Steve Marcus

[rico royale]

NEW HOPE, Pa. (AP) -- Steve Marcus, a jazz saxophonist who recorded and toured with Stan Kenton, Herbie Mann and Buddy Rich, died Sunday. He was 66.

Marcus died in his sleep at his home in New Hope, family members said.

He was a pioneer of the jazz fusion movement of the late 1960s, a musical movement that combined elements of rock 'n' roll and jazz.

Marcus had been touring lately with the quintet ''Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies,'' a tribute band to the music of Buddy Rich, said fellow saxophonist Andy Fusco, a member of the group.

Several of Marcus' recordings have been recently reissued, including ''The Count's Rock Band,'' and ''Tomorrow Never Knows,'' which garnered five stars from Down Beat Magazine when it was released, Fusco said.

[jazzbluescat]

I first heard him with Kenton(early 60s?), but he really shined in Buddy Rich's group. He was a tailor-made big band soloist, doing his thing with all those horn wailing behind him. Rich gave him space to shine though.

RIP Steve Marcus.

[Tim Price]

RIP STEVE~

I am bummed out about this.

In a fair world...Marcus woulda had his own band. Very much the way John Klemmer or Brecker etc do.
He founded a way of playing that was going on in the mid 60s. I saw him on TV with Stan Kenton in the 60s and he absoultly killed it. Later at Berklee I heard "jazz in the classroon " records he was on & realized he played this way from the jump. For my taste he was more real than others, his message was there. NOT,,just notes but a passion and a true message in every solo.

As the old cats would say - HE WAS REACHING FOR SOMETHING.

HE WAS A COOL GUY TOO. <played the same Link all his life>

I just saw him in March. I am stunned at this sad news.
Time to pull out " COUNTS ROCK BAND" and remember a master.

What a drag#!@#$~@$~@# 66 is to young.,

[DD]

Bad news indeed. I remember his intensity with the Kenton band in 1963 - I was 19 and he wasn't much older - really got my attention (and had the ability to hold it, too). At Berklee the following summer, Joe V. asked me who I listened to, and I mentioned Steve's name. Joe just glowed with that smile of his, and said "You know Steve? He's one of my guys!" Reunion time for them. We're all just "sound in time" anyway - make the most of it.

[T.S.]

I'll never forget the first time I heard "Call To The Higher Consiousness" off the "Barefoot Boy" LP back in the Early 70's on The Long Gone KFML FM free form radio station back in Denver..(Hooked me so bad, I made myself go out and buy the LP) Simple, but so full of magic...It absolutely blew me away...I loved his soprano playing...
Sad it is, to lose such artists.

[Tim Price]

In thinking about Steve Marcus' passing and the effects that he had on this music. I wonder how many people would think of him as a component in early Mike Mantler "Escalator Over The Hill" projects with Carla Bley. Or in 1965 or 66 playing hair raising Coltrane-esque tenor with Stan Kenton's more progressive bands with Dee Barton on drums. That band should be talked about in the same breath as Maria Schneider's and Gil Evans from a stepping over the dotted line standpoint. Marcus was also one of the first guys playing Soprano in some of those situations...and with his own concept and sound.

The other thing that I thought of immediately was I used to go everynight when he played Coryell at the Jazz Workshop in Boston. One night on a Saturday I came in with my horn cause I had an early strip lounge gig I had no intention of asking to sit in or even getting close to the bandstand with my horn. I had talked to Steve a lot that week as well as Larry. Steve saw I was carrying my horn and said "Just come up and play something" realizing that even though I was way out of my league - the learning experience would carry me for the rest of my life. I learned something that day from Steve Marcus I also learned that everytime you play, the next day is even better and theres even more to learn. But if you don't take the chance you'll never realize some of the things you're trying to accomplish, or need to.

I remember once with Coryell Marcus played so incredibly on Larry's music and I couldn't for the life of me why he never got the proper kudos from the jazz press. In a way, he should've been bigger than anyone considering he was one of the originators and propagaters of that genre.

Marcus was smart, he made a living as a musician, he made people around him feel like playing. Some of the best times I saw Buddy Rich in later years was when Steve Marcus started to play and turned the heat up so high, that you could see Buddy smiling and digging that they were going to be getting into something. Not only was Steve a great exciting player, but he had what all great jazz musicians should have...HE KNEW HOW TO PLAY A BALLAD.

In the world of jazz, a loss like this is a direct hit to the music...there's a lot of great guys out there today playing the instrument...but the muscularity and creative spark of a Steve Marcus will sorely be missed. This guy never headlined at any major jazz festivals, he was never spoke of by the hipper than hip ninkumpoop jazz critics when they spoke of tenor players. BUT - what he did was something even greater than that...he played everyday with a leader that would never accept anything less than bloodcurdling solos. He also traveled with Coryell city to city in a van and stationwagon playing the clubs that are only talked about anymore, that hired jazz six nights a week. I can confess for one seeing him night to night that this guy never missed. I never saw him reaching in reed boxes and dealing with I can't find a reed, I never saw him step on the bandstand looking like he didn't want to play, what I saw was a guy who HAD TO PLAY. He had no other choice in life, that was his destiny. and that my friends is something that no critic or jazz magazine has any control over. That's why since hearing Steve Marcus when I was a kid in the 60's , I followed every note and every step of his career I could. This man had a destiny...and it was adding something to the music and the saxophone. and he sure did and we are all lucky for it.

