 12, 2017

California-based composer / arranger Mark Masters, who has already recorded salutes to Clifford Brown, Jimmy Knepper, Dewey Redman, Steely Dan, the Gershwin brothers and even the Duke Ellington saxophone section, directs his attention and considerable talents this time around to the music of a pair of legendary jazz trend-setters who were in many respects polar opposites: bassist Charles Mingus and saxophonist Gerry Mulligan. To amplify his purpose, Masters made two pivotal decisions, each of which serves to ...

Album Review

The Mark Masters Ensemble: Blue Skylight

Read "Blue Skylight" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
March 5, 2017

Mark Masters has made his name in the banderleader/arranger arena fronting The Mark Master Ensemble, in various forms, with personal tributes to past masters: saxophonist Dewey Redman, Duke Ellington, trumpeter Clifford Brown, and present master, alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, who played as the featured artist on One Day With Lee (Capri Records (2000). These are all top notch recordings, affording Masters the opportunity to craft his own beguiling interpretations of the artistries of recognized giants of jazz. With ...

Album Review

The Mark Masters Ensemble: Everything You Did: The Music of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen

Read "Everything You Did: The Music of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
January 13, 2014

Another tribute album from leader / arranger Mark Masters whose splendid ensemble has previously paid homage to trumpeter Clifford Brown, saxophonist Lee Konitz, trombonist Jimmy Knepper and the Gershwin brothers (Porgy & Bess Redefined). This time around it's the music of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, better known by their collective name, Steely Dan. The album, says Masters, is “a quartet recording with an ensemble," and said foursome is comprised of trumpeter Tim Hagans, tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, bassist Hamilton ...

Album Review

Mark Masters Ensemble: Everything You Did - The Music of Walter Becker & Donald Fagen

Read "Everything You Did - The Music of Walter Becker & Donald Fagen" reviewed by AAJ Italy Staff

by AAJ Italy Staff
September 25, 2013

Qual è stata la lezione degli Steely Dan? Avvicinare il pop al jazz. Semplice, no? Non proprio, perché Donald Fagen e Walter Becker avevano davanti a sé varie possibilità e infinite soluzioni di sintesi. Non hanno scelto certo quella più mainstream, più scontata. Non era da loro, professionisti e perfezionisti fino alla nausea. Costruivano melodiche accattivanti e seducenti (vogliamo parlare di “Deacon Blue"?) su un'impalcatura armonica più complicata, con tessiture articolate e brillanti. Si facevano accompagnare nelle interminabili session, da ...

Album Review

Mark Masters: Everything You Did

Read "Everything You Did" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan

by Dan McClenaghan
August 21, 2013

Rock band Steely Dan released Pretzel Logic (ABC) in 1974. The album was big, one its most successful. But with younger audiences unfamiliar with jazz, the disc surely must have caused some confusion, along the lines of: “What in the world is this 'East St. Louis Toodle-oo?' And what are they talking about with 'Parker's Band?'" The former tune, a three-minute instrumental, closed out side one and it was, of course, from the pen of composer/bandleader Duke Ellington. The latter, ...

Album Review

Mark Masters: Everything You Did

Read "Everything You Did" reviewed by Jeff Dayton-Johnson

by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
July 27, 2013

Bandleader/arranger Mark Masters has recorded a set of Steely Dan tunes with a big band, which can be set on the shelf next to his celebrated albums dedicated to the music of George Gershwin, Duke Ellington and Dewey Redman. A Dan jazz album makes sense. It's clear from the rock band's '70s albums that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker warmly loved jazz: the intro to their hit “Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is lifted directly from pianist Horace Silver's “Song ...

Extended Analysis

Mark Masters Ensemble: Ellington Saxophone Encounters

by Greg Simmons
January 31, 2013

It could be argued that the core of bandleader Duke Ellington's wonderful textural sound was the way he harmonized his reed section, with great woody chords and lush polyphonic melodies. That reed section, with the great Johnny Hodges leading on alto, stalwarts like Paul Gonsalves on tenor and Harry Carney on baritone, as well as shorter-term itinerants like the incomparable tenor player Ben Webster, was one of the most well-oiled machines in jazz history. It was glorious. So ...