 |
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
in the 2007 International Songwriting Competition! April 25th It looks like I will have a brand new CD out sometime in or around June. I'm really excited about it because I'm really taking a different approach. I've decided to embrace my eclectic nature and let the music come from as many different influences and styles as it seems to want to embrace. So far, the span is pretty wide. At the moment we've got Blues, Disco, Gospel, Cajun, Brazilian, Jazz-fusion and African. I'm also doing most of the album live in the studio. We've always had such great energy and had such a great time playing live, that I really wanted to capture more of that in the studio this time. We've been rehearsing and the band sounds great! The scary part of this "different" approach is that "Smooth-Jazz" radio may not know what to do with it. I think listeners will easily empbrace the funky-eclectic vibe, but radio in recent years has been so scared to play anything new or different,... all we hear is music that's 20 years old or older, since it's been that long since the industry took any chances. In my view, it's time again for music to be more artist and listener driven, ... this will be my gamble.... we'll see who wins the bet! M. I had a great time this week doing 4 days of work on a show for BET’s Celebration of Gospel. (It will first air Jan. 28 at 8pm.) It was hosted by Steve Harvey and featured Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond, and Fantasia (photo below) and a lot of other great names in gospel music.
Big Jim Wright was playing B3 and Doc Powell was on guitar.... and they were really killing it! Jim Wright blew all of us away, man, you just don’t get to here a talent like that very often! The musical director was Ron Chew and the schedule was CRAZY. Cool! Mark Happy New Year! Well 2006 was a very eventful year! Tracks from "On the Mark" dominated the top 10 at Music Choice most of the year and we had some great opportunities to play out and meet many of you. I was very busy doing a lot of work for other artists including Taylor Hicks, who's new album features a tenor solo I did for "The Deal" and I'm in the horn section that Greg Adams arranged for "Heaven Knows". I did my usual work for "Scrubs" and one of the sessions included Gerald Albright earlier in the year. I played the Sci-Tech awards for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (the Academy Awards) and will again this Feb. 10th. I played on lots of commercials and small movies. I played Bari on Everette Harp's new CD, and did an interesting concert with Daniel Rodriguez (The Singing Policeman). I played ethnic flutes on a new album for Target Stores... yes they have their own label! I ended up traveling a lot for work too in 2006. I ended up in some unusual places, including the Canary Islands, which were beautiful! I've been experimenting with the direction of my writing and have come up with some cool pieces, but haven't decided for sure which direction to go with on my next album. The instrumental music scene has been having a rough go of it lately and artists often can't recoup their costs when putting out new albums, which means we have to be even more inventive to make all these things happen. "Smooth Jazz" as a commercial format in radio has lost all of it's teeth and is generally ignored by the industry now because it constitutes such a small part of overall sales. My impulse is to kind of ignore it and just create cool music, ... the challenge is deciding how much to indulge my very eclectic tastes, so for now, I'm experimenting. I've written a clarinet quintet and am working on cool flute quintet. I've recorded a sax quintet which feels like an older accapella men's group ... very cool. I have a few new tunes with the band that are more along the lines of what I did for "On the Mark" including a samba featuring flute... I figure I can branch out and play a few of my other instruments this time, so besides that piece, I'm inspired to write one for Chinese flute of all things because I recently found an amazing Chines flute in San Francisco. ... as you can see... I'm really experimenting. I will eventually post some samples for you to check out, but for now, I'm just in the laboratory with my instruments and concocting wild potions. For now, I'm very grateful that 2006 was a very good year to me, my music and my family. I have every reason to believe 2007 will be even more amazing and hope it will be for you too!!! Thanks! Mark A short excerpt from one of the tracks from “On the Mark” (Prairie Rains) ended up being used in this year’s movie “Breakup” featuring Jennifer Anniston & Vince Vaughn. I just recorded 2 tracks for Taylor Hicks, last year’s American Idol winner. One of the songs has a nice tenor sax solo on it