It's a drag not to have someone like that on the scene anymore - 66 is such a young age. I've been thinking about it all day long and talking with friends and everybody agrees this was one bad cat. I would love to have somebody put out the recordings he did with Chris Swansons big band which included Phil Woods, Bobby Porcelli, Lew Tabackin, and others including Marcus.
He lived not far from me, in New Hope, PA which was at one point in the 60's a musicians community. He was a road rat who was never home - an unbelievable player who I doubt anybody will ever forget.

[dolphyo]

WOW! wonderful words and praises for such an underdog in a rough business. really, these flowers and accolades would have done much to better Steve Marcus while he was still walking the earth but now? i heared a little of the older stuff but didn't Bob Theile Red Baron label give Steve room to blow with it's labels roster for a while anyway? nice work with a strange mix of people.

[Tim Price]

WOW! wonderful words and praises for such an underdog in a rough business. really, these flowers and accolades would have done much to better Steve Marcus while he was still walking the earth but now? i heared a little of the older stuff but didn't Bob Theile Red Baron label give Steve room to blow with it's labels roster for a while anyway? nice work with a strange mix of people.

dolphyo- the flowers WERE delivered via 2 Cd reviews I did on Marcus music in Sax Journal when they were released. The one had Smitty Smith on it and John Hicks. Steve was playing " Like Sonny" and such. :D
The vibes were there - and he knew the love was.

I actually,, met Bob Thiele at an after hours jam at the BlueNote!!! His wife Teresa Brewer ( the singer ) was a friend of Harry James, as was Bob. I think they co-wrote " Beginning To See The Light" with Duke. Or something like it.
My memory is a tad lax on the details but...Bob actually came up to me years later in NYC...and said " Yea, I met you at Roseland. You were in Harrys band then" . He bought me a gin & tonic at the BlueNote...and exchanged numbers. Later that week, I got a brainstorm to interview him for Sax Journal about how it was to be THERE during those Trane IMPULSE sessions. The interview went down at O'Neils bar and it was fun. Theile was drinking buds with Mickey Mantle...and had Mickey along too. Lots of laughs
and the interview NEVER was published. But Thiele DID send me CDs to review that were Steves. Thiele was a HUGE Marcus fan. There was one pic Thiele gave me with him & David Murray and Marcus. Some session that never got out...Tho I dunno. I got the picture in my files. It looked cool cuz they were all having a good time.

So,,in short,, I wish I coulda done more. But,, there were 2 with a NY band of badboys w/ Steve. There soulda been 2 dozen, in a fair world.
IN A FAIR WORLD.....LIKE YOU SAID MY FRIEND....about this business.
You were right on target.

May Steves legacy shine. HE WAS A WARRIOR.

[dolphyo]

TIM, thanks for keeping the flame lit! keep on keepin' on and i have some flowers for you too.

[gary]

...with Stan Kenton's more progressive bands with Dee Barton on drums. That band should be talked about in the same breath as Maria Schneider's and Gil Evans from a stepping over the dotted line standpoint.Just an aside - when I was in college I used to take morning coffee breaks at a coffee shop that had that band's, and Dee Barton's, "Waltz of the Prophets" on the juke box!!!

Where have all the flowers gone!

[Chris S]

I watched Steve in some Buddy Rich videos that I have in tribute. RIP

[Tim Price]

I am still bummed about Marcus...

This guy, spent over 40 years on the road. 40 PLUS!!!
Ever see a DownBeat article on him? Or something in NY JAZZ mag?
The guy woulda set_ANY_bandstand on fire.

When I think of guys like Steve Marcus- I always think of
my favorite ee cummings quote- below....


To be nobody-but-yourself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
e e cummings


STEVE MARCUS WAS TOTALLY HIMSELF !! What a unique artist & saxophone player-innovator.

[kavala]

Just dragged out my old vinyl copy of Count's Rock Band.
Haven't listened to this in years. Still sounds good.
Great New Zealand piano player, Mike Nock, on there.

[saxophrass]

I am new to the forum and this is my first post. I was lucky enough to have met Steve Marcus in person in Boston a few years back after many years of admireing him. I first saw him with the Buddy Rich Big band on TV. Not only was he one HELL of a sax player, but he was also one hell of a nice guy. We talked about playing and other things. He actually took the time to talk with me and he was great to talk with. I feel fortunate to have met him. I also feel fortunate to have been made aware of his great playing. I also have some of his Count's Rock Band CD's. he was truly a great player. The world of music was a better place with him in it. If there is a heaven, the must have a hell of a band, Buddy and Steve are together again.

[sopsax]

What heartfelt tributes. They brought tears to my eyes. I love this Forum.