Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as a member of Supersax.

Biography

Marsh came from an affluent artistic background: his father was Hollywood cinematographer

Oliver T. Marsh Oliver T. Marsh (January 30, 1892 in Kansas City, Missouri, United States – May 5, 1941 in Hollywood, California, United States) was a prolific Hollywood cinematographer. He worked on over eighty films just for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer alone. Mar ...

(1892–1941), and his mother Elizabeth was a violinist. He was the nephew of actresses Mae Marsh and

Marguerite Marsh Marguerite Marsh (April 18, 1888 – December 8, 1925) was an American actress of the silent era. She appeared in more than 70 films between 1911 and 1923. Early in her career, she was known as Margaret Loveridge. Biography Marsh was the el ...

and film editor

Frances Marsh Frances Marsh was an American film editor active during the 1920s and 1930s. She worked on many of Ernst Lubitsch's films and was considered one of the foremost editors of her day. Biography Frances was born in Texas to Stephen Marsh and Mae ...

. He was tutored by Lennie Tristano. Marsh was often recorded in the company of other Cool School musicians, and remained one of the most faithful to the Tristano philosophy of improvisation – the faith in the purity of the long line, the avoidance of

lick Lick may refer to: * Licking, the action of passing the tongue over a surface Places * Lick (crater), a crater on the Moon named after James Lick * 1951 Lick, an asteroid named after James Lick * Lick Township, Jackson County, Ohio, United State ...

s and emotional chain-pulling, the concentration on endlessly mining the same small body of

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive lis ...

s. While Marsh was a generally cool-toned player, the critic

Scott Yanow Scott Yanow (born October 4, 1954) is an American jazz reviewer, historian, and author.Allmusic Biography/ref> Biography Yanow was born in New York City and grew up near Los Angeles. Since 1974, he was a regular reviewer of many jazz styles an ...

notes that Marsh played with "more fire than one would expect" in certain contexts. Marsh's rhythmically subtle lines are immediately recognizable. He has been called by Anthony Braxton "the greatest vertical improviser" (i.e., improvising that emphasizes harmony/chords more than melody). In the 1970s, he gained renewed exposure as a member of Supersax, a large ensemble which played orchestral arrangements of

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, band leader and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form ...

solos. Marsh also recorded one of his most celebrated albums, ''All Music'', with the Supersax rhythm section during this period. Marsh died of a heart attack onstage at the Los Angeles club Donte's in 1987, in the middle of playing the tune " Out of Nowhere".Warne Marsh
Peter Madsen, Allaboutjazz.com, November 2001 He left a widow, Geraldyne Marsh, and two sons, K.C. Marsh and Jason Marsh. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...

. Though he remains something of a cult figure among jazz fans and musicians, his influence has grown since his death; younger players such as Mark Turner have borrowed from his music as a way of counterbalancing the pervasive influence of John Coltrane. Marsh's discography remains somewhat scattered and elusive, as much of it was done for small labels, but more and more of his work has been issued on compact disc in recent years. A documentary is being made about him: ''Warne Marsh: An Improvised Life'', directed by his eldest son, K.C. Marsh.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

* 1952 - '' Live in Hollywood'' (

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, 1979) * 1955 - ''

Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh Lee Konitz with Warne Marsh is a 1955 studio album by jazz saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. The Atlantic catalogue number was SD 1217. It was recorded on June 14, 1955, at Coastal Studios in New York City. The album was re-released on LP b ...

'' (

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

) with

Lee Konitz Leon Konitz (October 13, 1927 – April 15, 2020) was an American composer and alto saxophonist. He performed successfully in a wide range of jazz styles, including bebop, cool jazz, and avant-garde jazz. Konitz's association with the cool jazz ...

* 1956 - '' Jazz of Two Cities'' (

Imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texa ...

) also released as ''The Winds of Marsh'' (Imperial, 1959) * 1956 - ''

Art Pepper with Warne Marsh ''Art Pepper with Warne Marsh'' is an album by alto saxophonist Art Pepper and tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh which was recorded in 1956 but not released on the Contemporary Records, Contemporary label in Japan until 1986. The rhythm section is pia ...

'' ( Contemporary, 1986) *1957 - '' The Right Combination'' (

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) with

Joe Albany Joe Albany (born Joseph Albani; January 24, 1924 – January 12, 1988) was an American modern jazz pianist who played bebop with Charlie Parker as well as being a leader on his own recordings. Life and career Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, ...

* 1957 - '' Music for Prancing'' (Mode, 1957) * 1957-58 - ''

Warne Marsh Warne Marion Marsh (October 26, 1927 – December 18, 1987) was an American tenor saxophonist. Born in Los Angeles, his playing first came to prominence in the 1950s as a protégé of pianist Lennie Tristano and earned attention in the 1970s as ...

'' (Atlantic) *1959 - ''

The Art of Improvising ''The Art of Improvising'' (subtitled ''Solo Excerpts from 1959 Sessions at the Half Note''), is a live album by saxophonist Warne Marsh recorded in 1959 and released on the Revelation label in 1974.ndian Summer" (Victor Herbert, Al Dubin) – 1:5 ...

