Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra/Quartet/Trio/Duo
Gig Seeker Pro

Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra/Quartet/Trio/Duo

Baltimore, Maryland, United States | INDIE

Baltimore, Maryland, United States | INDIE
Band Jazz

Calendar

Music

Press


"Press Highlights"

Voted a Rising Star in 62nd Annual Critics Poll for “clarinet” and “miscellaneous instrument” categories.
--- Downbeat, July 2014

"Baltimore-based Todd Marcus, the virtuoso bass clarinetist and composer, is a master of straight-ahead jazz.”
--- Baltimore Sun, January 2014

"...two weeks ago, Todd Marcus prooved again what a beast he is on the bass clarinet.”
--- Michael J. West, DC City Paper, September 2013

Voted a Rising Star in 61st Annual Critics Poll for “clarinet” and “miscellaneous instrument” categories.
--- Downbeat, August 2013

"It's the unbridled ferocity with which [Marcus] plays that makes [his album Inheritance] stand out. From the beginning, the disc is an explosion of straightahead jazz, with superb supporting roles played by the rest of his band."
--- Downbeat, January 2013

"Marcus' mastery of the regular clarinet...turns the licorice stick into an instrument of power and expressiveness."
--- Jazz Times, December 2012

"One of the best albums of 2012...Displaying the [bass clarinet's] ability to sound crisp and clear, Marcus swings through a set of modern tunes that are equally joyful and engaging. Slight influence of Middle East music just adds to the intrigue. Straight-ahead jazz, but nothing straight-forward about it. An album that keeps getting better to my ears with each subsequent listen."
--- Dave Sumner, Bird is the Worm, Top 20 Jazz Albums of 2012

"Here's a record [Inheritance] with a lot of hidden layers...
It's distinct and studied but merges into the modern mainstream."
--- Patrick Jarenwattananon, NPR, Top 10 Jazz Albums of 2012

“The [bass clarinet] has been used for freewheeling, wailing improvisation in free jazz (c.f. Eric Dolphy) and fusion (c.f. Bennie Maupin). But it has rarely been used for playing well-defined melodies at brisk tempos, and that’s where Marcus has broken new ground.”
--- Geoffrey Himes, Baltimore City Paper, November 2012

“[Inheritance] shines a much brighter spotlight on Marcus’ improvising – hard-nosed and rhythmic and almost always revelatory.”
--- Giovanni Russonello, CapitolBop.com, November 2012

“I’m impressed with [Marcus’] approach and imagination, not to mention his technique.”
--- John Poses, Columbia Daily Tribune, November 2012

“[an] incredible bass clarinet player, arranger, and composer”
--- The Urbanite, February 2012

“Todd Marcus, a musical autodidact, plays the clarinet and bass clarinet (rarities in the jazz world) with a sharp ease. His tidy but sprawled-out compositions have a similar preternatural comfort about them. As a result his swingin’ punchy post-bop often comes off both comforting and challenging.”
--- CapitolBop.com, July 2011

“The bass clarinetist’s original tunes and the top-notch, lively musicians in the orchestra
deliver one of the most satisfying big-band sounds in the region.”
--- Baltimore City Paper, January 5, 2011

“Marcus has deftly helmed [a] nine-piece orchestra, which features some of the region’s more notable players.”
--- Baltimore Sun, October 20, 2011

“…masterfully performed solos…If you need to get your blood pumping, this [music] will fit the bill.”
--- Examiner.com, November 26, 2010

“Powerful, intricate jazz flowing through a bass clarinet”
--- The B Daily, February 2010

“One of the area’s finest jazz musicians.”
--- The Baltimore Times, September 2008

"... one of the finest [CDs] to come out in late 2006….a fabulous ear and brain cleaner.
We dug the freshness of the approach...Truly refreshing in a world of sameness."
--- Linda Yohn, WEMU Music Director, February 2007

“Todd Marcus shows a lot of promise with his exciting recording debut as a leader.”
--- All Music, February 2007

“[Marcus] was self taught as an arranger and player. In one respect you’d never guess this was the case, for his music is organized, balanced and mature. On the other hand, there is a fire, which resonates on this recording. His bass clarinet playing has an original sound, and his arranging has a style of his own…[The band’s] energy is awesome and the ensemble has a bright future.
--- Rich Holland, Jazz Radio 247.com, February 2007

“With his melodic imagination and technical aptitude on an unorthodox horn,
Marcus has something truly new and personal to offer.”
--- David R. Adler, contributing writer, Jazz Times

“While the bass clarinet has been used often since Dolphy, it is typically used by a saxophonist or clarinetist as a second or third instrument…Very few performers have used the instrument exclusively, but one such performer is the Baltimore-based American musician and bandleader Todd Marcus.”
--- Wikipedia Encyclopedia, entry on “Bass Clarinet”

"[T]he Baltimore-based Marcus has fashioned a career on the bass clarinet of blending traditional bebop and swing with some world music touches that make him deserving of wider recognition. A sampling of his CD, "In Pursuit of the 9th Man," on HiPNOTIC Records label shows off his skills as a composer and arranger as well as a musician."
--- Jazzreview.com, October 2005 - assorted


Discography

Inheritance - Todd Marcus Quartet (2012)
In Pursuit of the 9th Man - Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra (2006)
Black & White - Russell Kirk Quintet (2006)
Stories In Real Time - Darryl Harper Octet (2009)
Be Happy - Delandria Mills Group (2010)
Captain Black Big Band - Orrin Evans (2011)

Photos

Bio

Bass clarinetist, composer, and bandleader Todd Marcus is one of the few jazz artists worldwide to focus exclusively on the bass clarinet as a solo instrument. 

While use of bass clarinet in jazz typically tends to lean heavily towards avant-garde and free-jazz styles, Marcus’ playing presents the instrument with a modern straight-ahead jazz approach. His music swings hard with both fiery and introspective intensity but also maintains a strong lyrical sensibility.   

Based in Baltimore, MD, Marcus actively leads small ensembles such as the Todd Marcus Quartet, Trio, and Duo as well as his nonet - The Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra which features his compositions and arrangements for six horns, piano, bass, and drums.

Self taught in jazz theory and composition, Marcus’ compositions draw largely on straight-ahead jazz and classical influences but over recent years have also increasingly explored the Middle-Eastern sounds from his Egyptian-American heritage.  His work includes international performances, clinics, and radio play and he has worked with other jazz artists such as Bennie Maupin, Don Byron, Larry Willis, Ralph Peterson, Odean Pope, Tim Warfield, Sean Jones, George Colligan, Orrin Evans, Joel Frahm, Xavier Davis, Mike Formanek, and Gary Thomas. 

Marcus was also a featured guest at the 1st World Bass Clarinet Convention in Rotterdam, Holland where his work was recognized for both his compositions and unique solo voice.

Marcus balances his music career by running Newborn Holistic Ministries, a nonprofit addressing poverty related issues in his Baltimore, Maryland neighborhood. The organization runs an art program providing children and adults with alternatives to drugs and violence in the community, a recovery program for women overcoming drug addiction and homelessness, and has achieved significant community revitalization by renovating abandoned buildings and vacant lots. 

For full bio visit: www.toddmarcusjazz.com

Band Members