Gary Marks (musician)
| Gary Marks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born |
August 29, 1950 Manhattan, New York, United States |
| Genres | Rock, pop, jazz, folk |
| Occupation(s) | Composer, singer, pianist, guitarist, producer, arranger |
| Instruments | Voice, piano, keyboards, guitar, percussion |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Labels | JCOA, Arewea, Marksland, Kindred Spirits, Stella |
| Associated acts | John Scofield, Paul McCandless, David Samuels, Art Lande, Michael Cochrane |
Gary Marks is a modern rock songwriter, novelist, lead vocalist, rock and jazz pianist, and guitarist. Marks has arranged and produced dozens of records throughout his career. His most recent album, No Turning Back, was released in April 2013.
Marks gained initial popularity in the 1970s in New York and California with albums such as Gathering, Upon Oanda’s Wing, and Thoughts of Why. Decades later, all three recordings were dubbed “folk-rock classics” by the international press when they were re-released in Europe and Asia starting in 2006.[1]
The players on Marks’ first three recordings included guitarist John Scofield,[2] virtuoso horn player Paul McCandless[3] of “Oregon,” pianist Art Lande[4] (ECM Records), trumpet player and film score writer Mark Isham,[5] vibraphonist David Samuels,[6] and pianist Michael Cochrane.[7]
Scofield, Samuels, and Cochrane played on Marks’ first album, Gathering, which was self-produced by Marks in 1973. It was the recording debut for each artist, propelling them forward in their respective careers. European record label Kindred Spirits announced, “It is now considered a classic–a totally unique amalgam of folk-rock-jazz that seems to get richer and more powerful through the years.”[8]
Art Lande, Paul McCandless, and Mark Isham joined Scofield and Samuels on the Upon Oanda’s Wing and Thoughts of Why recordings. Jazz Magazine’s W. Patrick Hinely wrote, "A flow chart of 'Upon Oanda's Wing' might closely resemble some of Milton Nasciemento's EMI albums, which still serve as a paragon for anyone trying to be equally convincing across the board, from tight vocals and arrangements, to wide open instrumental playing."[9]
In 1985 Marks’ music took a stylistic turn. His fourth major album release, Past the Nightwatch, gathered together notable rock players in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of the songs, "Only Time Can Tell," was covered by Teresa Trull on her album A Step Away, and received international airplay. When reviewing Marks’ recording of Past the Nightwatch, Larry Kelp of the Oakland Tribune wrote, “Marks shows a knack for combining a catchy and memorable song with mature and often brilliant lyrics about love . . . and finding a place in the world . . . a rare thing in the world of commercial music.”[10]
Even though Marks would go on to release seven more recordings, he dropped out of the public eye and stopped touring after the release of Past the Nightwatch in order to focus on his novel writing.
Marks has written twelve novels. His first novel, written in 1988, was a book set in the late 1960s, titled The Dance and The Diamond Sky. Sherry Robb[11] of Robb Literary, Los Angeles wrote: "An amazing book, beautifully written, about a critical time in our country's history. Though this coming of age tale is about a time decades removed, 'The Dance and the Diamond Sky' generates wisdom that directly reflects upon the internal and external struggles we face today. There are no clichés here. There is humor, plenty of drama, and a great ending. A story that needed to be written finally was."
Marks also released his second rock album in 1988, The Real World, which brought him further commercial success as a songwriter. Cris Williamson and Teresa Trull recorded three songs from The Real World. Bay Area music reviewer Derk Richardson wrote in BAM (Bay Area Music Magazine) about The Real World: "Superb song craft . . . keen arrangements. If familiar reference points are Steve Winwood and Bruce Hornsby, Marks demonstrates as much care to the architecture of a song as those two certified platinum stars did on their most recent outings. Each song is intelligent, exceptional . . .”
On his latest CD, “No Turning Back,” Marks composed and performed all of his electric guitar tracks in open tunings.
Since the 1990s Marks has continued to work in the literary world while also writing and recording songs.
Discography:
LPs / CDs
2013 No Turning Back
2010 From Here
2007 A Whisper Can Change the World
2003 Self Portraits
1999 Bountiful
1994 If All They Said Was True
1988 The Real World
1985 Past the Nightwatch
1977 Thoughts of Why
1975 Upon Oanda’s Wing
1973 Gathering
CD Re-releases
2013 Thoughts of Why / re-release in Japan and Asia
2012 Upon Oanda's Wing / re-release in Japan and Asia
2007 Gathering / re-release in Europe
2005 Anthology II for iTunes
2005 Anthology I for iTunes
Novels
2013 WOW
2012 Rain Dreams
2011 iDream
2010 Journey Through the Riotous Dark
2009 (T)here
2009 Somewhere Beautiful
2008 Living On a Bubble
2007 Super Star
2007 Orbiting Chaos
1991 The Fall of Eros
1988 The Dance and the Diamond Sky
1968 Timshel's Choice
Non-Fiction
1990 / 1991 Gary Marks Piano Method Books I and II
References
- ↑ http://www.inpartmaint.com/#/post-8469. Retrieved May 13, 2014
- ↑ http://www.johnscofield.com/. Retrieved May 12, 2014
- ↑ http://www.paulmccandless.com/. Retrieved May 12, 2014
- ↑ http://www.artlande.com/. Retrieved May 12, 2014
- ↑ http://www.isham.com. Retrieved May 12, 2014
- ↑ http://www.dsamuels.com/. Retrieved May 12, 2014
- ↑ http://www.michaelcochrane.com/. Retrieved May 12, 2014
- ↑ Hinely, W. Patrick. Jazz Magazine, Vol 3 #4 (1979) http://www.jazzdiscography.com/JazzMag/three.htm
- ↑ Kindred Spirits | Artists. Retrieved May 8, 2014
- ↑ Kelp, Larry.(1985) Oakland Tribune. Retrieved May 7, 2014
- ↑ Robb, Sherry.(1988) http://www.therobbcompany.com/home.html. Retrieved May 15, 2014