'' ( Revelation, 1974) - excerpts with only the W. M. solos *1959 - ''

The Art of Improvising Volume 2 ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (Revelation, 1977) - excerpts with only the W. M. solos * 1959-60 - ''

Release Record Send Tape Release may refer to: * Art release, the public distribution of an artistic production, such as a film, album, or song * Legal release, a legal instrument * News release, a communication directed at the news media * Release (ISUP), a code to ident ...

'' (Wave, 1969) * 1960 - '' Jazz from the East Village'' (Wave, 1969) * 1962 - ''Live in Las Vegas, 1962'' (Naked City Jazz, 2000) * 1969 - '' Ne Plus Ultra'' (Revelation, 1970) - reissued with the same title by Hat Hut in 2006, and by Endless Happiness in 2023 * 1972 - ''

Report of the 1st Annual Symposium On Relaxed Improvisation ''Report of the 1st Annual Symposium on Relaxed Improvisation'', is an album by saxophonists Warne Marsh and Gary Foster with pianist Clare Fischer recorded in 1972 and released on the Revelation label.Clare Fischer Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorate ...

and Gary Foster * 1975 - Two not One (4CD) ( Storyville, 2017) with Lee Konitz - contains the following five records * '' Warne Marsh Quintet: Jazz Exchange Vol. 1 ( Storyville, 1975

976 Year 976 ( CMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * January 10 – Emperor John I Tzimiskes dies at Constantinople, after ret ...

with Lee Konit'' * '' Live at the Montmartre Club: Jazz Exchange Vol. 2 (Storyville, 1975

977 Year 977 ( CMLXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * May – Boris II, dethroned emperor (''tsar'') of Bulgaria, and his brother Roman ma ...

with Lee Konitz'' * '' Warne Marsh Lee Konitz: Jazz Exchange Vol. 3 (Storyville, 1975 985 with Lee Konitz later as'' ''Live at Montmartre, Vol. 3 (Storyville, 1995)'' * ''

The Unissued 1975 Copenhagen Studio Recordings ''The Unissued 1975 Copenhagen Studio Recordings'' is an album by the Warne Marsh Quartet, recorded in Denmark in late 1975 but not released on the Storyville label until 1997.

(Storyville, 1975

997 Year 997 (Roman numerals, CMXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Japan * 1 February: Empress Teishi gives birth to Princess Shushi - she is the first ...

Warne Marsh Quartet'' * ''

(Storyville, 1975

Warne Marsh trio'' * ''Marshlands (Storyville, 1975

003 003, O03, 0O3, OO3 may refer to: *003, fictional British 00 Agent *003, former emergency telephone number for the Norwegian ambulance service (until 1986) *1990 OO3, the asteroid 6131 Towen * OO3 gauge model railway *''O03 (O2)'' and other related ...

- anthology of Storyville records'' * 1976 - '' All Music'' ( Nessa, 1976) reissued by Nessa Records as CD in 2004 *1976 - ''

Lee Konitz Meets Warne Marsh Again ''Lee Konitz Meets Warne Marsh Again'' is a live album by American jazz saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh recorded at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club in 1976 and released on the Pausa label.Pausa In linguistics, pausa (Latin for 'break', from Greek παῦσις, ''pausis'' 'stopping, ceasing') is the hiatus between prosodic declination units. The concept is somewhat broad, as it is primarily used to refer to allophones that occur in cer ...

Records in 1977, 1978 and 1984 * 1976 - '' Tenor Gladness'' (Discomate, 1976) with Lew Tabackin * 1977 - '' Warne Out'' (

Interplay Interplay may refer to: * Interplay (John Coltrane album), ''Interplay'' (John Coltrane album), 1957 * Interplay (Bill Evans album), ''Interplay'' (Bill Evans album), 1962 * Interplay (Al Haig album), ''Interplay'' (Al Haig album), 1976 * Interpla ...

, 1977) * 1977-79 ''Noteworthy (''Discovery, 1988) plus three tracks recordend in 1956 * 1978 - ''

Apogee An apsis (; ) is the farthest or nearest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. For example, the apsides of the Earth are called the aphelion and perihelion. General description There are two apsides in any ellip ...

'' (

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Di ...

, 1978) with Pete Christlieb * 1978 - '' Conversations with Warne Volume 1'' ( Criss Cross, 1991) with Pete Christlieb *1978 - '' Conversations with Warne Volume 2'' (Criss Cross Jazz, 1991) with Pete Christlieb * 1976/79 ''-

How Deep, How High ''How Deep, How High'', is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh and pianist Sal Mosca recorded in concert in 1976 and studio in 1979 and released on the Interplay label.

