Mark Whitfield

Mark Whitfield ‎- 7th Ave. Stroll - 1995 - Verve Records

A talented guitarist influenced by George Benson and versatile enough to play straight-ahead jazz or R&B, Mark Whitfield was originally a bassist. At 15 he switched to guitar and soon won a scholarship to Berklee. After graduating from Berklee in 1987, he temporarily moved to Brooklyn and appeared at many sessions. George Benson suggested he work for Jack McDuff and that association was a big break for Mark. He has since recorded as a leader for Warner Bros. and Verve, and as a sideman with many players including Jimmy Smith, Nicholas Payton, Ray Brown, and Courtney Pine.

"7th Ave. Stroll" is a critically acclaimed album in the jazz guitar world. Mark plays with a rhythmic and harmonic complexity in piano-like fashion. His melodic lines have an angular quality adding an exciting feel to his playing. Drummer Gregory Hutchinson, plays in rhythmic unison with Mark, and Christian McBride and Dave Holland's bass work is perfectly suited to Mark's playing style. Stephen Scott and Tommy Flanagan's piano playing is superb. "Harlem Nocturne" is covered brilliantly, but all the tracks are great. The album includes seven Mark Whitfield originals. A great album and a wonderful example of the sophistication of the guitar in contemporary jazz. The album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. For music in the same vein, check out the early work of the incomporable George Benson, Larry Coryell, and the late Emily Remler. Buy Mark's "True Blue" album and support great jazz guitar [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 151 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Washington Square Thoroughfare - Mark Whitfield 5:45
2 Harlem Nocturne - Earle H. Hagen, R. Rogers 8:10
3 7th Ave. Stroll - Mark Whitfield 6:44
4 A Brooklyn Love - Mark Whitfield 6:59
5 Businessman's Bounce - Mark Whitfield 6:47
6 Spring In Manhattan - A.S. Reach, Alice Scanlan Reach, Anthony James Scibetta, Anthony Scibetta 6:47
7 Sunday In New York- Earle H. Hagen, R. Rogers 5:38
8 The Bowery Blues - Mark Whitfield 4:55
9 Sunset At Waterside - Mark Whitfield 6:23
10 Headin' To The Wes'side - Mark Whitfield 4:45
11 Autumn In New York - Vernon Duke 5:39

MUSICIANS

Mark Whitfield - Guitar (tracks: 1 to 11)
Christian McBride - Bass (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10),
Dave Holland - Bass (tracks: 2, 5, 7, 9, 11)
Stephen Scott - Piano (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10),
Tommy Flanagan - Piano (tracks: 2, 5, 7, 9, 11)
Gregory Hutchinson - Drums (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10)
Al Foster - Drums (tracks: 2, 5, 7, 9, 11)

BIO (WIKI)

Mark Whitfield (c. 1967) is an American hard bop and soul-jazz guitarist born in Syosset, New York, probably better known for his recordings as bandleader for both the Verve and Warner Bros. Records record labels. He has worked with Jack McDuff, Jimmy Smith, Courtney Pine and Nicholas Payton, Chris Botti, among others. Mark Whitfield graduated from Boston's Berklee College of Music, the institute for the study of Jazz and modern American music, in the Spring of 1987 having studied composition and arranging as well as all styles of guitar performance. Upon graduation, he returned to his native New York to embark on a career as a jazz guitarist that afforded him the opportunity to collaborate with many artists including Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Clark Terry, Jimmy Smith, Carmen McRae, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Jack McDuff, Betty Carter, Shirley Horn, Ray Charles, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, Joe Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Stanley Turrentine and his greatest teacher and mentor George Benson. Along the way, the New York Times dubbed Whitfield "The Best Young Guitarist in the Business" and in September 1990 Warner Bros. released his solo debut, "The Marksman". The success of this release has led to a recording career that has produced 14 solo projects to date and collaborative efforts with important artists in recent years: Sting, D'Angelo, Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, John Mayer, Jill Scott, Roy Hargrove, Diana Krall, Lauryn Hill, Sy Smith and Chris Botti. In September 2005, Mark Whitfield accepted the invitation to join the faculty at his alma mater, teaming up with Joe Lovano, Ralph Peterson, Danilo Perez and Terri Lyne Carrington as "Artists in Residence" at the Berklee School. While maintaining a teaching schedule that requires his presence on campus 1 day a week for 14 weeks/per semester, and a touring schedule that includes at least 100 concert dates/per year with trumpeter Chris Botti, Whitfield still manages to remain active as a solo artist and 2008-2009 will see the release of his latest solo effort; a Stevie Wonder tribute entitled "Songs Of Wonder" and 2 collaborative projects with long time friends Christian McBride and Nicholas Payton. In 2000, Whitfield released an instructional guitar video titled Mark Whitfield: Star Licks Master Sessions, for Star Licks Productions.