Charlie Mariano - R.I.P.

[Valerie]

Charlie passed this morning in Cologne after a lengthy battle with cancer. He leaves us with a treasure trove of his music.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

Sad to hear this. Lots of great music from the man. His work on Mingus' Black Saint & Sinner Lady is incomparable. R.I.P.

[JPF]

One of the greatest, and most sadly underrated, alto players. I was fortunate to see him on several occasions when he was part of the Boston jazz scene, and also when he was on Kenton's band.

Besides Black Saint, make sure to hear him when he was in Shelly Manne's group - outstanding.

[stevebop]

How sad. Rest in Peace, Charlie.

The entire four hours of my radio program, "Jazz from Studio Four" will be devoted to Charlie Mariano.
This Friday night, June 19th, 8p-midnight. Included will be some music that WGBH recorded in 2000 at The Regattabar in Cambridge, MA. This was a reunion between Charlie and trumpeter Herb Pomeroy and pianist Ray Santisi.
The music has never been commercially released and is only available on 89.7FM.

[David Gitin]

He was quite the explorer. First time I heard him 'live' was with Stan Kenton, and a few years later with Astrud Gilberto. The recordings from Europe with Indian musicians, Polish folk musicians, et al. show his continued dedication to a personal quest in music.

[Ron Thorne]

What sad news.

Charlie was, indeed, underrated.

I was fortunate enough to meet and hear Charlie many times back in the early 60's while studying at Berklee.

I'm making a note to be sure to catch your program this Friday, Steve. Charlie was the only one of the three you mentioned who was not one of my teachers.

What a lovely man!

My sincere condolences to Charlie's family and legions of friends and fans.



R.I.P., Charlie Mariano~

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by stevebop

How sad. Rest in Peace, Charlie.

The entire four hours of my radio program, "Jazz from Studio Four" will be devoted to Charlie Mariano.
This Friday night, June 19th, 8p-midnight. Included will be some music that WGBH recorded in 2000 at The Regattabar in Cambridge, MA. This was a reunion between Charlie and trumpeter Herb Pomeroy and pianist Ray Santisi.
The music has never been commercially released and is only available on 89.7FM.

if all goes as planned, i'll be listening from Watertown, MA. i'll call you. this will be quite a special show and i've alerted Monday to listen.

xoxo

valerie

[stevebop]

In todays Boston Globe:

Charlie Mariano, saxophonist, musical sojourner

By Joan Anderman, Globe Staff | June 17, 2009

Charlie Mariano, the Boston-born saxophonist who gained world renown as a performer with his former wife, Toshiko Akiyoshi; Stan Kenton; and Charles Mingus, among many others, died yesterday at Mildred Scheel Hospiz in Cologne, Germany, his longtime home. Mr. Mariano, who had battled cancer for years, was 85.

“He was the dean of Boston jazz musicians,’’ says jazz impresario George Wein, a Boston native who resides in New York and was a colleague and friend of Mr. Mariano’s since the 1940s. “Charlie was a wanderer, and he left his mark wherever he went.’’

Born Carmine Ugo Mariano in 1923, he was weaned on his father’s beloved Italian operas and the big bands he heard on the radio: Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie, whose saxophonist Lester Young became Mr. Mariano’s first musical hero. He would not get his own saxophone until his 18th birthday, but in short order, the ambitious young musician was playing nightly at Izzy Ort’s bar and dance hall in what was then known as Boston’s combat zone, for $19 a week.

Mr. Mariano was drafted in 1943, but never saw combat. He was tapped to play in one of the several small music ensembles that entertained at officers’ clubs. Near the end of the war, Mr. Mariano, who was stationed on an air base north of Los Angeles, heard Charlie Parker play live for the first time, during Parker’s first West Coast gig, at Billy Berg’s jazz club in Hollywood.

