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Where the road began for Gary Marks was New York City in 1950. His mother
was a classical violinist who performed solo at Carnegie Hall at the age of ten.
But his mom also loved jazz, rhythm and blues, folk, and rock. Ray Charles, the
Beatles, Dylan's first recordings, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughn, and Motown were
the sounds that resonated through his house as a young boy.
In 1973, Marks self-produced "Gathering." His original music was accompanied
by his band of future jazz greats, including guitarist John Scofield, pianist Michael
Cochrane, and vibraphonist David Samuels. The LP was picked up and
distributed internationally by Carla Bley’s prestigious "J.C.O.A." label.
He toured the US and Europe before settling down in California in 1976. |
Marks released two other albums in the 1970’s - - "Upon Oanda's Wing," and "Thoughts
of Why."
During that time Gary introduced Scofield and Samuels to three other brilliant
musicians that he had met on the West Coast: Art
Lande, Mark Isham, and Paul
McCandless, of " Oregon." They were soon all playing on Marks’ new
recordings.
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Jazz Magazine's W. Patrick Hinely wrote:
". . . A flow chart of 'Upon Oanda's Wing' might closely
resemble some of Milton Nasciemento's EMI albums, which still serve as a paragon
for anyone trying to be equally convincing across the board, from tight vocals
and arrangements, to wide open instrumental playing." |
His fourth album in 1985, "Only Time Can Tell," moved Marks firmly
into new territory, as he gathered together some of the best rock players in
the Bay Area. Marks’ title track was soon recorded by Teresa Trull,
on her album, "A Step Away." It received international airplay. Along with it
came offerings for publishing deals.
Marks soon signed on with Famous Music; Paramount.
Gary's follow-up album in 1988, "The Real
World," brought him
further success as a song writer. Cris Williamson and Teresa
Trull recorded three songs from “The Real World” on their duo album called "Country
Blessed."
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Bay Area music reviewer, Derk Richardson, wrote this in "BAM" (Bay
Area Music Magazine) about "The Real World:"
". . . Superb song craft. . . keen arrangements. If
familiar reference points are Steve Winwood and Bruce Hornsby, Marks demonstrates
as much care to the architecture of a song as those two certified platinum stars
did on their most recent outings. Each song is intelligent, exceptional . . ." |
Simultaneously in 1988, Marks published his first novel, "The Dance and
the Diamond Sky," which uses the late '60's as a backdrop for what continue
to be current social and political issues.
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Sherry Robb of Robb Literary, Los Angeles wrote:
"An amazing book, beautifully written, about a critical
time in our country's history. Though this coming of age tale is about a time
decades removed, 'The
Dance and the Diamond Sky' generates wisdom that directly reflects upon the
internal and external struggles we face today. There are no cliches here. There is humor,
plenty of drama, and a great ending. A story that needed to be written finally
was. . . ." |
This was followed in 1990 by, "If All They Said Was
True," a recording which
introduced nine new songs.
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When the San Francisco Bay Guardian published it's
18th annual "Best of San Francisco" edition in 1996, Marks' songwriting career
was highlighted:
"Marks is a meticulous craftsman, injecting his modern
rock sound with interesting harmonic subtleties and powerful lyrics. . . [His]
lyrics poetically address how we treat each other and our planet."
Larry Kelp of the Oakland Tribune wrote this about Marks' sixth recording, "Past
the Nightwatch."
"Marks shows a knack for combining a catchy and memorable
song with mature and often brilliant lyrics about love, relationships, and finding
a place in the world. . .always a rare thing in the world of commercial music.” |
Marks also was known in San Francisco circles for his teaching method for
piano and composition. The method focuses on teaching the entirety of music theory,
songwriting, and improvisation without using reading notation. His two piano
method books were highlighted on a number of occasions in the national media.
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Sheilah Glover, KPFA radio in San Francisco , proclaimed:
"Gary's teaching method is unique and potent. Students
learn at an astounding pace. . . .He gets to the core of the creative process
with joy, insight, and a reverence for clarity. He is simply the best teacher
of anything in
the San Francisco Bay Area." |
Since the year 2000, Gary Marks has been living in Maui, Hawaii, with his wife Theresa, and their three children – Skylar, Annabel, and Shawn.
In 2007 Gary wrote three new novels.
Marks has now begun work on his 11th recording.
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