Mark Sherman - Bright Light '2022

Tracks list

       “Having played with Mark in Duo and in Quartet, I’ve always
been a fan of his Vibraphone playing. Imagine my surprise upon hearing this
recording of him playing piano. He has chops, he is creative, he has a beautiful
light touch, he comps great and he is a really good composer. If you’re
reading this, that means you have the recording so you know what I’m
talking about. I hope to hear more of Mark Sherman at the piano!!” -Kenny
Barron

“If you like piano playing that swings delivered with a crystal clear
touch and plenty of melodic and harmonic invention you’re going to love
Mark Sherman” -Mike LeDonne

“Mark Sherman sounds so good and plays his tail off. He is skilled and not
afraid to burn.” - Donald Vega

About Bright Light
Mark Sherman is extremely unfair. For decades he was a first-call percussionist
on Broadway, propelling many of the best-selling shows whose music we all know.
But then he decided to focus on the vibraphone, becoming a world leader on the
unheralded instrument as he showcased his remarkable songwriting ability in
album after album. And now he is focused on the piano, bringing a delicate depth
of feeling and gentle virtuosity to one of the staple instruments of jazz.
Unfair? That much skill should be illegal.
Lucky for us it isn’t. ‘Bright Light’ is Mark’s
latest statement from behind the keyboard, and what an elegant and beautiful
statement it is. At a time when much of contemporary jazz revolves around
playing as many notes as possible, Mark is instead paying attention to emotion
and feeling, which is what the music should rightly be about.
From the sensitivity of ‘Suddenly’ — Mark wrote it
immediately after the unexpected death of his great colleague Frank Kimbrough
— to his tender interpretation of the classic ‘Cry Me A
River’ — originally written for Ella Fitzgerald nearly 75 years
ago — this record is steeped in feeling. This music sings. It breathes.
It is lovely in every way.
Joe Magnarelli (trumpet and flugelhorn) dances in and out beautifully, sometimes
flashing his tremendous be-bop chops, and other times sounding just playful or
plaintive as the mood dictates. Dean Johnson (bass) and Tim Horner (drums) have
just the right approach for this music: nothing too flashy, but everything under
maximum control. They leave space for the best things to happen.
‘I think this is the best presentation I have ever done on piano’,
Mark says. And if you’re reading these words, you’re hearing why
right now. ‘Bright Light’ is a delight from start to finish. And if
he says there won’t be more to come — well that’s unfair
too. -Marc Carnegie

Tracklist:
1.01 - Mark Sherman - Bright Light (6:33)
1.02 - Mark Sherman - Uplifting (5:51)
1.03 - Mark Sherman - Miles in Front (7:06)
1.04 - Mark Sherman - Cry Me a River (5:35)
1.05 - Mark Sherman - Suddenly (for Frank Kimbrough) (5:35)
1.06 - Mark Sherman - Blues on the Run (4:25)
1.07 - Mark Sherman - For EH (4:56)
1.08 - Mark Sherman - Serenity (5:02)
1.09 - Mark Sherman - Hallucinations (4:44)
1.10 - Mark Sherman - Eternal Sound (5:52) 

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