Charlie Mariano

Charlie Mariano - Cascade - 1974 - Keytone (Netherlands)

The late Charlie Mariano was a very talented musician who played with the best, including Stan Kenton, his wife,Toshiko Akiyoshi, Charles Mingus, Eberhard Weber, the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble and many other notable musicians. Charlie Parker was a major influence on Charlie Mariano's playing style. Mariano formed the fusion group Osmosis in 1967, where his music developed into a "world" style, that encompassed rock, folk, and "ethno-fusion". "Cascade" is an obscure but good jazz funk fusion LP featuring Philip Catherine on guitar and Chris Hinze on flute. It's a good example of his mid seventies style. Listen to Embryo's great 1973 "We Keep On" album featuring Charlie Mariano on sax. Charlie Mariano's "Reflections" album can be found @ CHARLMARI/REF and Philip Catherine's "Guitars" album @ PHILCATH/GU

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Suite of the Festival (Chris Hinze) 5:01
Harriet (John Lee) 6:28
Quest (John Lee) 4:08
Electric Funk Jungle (Charlie Mariano) 5:46
Cascade (Charlie Mariano) 5:31
Piece for Banjo and Kazoo (Charlie Mariano) 9:00
Locus (John Lee) 4:22

MUSICIANS

Charlie Mariano – alto & soprano saxophones, indian wooden flutes, nagaswaram
Philip Catherine – spanish guitar, electric guitar
Michael Samson – electric guitar
John Lee – bass, fender bass
Rob van den Broeck – piano, fender piano
Jasper van't Hof – fender piano, organ
Gerry Brown – drums, percussion
Chris Hinze – flute

BIO

Born: November 12, 1923, Boston, MA Died: June 16, 2009, Cologne, Germany. Charlie Mariano's career can easliy be divided into two. Early on he was a fixture in Boston, playing with Shorty Sherock (1948), Nat Pierce (1949-50) and his own groups. After gigging with a band co-led by Chubby Jackson and Bill Harris, Mariano toured with Stan Kenton's Orchestra (1953-55) which gave him a strong reputation. He moved to Los Angeles in 1956 (working with Shelly Manne and other West Coast jazz stars), returned to Boston to teach in 1958 at Berklee and the following year had a return stint with Kenton. After marrying Toshiko Akiyoshi, Mariano co-led a group with the pianist on and off up to 1967, living in Japan during part of the time and also working with Charles Mingus (1962-63). The second career began with the formation of his early fusion group Osmosis in 1967. Known at the time as a strong bop altoist with a sound of his own developed out of the Charlie Parker style, Mariano began to open his music up to the influences of folk music from other cultures, pop and rock. He taught again at Berklee, traveled to India and the Far East and in the early '70s settled in Europe. Among the groups Mariano has worked with have been Pork Pie (which also featured Philip Catherine), the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble and Eberhard Weber's Colours. Charlie Mariano's airy tones on soprano and the nagaswaram (an Indian instrument a little like an oboe) fit right in on some new agey ECM sessions and he also recorded as a leader through the years for Imperial, Prestige, Bethlehem, World Pacific, Candid (with Toshiko Akiyoshi in 1960), Regina, Atlantic, Catalyst, MPS, CMP, Leo and Calig among others. © Scott Yanow, All Music Guide