“He completely turned my head,’’ Mr. Mariano said of Parker in “Tears of Sound,’’ a 1993 biography of Mr. Mariano published in Germany. Taken with the sax great’s inventive harmonics, newfangled rhythmic figures, and breakneck tempos, “I chased Bird’s sound, his way of phrasing. I listened to his solos on recordings for hours, wrote them down, and played it.’’

As it was for many alto saxophonists, Mr. Mariano found his muse and musical foundation in Parker’s ground-breaking sound. After leaving the Army in 1945, he drifted to Chicago, then Albuquerque, picking up work where he could, and finally wound up back in Boston. When the big-band era began winding down and many local clubs were closed, the largely self-taught Mr. Mariano enrolled in music school for the first time, at the Schillinger House of Music, which would later be renamed Berklee College of Music.

Mr. Mariano started to develop his own sound under the tutelage of Joe Viola, and he became a fixture on Boston’s vibrant jazz scene, collaborating with Nat Pierce, Jaki Byard, and fellow students Herb Pomeroy and Quincy Jones. In 1950, Mr. Mariano released his first recording as a bandleader, and several years later founded the Jazz Workshop, a hands-on school that emphasized experience over instruction and later evolved into a popular nightclub.

At the end of 1953, the financially strapped Mr. Mariano received a life-changing call from Stan Kenton, who tapped the saxophonist for his big band. After a couple of years on the road, Mr. Mariano settled in Southern California, where he joined drummer Shelly Manne’s band and worked as a session player.

But he soon grew disenchanted with the hours spent behind the wheel of a car and the relentlessly “cool’’ jazz scene in L.A., and in 1958 Mr. Mariano accepted a teaching position at Berklee. He only lasted two terms before moving back west, accompanied by the young piano phenom Toshiko Akiyoshi.

The pair married in 1959 and over the course of several years bounced from New York, where they formed the Toshiko Mariano Quartet and Mr. Mariano performed and recorded with Mingus, to Tokyo, back to New York, and then to Boston, where Mr. Mariano returned to teaching in the mid-1960s.

“I had him for an ensemble, and every week he would stop the band and pick on somebody,’’ said Mr. Mariano’s former student, saxophonist Arnie Krakowsky of Boston. “Four, five, six weeks go by, and he didn’t stop me, and I thought I must be doing better than I think. Then one day, he stopped the band and pointed at me and said: ‘You. When you go home this weekend, I want you to tell your mother and father that you want to be a doctor or a lawyer.’ That was his way of telling me I needed to practice. When we saw Charlie walking the halls at Berklee, we would walk the other way. We were petrified of him. He was that good.’’

Mr. Mariano also became known for his work on the nadaswaram, a South Indian woodwind instrument he discovered on an extended trip to Kuala Lumpur.

After divorcing Ms. Akiyoshi in 1967, Mr. Mariano wandered the globe for years, commuting between the United States (he had yet another go teaching at Berklee) and Europe (where he eventually settled).

Following the formation of Osmosis, his early jazz fusion group, Mr. Mariano devoted his last several decades to exploring musical amalgams inspired by other cultures, as well as by pop and rock. He was diagnosed in 1995 with advanced prostate cancer and given a year to live by his doctors, but with the help of alternative therapies and conventional treatment he lived another 14.

“His music was the music of a traveler,’’ says Eric Jackson, longtime host of the WGBH show “Jazz with Eric in the Evening.’’ “Just look at the places Charlie called home in the course of his life. He was on a lifelong musical journey.’’

Mr. Mariano leaves his wife, painter Dorothee Zippel Mariano of Cologne; his sister Connie Rosato; six daughters, Sherry of Salisbury, Cynthia and Melanie Lamar, both of Merrimac, Celeste Perrigo of Berwick, Maine, Monday Michiru of Long Island, N.Y., and Zana of Toronto, Canada; six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. Mariano is being cremated in Germany, and the ashes will be entombed at the family grave in Boston.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

He really lit a spark under Eberhard Weber's ensembles, and his work with R.A. Ramamani's group, the Karnataka College of Percussion, was exceptional.

