Music
Press
"Osteen makes it believable, channeling Mose Allison and giving ]"I Love Being Here with You"] pizzazz out the patoozy. . . . Both the piano and bass are always solid, melodic and tasteful. . . . "Tippin'" . . . gives a taste of Mack's terrific chops. . . . Whether you're from the city or the country, the album has plenty to like." - Baltimore Jazz Alliance Newsletter
In a review of the compilation CD BALTIMORE JAZZSCAPES, Edward Blanco of jazzreview.com writes: "I just loved the Brian B. Smith original 'Imagine That' by The Cold Spring Jazz Quartet showcasing a torrid tenor solo by Mark Osteen." - Jazzreview.com
Discography
URBAN PASTORAL (2008)
SAME PLACE. DIFFERENT TIME (2003)
One track, "Imagine That" included on 2006 compilation CD entitled BALTIMORE JAZZSCAPES
Photos
Bio
Since 1995 Cold Spring Jazz Quartet has appeared regularly in nightclubs, restaurants and concert venues in the Baltimore-Washington area, winning a broad and loyal following. Led by vocalist/saxophonist/music historian Mark Osteen, CSJQ sprinkles their performances with quirky anecdotes and jazz-history notes. Their repertoire
offers a wide range of musical flavors and influences, from blues, bop and gospel, to Latin jazz, standards and sparkling modern originals. And unlike most mainstream jazz group, CSJQ blends instrumental selections with Osteen’s stylish vocals. Thus the group can create a variety of different sounds and moods—from a swing-and-standards combo to a bebop group or blues band or an all-originals modern jazz ensemble—depending upon the audience and venue.
Favorite recent club engagements have included regular stints at the Celebrities Lounge, Tug’s Bar and Grille and Ixia Restaurant. Recent private peformances have included Evergreen Museum’s gala, Stella Maris’s annual wine-tasting event, and a featured concert and lecture at the Engineer’s Club’s Jammin’ at the Mansion series.
In June, 2008 CSJQ released their latest CD, Urban Pastoral, which showcases the group’s versatility and range of influences. The selections on this, the band’s second disc, spotlights their contemporary polish while also paying tribute to their roots in bebop and blues.
The “city” side opens with Peggy Lee’s “I Love Being Here with You,” featuring
Osteen’s insouciant vocal. The next five tracks offer a variety of urban sounds, reaching from Latin jazz (such as Gary Kerner’s samba, “Highpockets,” and a smoking rendition of Jobim’s “Favela” ) and bebop (“Hackensack,” “Tippin’”) to the risque blues of “Doodlin,’” which again spotlights Osteen’s sassy singing. The “country” side presents a set of sharp original compositions—pianist Brian Smith’s samba “Perception,” and driving hard bop tune “The Big ‘C,’” Osteen’s ballad “Fallow,” and multi-rhythmic piece “Black Olive”—punctuated by two standards: a snappy take on “Is You Is” and a lyrical duo version of “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”
Contact Mark Osteen (410-339-7721) or e-mail mlcost33@comcast.net for further information or to book an engagement. For photos, upcoming engagements, and more music, please visit our website: http://www.coldspringjazz.com.
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