Jon Marks was a British
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
pianist.
Biography
Early influences
Jon Marks began learning the piano at the age of seven. The lessons discontinued at age 12 when interest in New Orleans Jazz and improvisation occupied his practice time. His brother
David Marks
David Lee Marks (born August 22, 1948) is an American guitarist who is best known for being an early member of the Beach Boys. While growing up in Hawthorne, California, Marks was a neighborhood friend of the original band members and was a freq ...
played the banjo. When he was 14 David took Jon to a jazz gig where he snuck in behind the piano and played for the first time in public - he never looked back. Later, Jon was fortunate to work together with
Alton Purnell
Alton Purnell (April 16, 1911 – January 14, 1987) was an American jazz pianist. He was a longtime performer in Dixieland jazz.
Early life
Purnell was born in New Orleans on April 16, 1911. His brother, Theodore, became a reed player.
Later lif ...
(
Bunk Johnson
Willie Gary "Bunk" Johnson (December 27, 1879 – July 7, 1949) was an American prominent jazz trumpeter in New Orleans. Johnson gave the year of his birth as 1879, although there is speculation that he may have been younger by as much as a dec ...
and
George Lewis George Lewis may refer to:
Entertainment and art
* George B. W. Lewis (1818–1906), circus rider and theatre manager in Australia
* George E. Lewis (born 1952), American composer and free jazz trombonist
* George J. Lewis (1903–1995), Mexica ...
' pianist) and received musical assistance and inspiration from him from 1964 until Purnell's death in 1987. Other major influences included pianists Joe Robicheaux, Lester Santiago and James "Sing" Miller. Marks formed a school band at age 12 and at 15 was co-leader of a semi-pro jazz band, the "San Jacinto Jazz Band" in Portsmouth. Jon's first professional band was the "Keith Smith Climax Jazz Band" which facilitated a move back to London in 1964 when he joined them aged 17.
Tours and festivals
Jon Marks toured Britain, Europe, the US, Brazil, Australia, Japan, and other parts of Asia. He recorded with Keith Smith before joining
Barry Martyn
Barry Martyn (born Barry Martyn Godfrey, February 23, 1941, in London) is an English jazz drummer, active principally on the New Orleans jazz revival circuit.
Martyn began on drums in 1955, and was leading his first band the following year. His ...
's Band in 1968. He stayed with Martyn until the band's demise in 1973 due to Martyn's migration to the USA. He played with Kid Martyn's Ragtime Band at the first two
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...
s in 1968 and 1969 and at
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
's 70th Birthday celebration, "Hello Louis", in 1970 when he was photographed alongside
Louis Armstrong
Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
and his enormous birthday cake, and whiskey and bourbon fountains. Marks toured the US annually with Martyn six years running, using New Orleans as the finishing point where he could gain valuable experience at
Preservation Hall
Preservation Hall is a jazz venue in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana. The building is associated with a house band, a record label, and a non-profit foundation.
History of the jazz hall
In the 1950s, art dealer Larry Borenstein f ...
and other local venues.
After 1973, he freelanced working with various units including the White Eagle Band of Berlin with the late clarinetist/saxophonist Peter Müller and trumpeter Raimer Lösch. Marks also played with
Kid Thomas, clarinetist/saxophone player
Sammy Rimington
Samuel Rimington (born 29 April 1942, in Paddock Wood, Kent, England), is an English jazz reed player. He has been an active New Orleans jazz revivalist since the late 1950s.
Rimington played with Barry Martyn in 1959. He became a professional ...
, and the
Louis Nelson Band, among others. Marks made his home-base in Berlin, Germany in the late 1970s from where he produced recordings and played with his own New Orleans Jazz trio. During the 1980s he began touring with Sammy Rimington's Band again and also toured with the White Eagle Band, Berlin, and the Maryland Jazz Band, Cologne. Together with Rimington, in 1983 he toured with Kid Thomas' Algiers Stompers in Europe, the last tour of this legendary band. He also toured with
Louis Nelson's band in Switzerland in 1987. He was an annual guest of the Big Easy Jazz Band in Connecticut during the 1990s, touring and recording in New England and the Tri-State area and appearing at the 1991 Santa Rosa Festival, California. He again appeared at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1996 with Sammy Rimington. Jon played regularly at the
Ascona New Orleans Jazz Festival in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
.
Recordings and artists
Artists that Marks recorded with include:
Percy Humphrey
Percy Gaston Humphrey (January 13, 1905 – July 22, 1995) was an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In addition to his band, Percy Humphrey and His Crescent City Joymakers, for more than thirty years he was leader ...
