"Jazz Thoughts for the Day - June" is the sixth CD in this series by pianist Mark Massey. This album offers 30 instrumental "Jazz Thoughts"--one for each day in June--for your daily dose of pure piano improvisation.
Jazz fans (and classical, too) will appreciate that each piece is a veritable jazz impromptu: composed/improvised totally spontaneously, as did Bach and Mozart! Nothing planned, nothing rehearsed, nothing written down--every note generated from the heart.
These are eclectic jazz impromptus--in styles from mainstream to contemporary, funky to folk-jazz, cool to bobop, gospel to ragtime and "trad"--with Latin, Spanish, Brazilian, Asian and Celtic influences, and more, reflecting Mark Massey's "Acoustic Piano International" spirit. Each track full of energy, romantic feeling, heartfelt joy and inspiration. Total Playing Time: about 69 minutes, 38 seconds.
ABOUT MARK:
Mark was born and raised in Lynwood, California where he showed early talent on piano, trombone, and drums. He graduated from California State University, Long Beach (Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music), where he was recipient of the Carmen Dragon Fellowship for composition.
Mark's piano influences are diverse: Vince Guaraldi, Keith Jarrett, Dave Grusin, Joe Sample, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, George Winston, Fats Waller, and more.
Mark Massey has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, the former Soviet Union, Russia, the Far East and India. He has worked with Larry Carlton, David Benoit, Paul Horn, Poncho Sanchez, Hubert Laws, the Side Street Strutters, Phil Upchurch, L. Subramaniam, and the late, great Louie Bellson, Freddie Hubbard, Maynard Ferguson, Yehudi Menuhin, Ray Brown, Stéphane Grappelli, and Tony Williams.
Past Reviews of Mark Massey's piano work:
"Mark Massey is awfully good. His friendly, lyrical, melodic piano has a sound unto itself, bop and post-bop influenced, contemporarily informed, and languishing solidly in the modern mainstream."
-MICHAEL G. NASTOS, ALL MUSIC GUIDE
"At home, improvising fluid lines no matter what the vehicle"
-ZAN STEWART, LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Mark Massey is an excellent straight-ahead pianist who often appears in the L.A. area. ...his playing is consistently appealing."
-SCOTT YANOW (author of the books Swing and Bebop : The Essential Listening Companion)
ALBUM CREDITS:
All music composed and performed by Mark Massey
© 2009, Geofonica Artistworks (ASCAP)
Cover photo: © Cheryl Graham, used by permission
Jazz Thoughts for the Day cover design by Dorothy Wineman
Produced and Engineered by Brad Powell, for Geofonica Records.
© 2009 Geofonica Records
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