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-- Review article from ©Cadence Magazine 2005 -- 2/05 P 46-47 --
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MARK WRIGHT,
WRIGHT TURN,
MARKWRIGHT, no#.
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Jack the Rabbit / Just a Temporary Thang / The Letter / I Heard
That! / Ego Trippin' / Blowin' Some Shit / The Giant / Overcast /
Keep It Real / Put Your Bid In / Susukuu. 63:52.
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Wright, tpt, flgh; Charles McNeal, ts, as, ss; Dave
Robbins, bari s; Leonard Thompson, p; Ravi Abcarian,
b; Mike Spencer, d. Feb. 2000, Richmond, CA.
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Born and raised in Berkeley, California, trumpeter
Mark Wright hasn't stepped into the limelight
in New York and other notable Jazz centers around
the world. Not yet. He's a natural, though, and his
time will come. Wright's debut recording as a
leader shows why. A beautifully sweet tone, sensual
articulation, and a self-confident air elevate the
session beyond the usual. The sextet's set of originals
carries the same kind of authority that introduced
Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Kenny
Dorham to mainstream Jazz fans many years ago.
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Wright was introduced to Jazz the old-fashioned
way: through his mother's record collection.
Then, while in college, he met Clark Terry and
received encouragement. It worked. You can hear
a part of the veteran Terry in the way Wright
expresses fluid Bebop phrases and longer, sustained
passages. The Swing element is always
with him. Backed by a unit in which everybody
solos and trades fours, the trumpeter moves the
Straight-Ahead tradition forward. He melds with
baritone saxophonist Dave Robbins for spot-on
unison phrases, and trades featured portions with
bassist Ravi Abcarian. "The Giant," dedicated to
Paul Robeson, features solo sections by Wright,
Charles McNeal, on alto, Robbins and Abcarian.
Following the trumpeter's lead, each of them
drives the piece with a quiet majesty, showing
respect for a great man who was ahead of his time
and only now is beginning to receive due acknowledgement–
28 years after his passing. Wright,
through his actions, pays homage to a large cast
of veteran artists who pioneered Bebop and
beyond. Now, it's time for this young trumpeter to
step out of their shadows and gain the recognition
that he heartily deserves.
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--Jim Santella
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Review article from ©Cadence Magazine 2005 -- 2/05 P 46-47
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