,
Kid Thomas,
Alvin Alcorn
Alvin Elmore Alcorn (September 7, 1912 – July 10, 2003) was an American jazz trumpeter.
Career
Alcorn learned music theory from his brother. In the early 1930s, he was a member of the Sunny South Syncopators led by Armand J. Piron. He worked ...
, Thomas Jefferson, Leo Dejan,
Kid Sheik Colar,
Louis Nelson,
Preston Jackson
James Preston McDonald, better known by his stage name Preston Jackson (January 3, 1902 – November 12, 1983) was an American jazz trombonist.
Biography
Jackson was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, and moved to Chicago, Illino ...
,
Clyde Bernhardt
Clyde Edric Barron Bernhardt (July 11, 1905 – May 20, 1986) was an American jazz trombonist.
Bernhardt was born in Gold Hill, North Carolina, and raised there and in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He started playing trombone at age 17, and in th ...
, Paul Barnes,
Willie Humphrey
Willie James Humphrey (December 29, 1900 – June 7, 1994) was a New Orleans jazz clarinetist. Willie Humphrey was born in a musical family, the son of prominent local clarinetist and music teacher Willie Eli Humphrey; his brothers Earl Humphrey a ...
,
Emanuel Paul, Sammy Lee,
Orange Kellin,
Andrew Morgan,
John Defferary,
Sammy Rimington
Samuel Rimington (born 29 April 1942, in Paddock Wood, Kent, England), is an English jazz reed player. He has been an active New Orleans jazz revivalist since the late 1950s.
Rimington played with Barry Martyn in 1959. He became a professional ...
, Floyn Turnham,
Chester Zardis
Chester Zardis (May 27, 1900, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States - August 14, 1990, New Orleans) was an American jazz double-bassist.
Zardis played bass from a young age, and studied without his disapproving mother's knowledge, under Billy Mar ...
,
Hayes Alvis
Hayes Alvis (May 1, 1907 – December 29, 1972) was an American jazz bassist and tuba player.
Career
Alvis began on drums but switched to tuba and bass after playing with Jelly Roll Morton in 1927–1928. He played tuba with Earl Hines from 19 ...
, Frank Fields, Benny Booker, Lloyd Lambert,
Emanuel Sayles
Emanuel Sayles (January 31, 1907 – October 5, 1986) was an American jazz banjoist chiefly active in the New Orleans jazz scene.
Biography
Sayles was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana and played violin and viola as a child, then taught himsel ...
, Don Vapie, Father Al Lewis, Stanley Williams,
Freddie Kohlman,
Louis Barbarin
Louis Barbarin (nickname Lil Barb; October 24, 1902 – May 12, 1997) was a New Orleans jazz drummer.
Early life
Barbarin was born in New Orleans on October 24, 1902. His father was Isidore Barbarin, and his brothers Paul, Lucien, and William all ...
,
Zutty Singleton
Arthur James "Zutty" Singleton (May 14, 1898 – July 14, 1975) was an American jazz drummer.
Career
Singleton was born in Bunkie, Louisiana, United States, and raised in New Orleans. According to his ''Jazz Profiles'' biography, his unusual ...
, Teddy Edwards, Stanley Stevens,
Barry Martyn
Barry Martyn (born Barry Martyn Godfrey, February 23, 1941, in London) is an English jazz drummer, active principally on the New Orleans jazz revival circuit.
Martyn began on drums in 1955, and was leading his first band the following year. His ...
,
Arvell Shaw
Arvell Shaw (September 15, 1923 – December 5, 2002) was an American jazz double-bassist, best known for his work with Louis Armstrong.
Life and career
He was born on September 15, 1923 in St. Louis, Missouri. Shaw learned to play tuba in high ...
and
Doc Cheatham
Adolphus Anthony Cheatham, better known as Doc Cheatham (June 13, 1905 – June 2, 1997), was an American jazz trumpeter, singer, and bandleader. He is also the Grandfather of musician Theo Croker.
Early life
Doc Cheatham was born in Nashvi ...
.
Apart from the above-mentioned artists Marks toured or played with: Singers Topsy Chapman, Thais Clark, Sylvia "Kumumba" Williams, Jan Harrington, Carrie Smith, Minnie Minepreo; trumpeters
Jabbo Smith
Jabbo Smith (born Cladys Smith; December 24, 1908 – January 16, 1991) was an American jazz musician, known for his virtuoso playing on the trumpet.
Biography
Smith was born in Pembroke, Georgia, United States. At the age of six he went into ...