and CD is supposed to be out for the holidays so check it out. The producer is Matt Serletic who also produced Santana’s big hit, “Smooth” a few years ago. The CD “On the Mark” has remained in the Top Ten at “Music Choice” for most of the year. This week “Sunset Rose” is #2. Music Choice has been a great supporter and we only seem to get knocked out of the top 10 for a week here and there. Thank God for independent programmers! Speaking of programming, the continuing consolidation of the radio industry has pretty well devastated instrumental music as a commercial format. With the loss of Tower Records being another indication of big changes in the music industry many of us are wondering how to instill new life and reach larger audiences again. Because of all of this, my next solo album has been delayed. At the moment, I have several songs ready to go, but I’m also experimenting with different styles and different approaches to production. The biggest mystery is how to make it all work financially when sales are so slow, even for well established artists in this format. Fortunately, I stay busy recording for other artists and working on commercials, TV and movies, so you may be hearing a lot of me,... but it might be playing an Irish penny-whistle or a bass clarinet, or some other odd instrument as well as the sax. You can still hear me on Scrubs, and I’ll be recording for a Disney Channel movie this week, as well as commercials for Remax and Comcast etc., etc.! I’m looking into posting rough versions of songs I’m considering for the new album on my website, so I may be asking for your opinions soon! Thanks for all your support, and Happy Thanksgiving! Mark
Excuse me for being remiss in updating the site! I just got back from Maui and it has taken a long time to get my head out of vacation mode! "On the Mark" continues to get a lot of airplay as well as other cuts from the CD and we're back to ambitiously booking appearances and getting started on the next CD. I'll be appearing in upstate NY on Oct. 21st and have appearances with the Lori Andrews group and with Larry Washington. Check out the appearances page. Sunset Rose is #1 at Music Choice this week (8-23) and "On the Mark" the single has been getting great response and was just added to ABC radio/Disney! Thanks to everyone at Spaghettini's last Saturday! We had a great night launching the new single, the title track from "On the Mark" and a great band with, James Wirrick, Dan Siegel, Tal Bergman and Chris Stefanetti. Help get "On the Mark" on your local radio station by calling in a request. Radio stations love to hear from listeners, so don't be shy and tell them what you want to hear today! The new single, "On the Mark" was #1 for most increased spins on R&R indicator charts this week! (6-7) It was #2 most added! remember to check out Mark's interview Sunday! (see below) Join us again at Spaghettini's in Seal Beach on Sat. June 24th to kick off the release of the new single, and title track from "On the Mark"! Mark will have a brief interveiw on the WAVE (KTWV 94.7) on Sunday June 11th about 2:15. Meanwhile "Steppin' Up" was #1 at Music Choice last week and #2 this week. Thanks everyone for your support!!!
I'm sounding like a broken record now! This week (1st week of May) Steppin' Up is #3 at Music Choice! That means for nearly half of the year so far, we've been in the top 10!
Well, it's happened again. "Steppin' Up" is #4 this week on Music Choice's top 10. We also came just one spin short of making Radio & Record's "New and Active" list. We're getting there!
The first single, "Steppin' Up" has been getting good airplay from the R&R (Radio & Records) radio stations. We've spent several weeks very close to making the "New & Active" list on the chart. Cable music Provider, "Music Choice" has listed "Steppin' Up" in their Top 10 for 4 weeks this year so far! Thanks to all of you for your support in requesting "Steppin' Up"! Happy New Year!
Check out an "On-air" interview with Mark on Reno, NV's Smooth Jazz 92.1 KJZS, Dec. 7th. There'll be a concert that night 5:30-7:30 at John Ascuaga's Nugget. I really want to thank those of you who came out to see us Saturday the 22nd at Spaghettini's in Seal Beach. I've never seen the place so packed, and everyone was so great, it was impossible not to have a good time! We'll plan to get the band out again soon, so come back here occasionally to check for new dates. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 10-23-05
We're thrilled to be featuring Dan Siegel as a special guest this Saturday the 22nd at Spaghettini's in Seal Beach. (Phone 562-596-2199) We'll also have the rest of the incredible musicians from the album including, James Wirrick, Tal Bergman, and Bart Samolis! Come and participate in the fun! |
Patches, Dan, Arturo
Everett (Shaky-Cam shot!)