'' (Interplay, 1980) with Sal Mosca * 1980 - ''Berlin 1980'' (Gambit, 2006) * 1980 - ''I Got a Good One for You'' (Storyville, 1999) - reissued as ''In Copenhagen'' (Storyville, 2007) * 1980 - ''Red Mitchell/Warne Marsh Big Two'' (Storyville, 1987) * 1980 - ''Red Mitchell-Warne Marsh Big Two, Vol. 2'' (Storyville, 1998) * 1980 - ''Duo Live at Sweet Basil 1980'' ( Fresh Sound, 2004) * 1980 - '' I Remember You...'' ( Spotlite) with Karin Krog and

Red Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992) was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. Biography Mitchell was born in New York City. His younger brother, Whitey Mitchell, also became a jazz ba ...

* 1982.08 - ''

Star Highs ''Star Highs'', is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh which was recorded in 1982 and released on the Dutch Criss Cross Jazz label.Warne Marsh Meets Gary Foster Warne may refer to: *Warne (car), British 4-wheeled cyclecar made 1913-1915 *Warne (river), a river of Lower Saxony, Germany *Warne, North Carolina, an unincorporated community of North Carolina, United States *Warne, Victoria, a town in Victoria, ...

'' ( East Wind, 1982) with Gary Foster * 1982.08 - '' A Ballad Album'' (Criss Cross, 1983) with Lou Levy * 1983.05 - ''In Norway_Sax of A Kind'' (Hot Club Records, 1983) * 1985.03 - '' Posthumous'' (Interplay, 1989) released with additional tracks as ''Newly Warne'' (Storyville, 1989) * 1985.12 - ''

Ballad for You ''Ballad for You'', is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh and pianist Susan Chen recorded in 1985 and released on the Interplay label.

'' (Interplay, 1995) with Susan Chen * 1986.01 - '' Warne Marsh & Susan Chen'' (Interplay, 1987) with Susan Chen * 1986.03 - '' Back Home'' (Criss Cross, 1986) * 1987.06 - '' Two Days in the Life of...'' (Interplay, 1987) reissued by Storyville in 1989 and by AbsordMusic in 2010 * 1987.09 - ''For the Time Being'' (

Hot Club Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing, jazz manouche or hot club-style jazz) is a style of small-group jazz originating from the Romani guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910–53), in conjunction with the French swing violinist Stéphane G ...

, 1988) * 1987.10 - ''Final Interplay'' (JAZZBANK/Five Spot, 2004) * 1987.12 - ''Personnel Statement'' (JAZZBANK/Archives, 2002)

As co-leader/sideman

With

Elek Bacsik Elek Bacsik (22 May 1926 – 14 February 1993) was a Hungarian-American jazz guitarist and violinist. He was the cousin of guitarist Django Reinhardt. Career Bacsik was born in Budapest, Hungary. He was the son of Árpád Bacsik and Erzséb ...

* 1975 - ''Bird and Dizzy – a Musical Tribute'' (Flying Dutchman, 1975) With

Chet Baker Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter and vocalist. He is known for major innovations in cool jazz that led him to be nicknamed the "Prince of Cool". Baker earned much attention and ...

* ''

Blues for a Reason ''Blues for a Reason'' is an album by trumpeter Chet Baker which was recorded in 1984 and released by Criss Cross Jazz.Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

* ''

Crosscurrents ''CrossCurrents'' is a quarterly academic journal published by the Association for Public Religion and Intellectual Life (before 1990, it was published by the Convergence). Now published as a peer-reviewed academic journalAccording to the journal ...

'' (Fantasy, 1977) With

Clare Fischer Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorate ...

* 1967 - ''Duality'' (Trend/Discovery DS-807, 1980) * 1967 - '' Thesaurus'' (Atlantic, 1969) With

* 1949 - ''

Subconscious-Lee ''Subconscious-Lee'' is a jazz album by Lee Konitz although a few tracks were issued on 78rpm under Lennie Tristano's name. It was recorded in 1949 and 1950, and released on the Prestige label (originally as PRLP 7004 in 12" LP format in 1955Nea ...

'' (Prestige, 1950) * 1959 - '' Live at the Half Note'' (Verve, 1994) * 1959 - ''

Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre ''Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Lee Konitz and saxophonist, composer and arranger Jimmy Giuffre which was released on the Verve label in 1959.Crosscurrents ''CrossCurrents'' is a quarterly academic journal published by the Association for Public Religion and Intellectual Life (before 1990, it was published by the Convergence). Now published as a peer-reviewed academic journalAccording to the journal ...

'' (Capitol, 1972) * 1949 ''- Lennie Tristano Quintet Live At Birdland 1949'' (Jazz Records, 1979) * 1951 - ''Chicago April 1951'' (Uptown, 2014) * 1952 - ''Quintet Live In Toronto 1952'' (Jazz records, 1982) * 1958 - ''Continuity'' (Jazz Records, 1985) * 1955-62 ''- The Complete Atlantic Recordings Of Lennie Tristano, Lee Konitz & Warne Marsh'' (Mosaic, 1997) (6CD Box set) Contains ''Lee Konitz & Warne Marsh'' (1955)'','' ''Warne Marsh'' (1958) plus other without Marsh

References

External links