,
Wingy Manone
Joseph Matthews "Wingy" Manone (February 13, 1900 – July 9, 1982) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, singer, and bandleader. His recordings included " Tar Paper Stomp", "Nickel in the Slot", "Downright Disgusted Blues", "There'll Come a ...
,
John Brunious
John Brunious Jr. (October 12, 1940 – February 12, 2008) was a jazz trumpeter and a bandleader for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans.
Biography
The family lived in the Seventh Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. His father, John Br ...
,
Wendell Brunious
Wendell Brunious (born October 27, 1954, New Orleans) is an American jazz trumpeter and bandleader.
Born on October 27, 1954, Brunious was born into a Louisiana Creole people, Louisiana Creole family, the son of Nazimova "Chinee" Santiago and Joh ...
, Wallace Davenport, Teddy Riley,
Andrew Blakeney,
Norbert Susemihl,
Ken Colyer
Kenneth Colyer (18 April 1928 – 8 March 1988) was an English jazz trumpeter and cornetist, devoted to New Orleans jazz. His band was also known for skiffle interludes.
Biography
He was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England, but grew up i ...
,
Geoff Bull; Clarinetests and Saxophonists
Barney Bigard
Albany Leon "Barney" Bigard (March 3, 1906 – June 27, 1980) was an American jazz clarinetist known for his 15-year tenure with Duke Ellington. He also played tenor saxophone.
Biography
Bigard was born in New Orleans to Creole parents, Ale ...
,
Albert Nicholas
Albert Nicholas (May 27, 1900 – September 3, 1973) was an American jazz clarinet player.
Career
Nicholas's primary instrument was the clarinet, which he studied with Lorenzo Tio in his hometown of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Late ...
, Benny Carter, Jo "Brother Cornbread" Thomas, Jo Darensbourg, Harald Dejan; Pianists
Alton Purnell
Alton Purnell (April 16, 1911 – January 14, 1987) was an American jazz pianist. He was a longtime performer in Dixieland jazz.
Early life
Purnell was born in New Orleans on April 16, 1911. His brother, Theodore, became a reed player.
Later lif ...
,
Sweet Emma Barrett,Alex "Duke" Burrell,
Don Ewell
Donald Tyson Ewell (November 14, 1916 – August 9, 1983) was an American jazz stride pianist. He worked with Sidney Bechet, Kid Ory, George Lewis, George Brunis, Muggsy Spanier, and Bunk Johnson.
Biography
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, ...
, Ralph Sutton,
Art Hodes
Arthur W. Hodes (November 14, 1904 – March 4, 1993), was a Russian Empire-born American jazz and blues pianist. He is regarded by many critics as the greatest white blues pianist.
Biography
Hodes was born in Mykolaiv, in present-day Ukrain ...
; Trombonists Trummy Young,
Gene Conners
Eugene Conners (December 28, 1930 – June 10, 2010), known as Gene Conners, was an American trombonist and singer. He was known as the "Mighty Flea".
Conners was born in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and grew up in New Orleans, and may h ...
; Bassists
Ed "Montudie" Garland, Adolphus Morris, Rodney Richardson, Bob Culverhouse; Banjoists Nappy Le Marr, Koen De Cauter; Drummer Trevor Richards, amongst many others.
Of Marks' playing, Herb Friedwald wrote in the liner notes to ''The
Orange Kellin Trio'' (GHB Records, BCD-384) "Marks is one of the best and certainly the most forceful of the pianists now playing in this idiom."
Just before his death in 2007 Marks was working on "The
Gene Krupa
Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of "Sing, Sing, S ...
Story", a 2-hour multi-media Big Band Swing Show, with the Berlin-based drummer, entrepreneur and producer
Arthor Von Blomberg. The musical was subsequently presented at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, New York, with Arthor von Blomberg as Gene Krupa and a 16-piece orchestra.
Legacy
In addition to his more than 200 recordings, the Lippmann+Rau Foundation, Palmental 1, 99817 Eisenach, Germany, holds a significant Jon Marks collection, donated to the archive posthumously, containing many photo albums documenting his eventful musical life. The collection also includes around 200 LPs, concert posters, music magazines and audio cassettes.
External links
"Hello Louis" Recorded July 3rd,1970 at the Celebration of Satchmo's 70th Birthday at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles"Christmas in New Orleans" with Jan Harrington and Jon MarksDiscogs database of Jon Marks' recordingsJon Marks Collection"The Gene Krupa Story", Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marks, Jon
1947 births
2007 deaths
British jazz pianists
People from Slough
20th-century pianists
20th-century British musicians