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Rick Mandyck

Mandyck has developed one of the most remarkable and distinctive tenor saxophone sounds to be heard anywhere: big, warm, expressive and exciting. His melodic and improvisational style is a mix of pieces assimilated from his heroes (John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderly, Michael Brecker) and his original touches drawn from his own roots in the blues. Born and raised in New York, Mandyck settled in Seattle in the early '80's where he soon became a top player in clubs, concerts and recording studios. He's performed and recorded with jazz greats Mark Murphy, Billy Hart, Lawrence Marable, and Carter Jefferson and was awarded "Best NW Instrumentalist" in the 1999 Earshot Jazz Awards. Because of health issues,he was recently forced to surrender his saxophone and turn his attention to the guitar.

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9
Album Review

Scenes: Variable Clouds: Live at the Earshot Jazz Festival

Read "Variable Clouds: Live at the Earshot Jazz Festival" reviewed by Paul Rauch


Scenes'' first album dates back to 2001, but the origins of the band dates back to the early 1990s, when saxophonist Rick Mandyck, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop initiated a trio gig. On occasion guitarist John Stowell would drop in if he was off the road and in Seattle. The band that began as a trio reverted back to that format after that inaugural recording, this time Stowell in tow as Mandyck slipped into a decade-long hiatus from ...

6
Album Review

Scenes: Variable Clouds: Live at the Earshot Jazz Festival

Read "Variable Clouds: Live at the Earshot Jazz Festival" reviewed by Dan McClenaghan


The group Scenes has released seven excellent albums over two decades of recording together, beginning with their eponymous debut (Origin Records, 2001). All of those are studio efforts. The group's 2022 outing, Variable Clouds is a first for Scenes--their first album recorded live in front of an audience, in 2021 at the Earshot Jazz Festival. This is a return to the group's original line-up. Saxophonist Rick Mandyck sat out for a time due to health problems, leaving Scenes ...

6
Profile

20 Seattle Jazz Musicians You Should Know: Rick Mandyck

Read "20 Seattle Jazz Musicians You Should Know: Rick Mandyck" reviewed by Paul Rauch


The city of Seattle has a jazz history that dates back to the very beginnings of the form. It was home to the first integrated club scene in America on Jackson St in the 1920's and 1930's. It saw a young Ray Charles arrive as a teenager to escape the nightmare of Jim Crow in the south. It has produced such historical jazz icons as Quincy Jones and Ernestine Anderson. In many instances it has acted as a temporary repose ...

6
Album Review

Scenes: Trapeze

Read "Trapeze" reviewed by Paul Rauch


The storyline for the Pacific Northwest-based band Scenes began in 1983, when drummer John Bishop and guitarist John Stowell began playing together in Portland and Seattle. When bassist Jeff Johnson arrived in Seattle in 1989, he began playing a weekly trio gig with Bishop and tenor saxophonist Rick Mandyck. Stowell, already frequently traveling abroad to play and teach, would drop by every so often to play.The quartet wouldn't get around to record until 2001, releasing Scenes on the ...

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Interview

Rick Mandyck: The Return From Now

Read "Rick Mandyck: The Return From Now" reviewed by Paul Rauch


It was a cold Tuesday evening the last week of December. 2016 was mercifully coming to a close, this evening, a final chorus of a long blues blown soulfully, and mournfully into the night. I sat at the bar at Seattle's storied jazz spot, Tula's, in eager anticipation of the evening's performance of a quartet led by veteran bassist, Paul Gabrielson. Gabrielson had gathered a quartet of top tier, Seattle based musicians that evening, featuring pianist Bill Anschell, and drummer ...

101
Album Review

John Bishop/Jeff Johnson/Rick Mandyck/John Stowell: Scenes

Read "Scenes" reviewed by Dave Nathan


With this Origin label release, the fruitful Northwest music scene continues to manifest high caliber jazz music sessions. This time it's the 8 year-old trio of John Bishop, Jeff Johnson and Rick Mandyck enhanced by guitarist John Stowell, for more than an hour of modern and progressive jazz. The play list is certainly an attractive one combining three originals with standard and jazz classics. Stowell. who worked with David Friesen for seven years, plays a clean lined guitar avoiding smears, ...

105
Album Review

John Bishop/Jeff Johnson/Rick Mandyck/John Stowell: Scenes

Read "Scenes" reviewed by Joseph Blake


Guitarist John Stowell's liner notes to this recently released CD makes Scenes sound almost serendipitous. He writes that “I suggested that we make a little music and turn on the tapes if we liked the chemistry...We did a couple of gigs in Seattle and went into the studio for a couple of sessions."

Stowell and drummer John Bishop produced the two sessions recorded at Seattle's Ironwood Studios. They showcase the quartet's very democratic approach on a repertoire including Tom Harrell's ...

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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Variable Clouds: Live...

Origin Records
2022

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Trapeze

Origin Records
2020

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Scenes

Origin Records
2002

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Scenes

Origin Records
2001

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Tilbury Hill

From: Variable Clouds: Live at the...
By Rick Mandyck

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