Mark Masters Ensemble, The

The Mark Masters Ensemble is a tight knit and imaginative Octet which can stake their claim on mining the gold contained in Alec Wilder's popular catalogue as evidenced by their dedication to the album Night Talk: The Alec Wilder Songbook.

Between 1938 to 1951, Wilder lent his name to several Octet recordings which featured his compositions, but he was never a participant. So it is not necessarily surprising that the Octet format was chosen by Mark Masters for this release. The nine compositions for this session were arranged by Masters and are filled with voicing and coloration that capture the essence of these Wilder compositions.

PERSONNEL:

• Mark Masters - composer, arranger, conductor
• Gary Smulyan - baritone sax
• Bob Summers - trumpet)
• Don Shelton - alto sax, flute
• Jerry Pinter - tenor sax
• Dave Woodley - trombone
• Ed Czach - piano
• Putter Smith - bass
• Kendall Kay - drums

Recorded on December 2, 2018 in Glendale, California.

TRACKS:

• 01. You're Free
• 02. Don't Deny
• 03. Ellen
• 04. Moon and Sand
• 05. Baggage Room Blues
• 06. I Like It Here
• 07. Night Talk
• 08. Lovers and Losers
• 09. I'll Be Around