Marcus Shelby’s “Soul of The Movement: Meditations on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”

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African American, Bassist, Jazz, Marcus Shelby

* Featuring the 15-piece Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra with Vocalists Faye Carol, Kenny Washington and Jeannine Anderson *

Marcus Shelby Orchestra - Soul of The Movement

Marcus Shelby Orchestra -//- Soul of The Movement – [Porto Franco Records, 2010]

For Marcus Shelby, history breathes music. Over the past decade, the San Francisco bassist/composer Marcus Shelby has created a series of captivating large-scale works that illuminate the accomplishments, spiritual fortitude and tribulations of African-Americans. In his debut recording for Porto Franco Records, Shelby delivers his most ambitious project yet, “Soul of the Movement: Meditations on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” a glorious tapestry that weaves together his vivid original compositions with his arrangements of classic spirituals as well as a Civil Rights anthem “We Shall Overcome”, Charles Mingus’ politically charged “Fables of Faubus”, and Curtis Mayfield’s black pride hit “We Are a Winner”. Based on his extensive research into the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, he’s crafted a highly personal work that captures the era’s charged energy and fierce sense of mission. Wielding his 15-Marcus Shelby piece jazz orchestra with confidence and precision, Shelby brilliantly showcases some of the Bay Area’s most accomplished and expressive musicians, including trumpeters Darren Johnston and Mike Olmos, reed experts Sheldon Brown, Howard Wiley and Gabe Eaton, pianist Adam Shulman and drummer Jeff Marrs.

BROOKLYN JAZZ UNDERGROUND RECORDS To Release PATHWAY, The Debut Recording From Pianist/Composer DAVID COOK

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David Cook, Jazz, Piano

Pathway features:
David Cook (piano, compositions)
Matt Clohesy (bass)
Mark Ferber (drums)

NYC CD RELEASE PERFORMANCE – JANUARY 5, 2011@ THE CORNELIA STREET CAFE!!!
w/Marco Panascia (bass) + Mark Ferber (drums)

David Cook, Pianist-Composer

Possessing patience, self-awareness, and experience; knowing when to step out as a leader, is essential for a jazz musician. David Cook, originally from Columbus, OH, is an artist armed with these qualities in abundance, and combining them with an undeniably massive talent as a pianist/composer, allows his artistry to radiate beautifully through every note on his debut recording, Pathway. The recording, featuring bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Mark Ferber, was lovingly produced by fellow pianist and mentor, Bruce Barth, and will be available on Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records on December 7, 2010.

After many years, and currently, working as a pianist on the New York scene with musicians such as Lizz Wright, Alan Ferber, Donny McCaslin, Lew Soloff, Sunny Jain, John Ellis, Nir Felder, Matt Wilson, Victor Wooten, Shane Endsley, Dennis Chambers, and pop artists N-Sync (during the heyday of their career), Justin Timberlake and Natasha Bedingfield, among many others, Cook felt it was the perfect time to leap into the role of bandleader and recording artist. “After spending years in New York learning and performing other musicians’ works, I began to re-dedicate myself to writing. I found myself slowly absorbing all the different, beautiful musical influences I’d been surrounded by and channeling them into my own tunes. It’ll take me years to fully process everything I’ve heard and learned during this time, but I thought a good way to start is with the classic piano trio setting. Mark Ferber and Matt Clohesy have been frequent bandmates of mine in different settings, and they have such a good hookup that I knew all I needed to do was write some tunes and get out of the way!”, said Cook.