Jazz Articles about Michael Marcus

Michael Marcus & Ted Daniel: Duology

by Troy Collins
February 18, 2007

Duology pairs multi-instrumentalist Michael Marcus and trumpeter Ted Daniel in a series of unique, vibrant duets. Eschewing his usual arsenal of horns, Marcus limits himself to B-flat clarinet, while Daniel alternates between a few members of the trumpet family for subtle variety. With a selection of brief skeletal miniatures, Marcus and Daniel deliver a snapshot of jazz history, from its syncopated Dixieland roots to AACM-influenced abstraction.

Both seasoned veterans, Marcus and Daniel use these fundamental tools of the ...

Michael Marcus: Zetrons and Soulifications

by Jeff Stockton
July 15, 2006

The Cosmosamatics Zetrons Not Two 2006 Michael Marcus Trio Soulifications Black Saint 2006 Against all odds and likely thanks to the good taste of European jazz fans (these live tracks are taken from performances in Krakow, Amsterdam and Vienna), veteran altoist Sonny Simmons and reedist Michael Marcus have managed to keep the Cosmosamatics together as a working band for the past five years, Zetrons being their ...

Michael Marcus Takes the Iron Horse to the Blue Note

by Rex Butters
January 12, 2005

Widely traveled multi-reedist Michael Marcus speaks with the same exhuberance and enthusiasm he demonstrates blowing next to Bay Area master Sonny Simmons in the Cosmosamatics and fronting the powerhouse Michael Marcus Trio, which he leads into the Blue Note this month. “After the Cosmosamatics tour, I took the train to Milan to mix the new Michael Marcus Trio CD with Tarus Mateen [bass] and Nasheet Waits [drums] for Black Saint/Soul Note," he said. “It's called The Iron Horse , which ...

Michael Marcus Trio: Ithem

by AAJ Staff
December 28, 2004

Recorded in '93 but only recently released, this encapsulated treat has the trio of Michael Marcus on alto sax and bass clarinet, William Parker on bass, and Denis Charles on drums performing three live tunes at the Old Knitting Factory in New York City, as well as two studio tracks. The live tunes, “Ithem," “Under the Wire," and “Secret Oceans," find Marcus blowing away any inhibitions as he and the trio careen and bounce off each other with imaginative, often ...

Michael Marcus: ithem

by Kurt Gottschalk
April 24, 2004

It's dizzying to think about the number of unreleased recordings that must exist in this town. Tapes rolling at the sound board and, controversially, microphones in the audience, are how the history of the music is preserved and, every once in a while, returned to the public. They're little time machines taking us back to when free improv wasn't as widely appreciated'or documented'as it is today, allowing listeners to remember or hear for the first time the greats as they ...

A Fireside Chat with Michael Marcus

by AAJ Staff
February 21, 2004

I like originals. The way Dolphy mimicked bird sounds, the way Coltrane turned chaos into serenity, Tapscott reaching into the folds of a grand piano and plucking strings like a harp, and sheer instrumental vocabulary of Golia, make listening to this music in this age easier. I like Michael Marcus. He's an original. Jaki Byard liked him and like the philosophy, “how can a billion Chinese people be wrong (reference to rice)," I won't argue with the late pianist's opinion. ...

Interview with Michael Marcus

by Vittorio Lo Conte
May 10, 2003

We meet Michael Marcus during his recent tour in March through Europe. We talk, among many subjects, about his new band, the Cosmosanatics, and about his new recording sessions.

All About Jazz: It is a couple of years that you work with the Cosmosamatics. With Sonny Simmons is a longer story. May you tell us about the idea behind this band?

Michael Marcus: Well actually Sonny and I have been collaborating for many years together on various musical projects and ...