Mark Masters

• 3 PANEL DIGIPACK EDITION

Nowadays global jazz culture is obsessed with original composition. Mark Masters bucks this trend. He’s a skilled arranger but also a curator, always searching out repertoire that stimulates his creativity. He has made albums devoted to Charles Mingus, Gerry Mulligan, Dewey Redman, and Alex Wilder. He has even covered Steely Dan. But “covered” is the wrong word. Masters recomposes his chosen material in ways that open fresh insights into both the mind of the original composer and the mind of Mark Masters.

His latest project contains pieces from one of Duke Ellington’s greatest periods, 1940-1942, when bassist Jimmy Blanton and tenor saxophonist Ben Webster distinguished the orchestra. The “Baron” in the title is Art Baron, who occupied the Ellington band’s plunger trombone chair in August 1973, when he was 23. He was the last trombonist that the Duke hired; Ellington died less than 10 months later. Baron is a featured soloist here. - JazzTimes

PERSONNEL:

• Kirsten Edkins, Jerry Pinter - tenor and soprano saxes
• Danny House - alto saxophone and clarinet
• Adam Schroeder - baritone saxophone
• Scott Englebright, Les Lovitt, Ron Stout, Tim Hagans - trumpet
• Les Benedict, Dave Woodley, Art Baron - trombone
• Bruse Lett - bass
• Mark Ferber - drums

Recorded on October 7-8, 2019

TRACKS:

• 01. All Too Soon
• 02. Duke's Place
• 03. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
• 04. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
• 05. What Am I Here For?
• 06. Jack The Bear
• 07. Perdido
• 08. Passion Flower
• 09. The The 'A' Train
• 10. Ko-Ko
• 11. Introduction To A Mellotone
• 12. Mellotone