Mitch Marcus

Native New Yorker Mitch Marcus is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger, who primarily plays saxophone and piano/keyboards, and clarinet. “His commanding touch and his startling use of the various sounds of bebop — wobbly, sweltering, and explosive — are unmistakable.”~SF Chronicle

Mitch is an active performer who plays and tours regularly with many groups whose styles span the a wide range of musical genres and styles from progressive jazz to afro-beat and the folk music of 60’s icon Donovan. He can be seen playing with The Mitch Marcus Quintet, Sam Minaie’s Trio Heyo, Victor Baker Quintet, The Get It, Aphrodesia, The Japonize Elephants, Invaders Trio, Jaan Gaati Band, Molly Tigre, Stanley,Kaylin Clinton, The Humdrums, as well as Aaron Freeman’s band, (of Ween), Marvelous Clouds tour, Donovan, and Hush the Musical, and The Dooples, all of which he is/was Musical Director.

Mitch is a prolific composer writing extensively for his own jazz quartet in addition to the Mitch Marcus Quintet, the MMQ + 13 big band, for which he won a “Subito” grant from the American Composer’s Forum. Mitch has also been commissioned to write compositions for the DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, Oakland’s ‘Counterpointe’ dance company, several independent films, and recently was given the honor of opening the SF Jazz Centers Joe Henderson lab, performing an expansive concert of Henderson’s music.

Mitch holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the Indiana University School of Music at Bloomington, where he studied with David Baker and Tom Walsh.

In addition to performing and composing, Mitch accompanies company class for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Mark Morris Dance Group and while living in the SF Bay Area, frequently performed the National Anthem at Oakland A’s and Golden State Warriors games.

Mitch happily and humbly endorses Vandoren saxophone and clarinet products and plays: Tenor Saxophone; a Vandoren T-10 mouthpiece with V-16 3 1/2 reeds, Alto Saxophone; a Vandoren A-6 s mouthpiece with V-16 3 reeds, and Bb Clarinet; a Vandoren CL-5 mouthpiece with V-12 3 1/2 and Rue De Lepic 3.5 + reeds.

For more information on Mitch Marcus, visit his website, www.mitchmarcusmusic.com