Rest well, Charlie!

[Durium]

CHARLIE MARIANO



A great jazz musicians has gone ............

Charlie Mariano (1923-2009)

Keep swinging

Durium

[Valerie]

had a memorial right in my cousin's living room Friday night, thanks to Steve Schwartz and his four-hour tribute to Charlie. he played beautiful music from 1949 to the present. it was really amazing. we sat in rapt attention, enjoying every musical note as well as hearing Charlie and Steve's warm and wonderful voices. guess some of the high points for me were Stella by Starlight with the Kenton Band and Charlie's work with Mingus, especially their duo. goosebumpy. thanks again, Charlie and Steve!

[Darryl G. Thomas]

There was this Eberhard Weber LP I listened to constantly back in the '70s. I fell in love with Charlie's sound back then. I will sorely miss him.

[Bill Barton]

R.I.P.

He was truly a seeker and the breadth of his recorded legacy is remarkable.

[Valerie]

For those who are interested, the Mariano family has set up the Charlie Mariano Scholarship Fund at the Berklee College of Music. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be mailed to: Berklee College of Music, c/o Marjorie O'Malley, 1140 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02215; or one can contact Ms. O'Malley directly at: momalley@berklee.edu, (617) 747-2569.

[Pete C]

People have mentioned earlier work, but perhaps my favorite is "Deep in a Dream," recorded when he was 79. Some of the most beautiful, soulful ballad playing imaginable.

[John L]

Originally Posted by Pete C

People have mentioned earlier work, but perhaps my favorite is "Deep in a Dream," recorded when he was 79. Some of the most beautiful, soulful ballad playing imaginable.

Yes! I love that one too. Charlie Mariano aged like fine wine. I prefer his later work.

RIP

[Pete C]

His sound really evolved over the years. I see at least 4 phases. In his earliest Boston work there's less of a real individual sound. With Manne his sound is developing, but with less vibrato, and is not quite what I'd consider his recognizable signature sound (though the albums are great). By the early 60's, and his work with Mingus, the core of his sound is there, including that visceral bite, then it gets progressively more soulful.

[hepcat1950]

Two pics I took on November 21, 2008


to the left: Booby Stern's sax


Charlie Mariano's alto sax

See more pictures from the Birthday Concert at the Theaterhaus, Stuttgart, Germany.

[hepcat1950]

Jazzcorner's Speakeasy

Charlie Mariano - R.I.P.
17 replies after ten days

Michael Jackson - R.I.P.
33 replies within 13 hours

no comment

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by hepcat1950

Jazzcorner's Speakeasy

Charlie Mariano - R.I.P.
17 replies after ten days

Michael Jackson - R.I.P.
33 replies within 13 hours

no comment

no surprise to me, unfortunately. to be fair though, you really can't compare the two events in the general public's mind.

[Pete C]

Better he should have lived nearly twice as long and gotten half as many comments than the alternative.

[John L]

Originally Posted by hepcat1950

Jazzcorner's Speakeasy

Charlie Mariano - R.I.P.
17 replies after ten days

Michael Jackson - R.I.P.
33 replies within 13 hours

no comment

If only Charlie Mariano had gotten half as many notices as Michael Jackson elsewhere. Glory to Jazz Corner!

[Xavier]

Always admired his playing, sorry to hear he's gone. He was a tremendous musician. I have a couple of his CDs, but not familiar with very many. Any recommendations?

[hepcat1950]

Originally Posted by Xavier

Always admired his playing, sorry to hear he's gone. He was a tremendous musician. I have a couple of his CDs, but not familiar with very many. Any recommendations?

