Mark Zaleski Band - POSTPONED

Sunday Feb 10 at 8:00 pm / $5

Mark Zaleski Band

http://www.markzaleskimusic.com/live/

In the jazz tradition it is rare to see a “band”. More likely you will find a single musician, who is a exceptional improviser, who then hires any number of well-reputable side musicians who are dispensable and interchangeable based on availability. Many of the same rhythm sections are used in different bandleaders’ combos, leaving the danger of many sounding strikingly similar to each other. The result is a “ensemble” or “sextet”, or another group of people at work together, which only has the potential to create good technical music. Boston saxophonist/composer, Mark Zaleski, has chosen play music with jazz musicians and use improvisation as a featured musical element, yet unlike your average jazz combo, Zaleski has surrounded himself with some of his closest friends and family (who, fortunately for him, happen to be some of the top musicians in their field). He describes the relationship as having “perfect social and musical chemistry”. While he takes care of the booking, management, travel arrangements, website updates, and an 80% of the songwriting, Zaleski wants to see his “band” follow the path that includes a stronger group unity, like that of a rock band starting from the garage, rather than latest jazz label trend of featuring overzealous individual front man talent.

Zaleski comes from years of experience as a freelance musician. He is an active saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, bassist, and educator. At the young age of 24, he as an impressive level of experience having performed with leading entertainers like Joe Piscapo, Joan Rivers, and Connie Francis, as well is some of the world’s most in-demand jazz musicians like Dave Brubeck, Christian McBride, and Robin Eubanks. Perhaps most notable (and almost comical) was his time spent touring the country in 2006 as the clarinetist and bass clarinetist for classic rock legends Jethro Tull. Out of high school he was one of two college saxophonists in the country selected for the Dave Brubeck Insitute Fellowship Program to study jazz music at University of the Pacific. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA.

He played his first professional gig at the age of 12, booked his first band at the age of 13, and recorded his first CD at 14 (featuring MZB pianist and younger brother Glenn who was 12 at the time of recording!). The Mark Zaleski Band is in a musical genre that can be described is instrumental jazz/modernrock fusion. Now having 10 years of band-leading experience, he has finally discovered the unit of six musicians (ranging in age from 21-26) which he believes will help him reach his compositional goal, of leading a band whose musical genre can only be described as that of “The Mark Zaleski Band”. The band has been compared to the music of John Coltrane with a more modern flair and Ken Vandermark. They have been features at clubs at colleges all over the east coast, including Ryles in Boston, MA, Smalls in New York City, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD, and St. Michael’s College in Burlington, VT.