By Ric Bang
Buy CD: Mark Elf Returns 2014
Guitarist
Mark Elf, born in Queens, New York City, began playing at the tender age of 11,
and has performed with some true jazz giants during his subsequent 30-year
career; Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Wynton Marsalis, the Heath Brothers and
Jon Hendricks are the most famous. Elf began to teach in the 1970s, both in the
States and overseas, and he formed his own recording company (Jen Bay) in 1995;
this is his newest release.
Elf
recognized early that being from the Big Apple was, at times, a disadvantage; the
surrounding area boasts far more musicians than potential jobs to support them.
As a result, Elf became impressively successful at the art of selling himself,
particularly on jazz-oriented public radio stations.
This
album features his quartet — David Hazeltine (piano), Peter Washington (bass)
and Lewis Nash (drums) — on all but one track; a second percussionist (Steven
Kroon) joins the group for the remaining cut. Elf wrote seven of the 10 tunes,
and the rest are Great American Songbook standards: “It Was So Beautiful,” by
Freed and Barris; “Time on My Hands,” by Youmans, Adamson and Gordon; and “People
Will Say We’re in Love,” by Rogers & Hammerstein.
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