Straight Jazz

• Silver Blue, w/ a European trio, rec. 2006
• Beauty, another quartet w/ Richie Beirach on piano, rec. 2006
• Deep In A Dream, another quartet session, rec. 2001
• Grace Of Gravity, again a quartet session led by bassist Heiri Känzig from Switzerland, one of my favorites

Influenced by Indian (and other) music:

• Sadaka, Charlie Mariano's next to last recording (Nov 2008) with Chaouki Smahi from Morocco playing oud and violin and also doing some vocals
• KCP 5: Many Ways, including three members of the Karnataka College of Percussion from Bangalore, India, plus Mike Herting on keyboards, rec. 2005
• Charlie Mariano's Bangalore, feat. Indian vocalist R.A. Ramamani and other members of KCP, rec. 1998
• Sketches Of Bangalore, w/ the WDR Big Band, KCP and Mike Herting, rec. 2000

Charlie Mariano goes classical

• as time goes B.A.C.H., a project of pianist Johannes Schenk, rec. 2000
• as time goes B.A.C.H. II, rec. 2004
• Adagio, rec. 1993

Duos
Charlie Mariano recorded some beautiful duos with German bassist Dieter Ilg and guitarist Quique Sinesi from Argentina respectively, offering some (almost) pure alto playing.
Friend and keyboarder Mike Herting recorded a duo album presenting the composer Charlie Mariano.

To be released
The latest recording of Charlie Mariano has to be released.
The session includes Billy Cobham.
Can't wait to listen to this one...

And anything with Eberhard Weber's Colours, The United Jazz + Rock Ensemble, etc......

Plus another one with pianist Johannes Schenk playing the pipe organ:
The Tamarind Tree. Seven out of the nine tracks are Charlie Mariano originals.

I could go on and on...

PS
The recordings with Johannes Schenk can be ordered online from Johannes Schenk: http://www.johannes-schenk.de/

[Xavier]

I'll have to track some of these down. Appreciate the feedback!

[hepcat1950]

Originally Posted by Xavier

I'll have to track some of these down. Appreciate the feedback!

You're welcome!
Btw, I fixed the links in my original post.

[Valerie]

what about the duet with Charles Mingus?!?

[Mike Schwartz]

Originally Posted by Valerie

what about the duet with Charles Mingus?!?

His contribution on Mingus' "Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" is striking.

[hepcat1950]

Originally Posted by Valerie

what about the duet with Charles Mingus?!?

I didn't want to carry coals to Newcastle.
Black Saint and Mingus are mentioned in every obituary, and Charles Mingus' term "tears of sound" (to describe Charlie Mariano's sound) has been quoted a trillion times.

Btw, Charlie Mariano was aware of the importance of the albums with Mingus (especially with regard to his reputation with his compatriots), and I think he was proud that he'd been a member of Mingus' band. But this happened in the early sixties of the last century. Charlie Mariano performed and recorded so much more great music during the last four decades, that he actually was fed up with being reduced to the sideman of Mingus in perpetuity.

In the USA he still is known as the saxophonist who played with Stan Kenton, Toshiko, and Charles Mingus.
A short anecdote demonstrates this ignorance: After a concert in the '70s Archie Shepp approached Charlie to tell him that he'd played well with Mingus. Charlie Mariano: "Actually Archie had wanted to pay me a compliment. In truth he hurt me because he completely ignored what I played now."

quoted from Lothar Lewien's biograpy

[Mike Schwartz]

Originally Posted by hepcat1950

I didn't want to carry coals to Newcastle.
Black Saint and Mingus are mentioned in every obituary, and Charles Mingus' term "tears of sound" (to describe Charlie Mariano's sound) has been quoted a trillion times.

Btw, Charlie Mariano was aware of the importance of the albums with Mingus (especially with regard to his reputation with his compatriots), and I think he was proud that he'd been a member of Mingus' band. But this happened in the early sixties of the last century. Charlie Mariano performed and recorded so much more great music during the last four decades, that he actually was fed up with being reduced to the sideman of Mingus in perpetuity.



quoted from Lothar Lewien's biograpy

FWIW, there's one obituary on this thread with a passing mention of his time with Mingus .The recent responses were to someone who asked for recommendations.