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
Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation.
Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New Yo ...
and earned attention in the 1970s as a member of
Supersax
Supersax was an American jazz group, created in 1972 by saxophonist Med Flory and bassist Buddy Clark as a tribute to saxophonist Charlie Parker. The group's music consisted of harmonized arrangements of Parker's improvisations played by a saxoph ...
.
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
Mae Marsh (born Mary Wayne Marsh; November 9, 1894U.S. Census records for 1900, El Paso, Texas, Sheet No. 6 – February 13, 1968) was an American film actress with a career spanning over 50 years.
Early life
Mae Marsh was born Mary Wayne M ...
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
Leonard Joseph Tristano (March 19, 1919 – November 18, 1978) was an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, and teacher of jazz improvisation.
Tristano studied for bachelor's and master's degrees in music in Chicago before moving to New Yo ...
. 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 licks 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 li ...
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 a ...
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
Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945) is an American experimental composer, educator, music theorist, improviser and multi-instrumentalist who is best known for playing saxophones, particularly the alto. Braxton grew up on the South Side of Ch ...
"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
Supersax was an American jazz group, created in 1972 by saxophonist Med Flory and bassist Buddy Clark as a tribute to saxophonist Charlie Parker. The group's music consisted of harmonized arrangements of Parker's improvisations played by a saxoph ...
, 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, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...
.
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
John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music.
Born and raise ...
. Marsh's
discography
Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...
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.
979
Year 979 ( CMLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Byzantine Empire
* March 24 – Second Battle of Pankaleia: An Ibero-Byzantine expeditionary ...
*''
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 ...
, 1955) 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 j ...
* ''
Jazz of Two Cities
''Jazz of Two Cities'', is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh recorded in 1956 and originally released on the Imperial label.Edwards, D. & Chapman, MImperial Album Discography, Part 2 (1956–1958): LPs 9001-9050accessed May 12, 2017
'' (
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, Texas
...
, 1956) also released as ''The Winds of Marsh''
* ''
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 label in Japan until 1986. The rhythm section is pianist Ronnie Ball, bass ...
'' (
Contemporary
Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...
, 1956
986
Year 986 ( CMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* August 17 – Battle of the Gates of Trajan: Emperor Basil II leads a Byz ...
with
Art Pepper
Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was know ...
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, A ...
* ''
Music for Prancing
''Music for Prancing'' is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh recorded in 1957 and originally released on the Mode label.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 ...
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities.
Background
Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...
The Art of Improvising Volume 2
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
'' (Revelation, 1959
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 m ...
969
Year 969 ( CMLXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 1st millennium, the 69th ...
969
Year 969 ( CMLXIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 1st millennium, the 69th ...
* ''
Ne Plus Ultra
NE, Ne or ne may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Neutral Evil, an alignment in the American role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''
* New Edition, an American vocal group
* Nicomachean Ethics, a collection of ten books by Greek philosopher Ar ...
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 ...
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 m ...
985
Year 985 ( CMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* Summer – Henry II (the Wrangler) is restored as duke of Bavaria by Empress Theoph ...
997
Year 997 ( 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 child of the ...
997
Year 997 ( 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 child of the ...
* ''
All Music
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
'' (
Nessa
Nessa Diab, known mononymously as Nessa, is an American radio and TV personality and television host.
Early life and education
Nessa was born to an Egyptian father and mother. She has two brothers. She grew up in Southern California but her ...
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 ce ...
, 1976) with Lee Konitz
* ''
Tenor Gladness
''Tenor Gladness'', is an album by saxophonists Lew Tabackin and Warne Marsh recorded in 1976 and originally released on the Japanese Disco Mate label before being released in the U. S. on Inner City Records.Godwin, MDiscography of Warne Marion M ...
'' (Discomate, 1976) with
Lew Tabackin
Lewis Barry Tabackin (born March 26, 1940) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and flutist. He is married to pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi with whom he has co-led large ensembles since the 1970s.
Biography
Tabackin started learning flute at age ...
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 el ...
Pete Christlieb
Pete Christlieb (born February 16, 1945) is an American jazz bebop, West Coast jazz and hard bop tenor saxophonist.
