Gary Marks was born in Manhattan 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 distributed internationally. He toured the US and Europe before settling down in California in 1976.
A few years later, 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, "Thoughts of Why." and "Upon Oanda's Wing."
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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." |
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. The 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 songwriter. Cris Williamson and Teresa Trull recorded three songs from “The Real World” on their duo album, "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 method was 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." |
In 2006 Gary wrote, "Rocking Wall Street," a book exposing the truths and myths about investing and the financial markets, published and distributed world-wide in 2007 by John A. Wiley & Sons. Visit www.RockingWallStreet.com
Financial guru and author John Mauldin wrote the forward. Well known retired hedge fund manager, Steve Trager Watson said this about Gary's new book: "I dare anyone to read this book and not wake up to the realities of Wall Street, and not change their investing habits on the spot."
Since 2007, Gary has written five novels, all of which can now be accessed for free in the "Books" section of this web site.
Gary Marks now lives in Maui, Hawaii, with his wife, Theresa, and their three children – Skylar, Annabel, and Shawn.
Marks has recently begun work on his 11th recording.
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