Mark Masters

Surrounded by a historical cadre of great jazz composers, Mark Masters has emerged as one of the great jazz arrangers of the 20th and 21st century. Born Mark Alton Masters November 13, 1957 in Gary, IN, he was drawn to the trumpet, and formed his first ensemble in 1982. His formal studies began at Riverside City College in California studying under Roger Rickson, and California State University in Los Angeles. Masters recorded two initial efforts as a combo leader for the West Coast based Sea Breeze label -- Early Start in 1984 and Silver Threads Among the Blues in 1985. Regarded as his most prominent initial professional collaboration was with Stan Kenton's Creative World company, working on alumni reunions, the compositions of Bob Graettinger, Ken Hanna, Don Piestrup, or Hank Levy, and the recording Back to Balboa in 1995 for MAMA records. Aside from writing charts he was dedicated to teaching, working daily as a professor of jazz education at Claremont McKenna College in Pasadena, CA. By 1997 he founded the non-profit American Jazz Institute and Big Band, concentrating on interpreting the music of Bill Holman, Lee Konitz, and Sam Rivers, among others. The initial recording in tribute to jazz greats was The Jimmy Knepper Songbook from Focus records in 1994 featuring Knepper. One of his more satisfying projects was the Clifford Brown Project, working with Benny Golson and Jack Montrose, recorded for the Capri label in 2003 . In the post-Gil Evans era, Masters has assembled groups of all stars and local musicians to record his arrangements in concept tribute albums, including the Capri CDs Priestess in 1990, One Day with Lee in 2003, Porgy and Bess: Redefined in 2005, Wish Me Well: Reflections on Gary McFarland in 2006, and Farewell Walter Dewey Redman in 2008. Among the jazz performers Masters has invited to his bandstands; Billy Harper, Tim Hagans, Cecilia Coleman, Putter Smith, Gary Smulyan, Joe LaBarbera, Gary Foster, Steve Kuhn, Ray Drummond, Don Shelton, Mike Turre, Clay Jenkins, Carl Saunders, Dave Woodley, Matt Wilson, Oliver Lake, Peter Erskine, Dave Carpenter, and Milcho Leviev. ~ Michael G. Nastos