Album Notes

The cover of Entropious is a slow-exposure photograph of a San Francisco subway car, blue and yellow neon tracks. It seems these guys are all about rapid transit—horns drive rhythm and rhythm drives melody. Harmonic paths cross and turn, return and go underground—subito. Hard-hittin’ bebop, Mingus-esque arrangements, and all original compositions continually surprise and entice listeners-whether you hear the quintet live at Yoshi’s Jazz Club, music festivals, or on the radio.
Together since 1999, saxophonists Sylvain Carton and Mitch Marcus are joined by bassist Lorenzo Farrell, drummer Ches Smith, and Chad Wagner on piano. Members of the quintet are all in their twenties, but their sound is mature, even virtuosic, with a well-developed sense of humor.
Entropious was recorded in 2001. Uptempo tracks like “Runnin’ down Ashby” and “Piece of Cake” contrast with more moody, melodic tunes like “S.S. Clagett” and the title track “Entropious.” (What’s “entropious” you might ask? First of all, the band states, it’s not a word. When pressed for more information, they’ll tell you it’s the title of their album.) The group acknowledges their predecessors with Mitch’s arrangement of “Be-bop Rollercoaster,” which re-works the classic Dizzy tune “Be-bop.”
The Mitch Marcus Quintet is a dynamic jazz group. Their album showcases what’s best in the new American jazz idiom—forging new paths yet fueled by tradition.