Biography
Christlieb was born in Los Angeles, California, United States, and is the son of bassoonist Don Christlieb. Christlieb ...
991
Year 991 ( CMXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
* March 1: In Rouen, Pope John XV ratifies the first Truce of God, between Æthelred the Unready and Richard I of ...
with Pete Christlieb
*''
Conversations with Warne Volume 2
''Conversations with Warne Volume 2'' is an album by saxophonist Pete Christlieb's Quartet featuring Warne Marsh which was recorded in 1978 and released on the Dutch Criss Cross Jazz label in 1991.991
Year 991 ( CMXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
* March 1: In Rouen, Pope John XV ratifies the first Truce of God, between Æthelred the Unready and Richard I of ...
980
Year 980 (Roman numerals, CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place Europe
* Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto II (the ...
with
Sal Mosca
Salvatore Joseph Mosca (April 27, 1927 – July 28, 2007) was an American jazz pianist who was a student of Lennie Tristano.
Mosca was born in Mount Vernon, New York, United States, to Italian American parents. He worked in cool jazz and post-bo ...
Karin Krog
Karin Krog (born 15 May 1937) is a Norwegian jazz singer.
Life and career
Krog began singing jazz as a teenager and attracted attention while performing in jam sessions in Oslo. In 1955, she was hired by the pianist Kjell Karlsen to sing in ...
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 b ...
East Wind
An east wind is a wind that originates in the east and blows in a westward direction. This wind is referenced as symbolism in mythology, poetry and literature.
In mythology
In Greek mythology, Eurus, the east wind, was the only wind not associate ...
, 1982) with Gary Foster
* ''
A Ballad Album
''A Ballad Album'', is an album by saxophonist Warne Marsh which was recorded in 1983 and released on the Dutch Criss Cross Jazz label.
Reception
The Allmusic review states:
Track listing
# " I Can't Give You Anything but Love, Baby" (Jim ...
Posthumous
Posthumous may refer to:
* Posthumous award - an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death
* Posthumous publication – material published after the author's death
* ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987
* ''Posthumous'' ...
'' (Interplay, 1985 987 released with additional tracks as ''Newly Warne'' (Storyville, 1985
989
Year 989 ( CMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* Emperor Basil II uses his contingent of 6,000 Varangians to help him defeat ...
* '' Ballad for You'' (Interplay, 1985 995 with Susan Chen
* '' Warne Marsh & Susan Chen'' (Interplay, 1985 987 with Susan Chen
* '' Back Home'' (Criss Cross, 1986)
* '' Two Days in the Life of...'' (Interplay, 1987)
* ''Red Mitchell/Warne Marsh Big Two'' (Storyville, 1987)
* ''Live at the Montmartre Club: Jazz Exchange, Vol. 3'' (Storyville, 1987)
* ''For the Time Being'' ( Hot Club, 1990)
* ''Live at Montmartre, Vol. 3'' (Storyville, 1995)
* ''Red Mitchell-Warne Marsh Big Two, Vol. 2'' (Storyville, 1998)
* ''I Got a Good One for You'' (Storyville, 2000)
* ''Live in Las Vegas, 1962'' (Naked City Jazz, 2000)
* ''Personnel Statement'' (3D, 2002)
* ''Marshlands'' (Storyville, 2003)
* ''Final Interplay'' ( Why Not, 2004)
* ''Duo Live at Sweet Basil 1980'' (
Fresh Sound
Fresh Sound, or Fresh Sound New Talent, is a jazz record label established in Barcelona, Spain, by Jordi Pujol. The label was initially founded as a reissue label.
The catalog includes work by musicians both major and minor that was recorded be ...
With Elek Bacsik
* ''Bird and Dizzy – a Musical Tribute'' (Flying Dutchman, 1875)
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
* ''
Thesaurus
A thesaurus (plural ''thesauri'' or ''thesauruses'') or synonym dictionary is a reference work for finding synonyms and sometimes antonyms of words. They are often used by writers to help find the best word to express an idea:
Synonym dictionar ...
'' (Atlantic, 1969)
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 j ...
* ''
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 1955N ...
994
Year 994 ( CMXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Byzantine Empire
* September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid forces, under Turkish gener ...