Marilyn Mazur

Marilyn Mazur was born in New York in 1955. She has beenliving in Denmark since age six. As a child and teenager sheplayed classical piano and danced ballet.

She started her musical career as a dancer with CreativeDance Theatre in 1971. As composer/pianist she formedher first band Zirenes in 1973. From 1975 she worked aspercussionist, drummer and singer with various groups, andbecame known on the danish musicscene as the colorfulpercussionist/composer of the group Six Winds withdrummer Alex Riel and as the leader of the all-women-musictheatre-group Primi Band.

Marilyn Mazur is educated at the Royal Danish Academy ofMusic, but is largely autodidact on her instruments, inspiredby music from all over the world. She received the BenWebster Award in 1983, and the same year started a jazzquartet with saxophonist Uffe Markussen. She continued todevelope her very personal forms of musicalcommunication with various - mostly european - artists.

In the beginning of 1985 she participated in the recording ofPalle Mikkelborg’s "Aura" (CBS 463 351-2) with MilesDavis, who a few months later hired her for his band, withwhich she toured for long periods in most of the world. CD -Miles Davis: Live Around the World (Warner Bros 9 46032-2). She also toured with Gil Evans Orch in 1986 - album: GilEvans/Laurent Cugny Big Band Lumiere: "Rhythm-a-ning"(Emarcy 836401-2 & rerelease: Universal Music 836 401 -2) and "Golden Hair" (Universal Music 838 773 - 2).

The year 1987 was dedicated to a world-tour with WayneShorter Quintet. In 1988 she was back with Miles Davis.

Some of the many other musicians she has been workingwith through the years are: Bobo Stensson/Rena Rama,John Tchicai, PierreDørge/NewJungle Orchestra (severalrecords on Steeplechase), Thomas Clausen, Niels HenningØrsted Pedersen, Jon Balke (CD: Further), Palle Mikkelborg& Dino Saluzzi, Kenneth Knudsen, Irene Schweizer, LindsayCooper, Peter Kowald, Arild Andersen, AndreasVollenweider, Christy Doran, Charlie Mariano & Jaspervan’t Hof (CD: Innuendo), Rita Marcotulli, Lena Willemark,Maria João, Don Alias, Marilyn Crispell, Eliane Elias andMarc Johnsson.

As a composer MM has a lifetime grant from the danishNational Art Foundation. She also recieved prizes andgrants from various other organisations.

In 1989 Marilyn Mazur decided to leave the Miles Davis-band in order to concentrate on creating concepts, musicand the 7-piece international orchestra FUTURE SONG,which is still one of her main groups (CDs: Marilyn Mazur’sFUTURE SONG vBr 2105-2 + Small Labyrinths ECM1559). This group does many special projects, i.e. withdancers and choir, but is especially characterized by verycolorful concerts.

In 1990 her most important activity was giving birth to herson, Fabian.

1991 she joined Jan Garbarek Group, with whom she stilltours extensively. (CDs : ECM 1500, 1585, 1685/86).

Besides this group and Future Song , she is very active withcomposing and doing own projects, some examples being:writing and conducting an hour-long suite "City-Dance" for a40-piece mixed orchestra at the Copenhagen Jazz-festival1989, Pulse Unit, a 9-piece ensemble put together for theJazzpar-prize concerts 1994 (Cd: Circular Chant, STCD4200); Sofia's Stemmer, a church-concert for 3 voices,childrens choir, percussion and organ for Copenhagen-culture-city 1996; conducting her new music with Brandeinternational music workshop 96/97 , of which the suite AStory of Multiplicity was nominated for the Nordic Council'sMusic Prize 1998 (CD: DCCD9431) ; the concept MagicConcerts for children. This project is in danish, and hasbeen playing for schoolchildren all over Denmark (CD :Marilyn Mazur’s Tryllemusik, CD 30539 WH) , varioussmaller settings.

In ‘99 she played at the first Biennale de Percussions inConakry, Guinea with members of the Guinea Ballet Joliba.Same year she wrote the suite Den Kuglerunde Jord whichwas performed by about 200 children and herself at acultural-friendship-festival in Hvidovre outside Copenhagen,where she lives. Marilyn's composition Jordsange for choirand big band was released on cd march 2000 (DacapoDCCD 9431). She apeared at the Expo 2000 in Hannoverand performed solo and with her new group Marilyn Mazur’sPercussion Paradise, same year she performed with thenordic song-project “Stemmernes skygge” at festivals inMolde and Oslo, besides being artist in residence inBologna 2000 and composing for various projects. AmongMarilyn’s highlights in 2001 were receiving the Jazzparprizeand playing the Jazzparprize-concerts with 14 handpickedmusicians (CD: All the birds STUCD 02072) . Also a newcollaboration with the norwegian bigband Norske Store.2002: soloconcerts for children. In 1989,90,95,97,98 and02 the american DOWN BEAT magazine had MarilynMazur selected as a perc.-"talent deserving widerrecognition", in their critics poll.

In 2004 Marilyn received "Editon Wilhelm Hansenskomponistpris" a prize normally handed out to classicalcomposers.

2005 she recorded a solo-album for ECM with JanGarbarek as guestartist. The danish filmmaker Chr. BraadThomsen recorded a film about Marilyn Mazur and hermusic. Also she did a lot of touring with her groups, includinga new trio with Per Jørgensen and Anders Jormin.

In 2008 Marilyn Mazur was Artist in Residence at the MoldeInternational Jazz Festival. During this stay her groupCelestial Circle with John Taylor, vocalist JosefineCronholm and Anders Jormin was formed. Their first albumwas released on ECM in May 2011.

Awards

2001 Jazzpar Price