Gary Marks was born in Manhattan, N.Y. in 1950. His mother was a classical violinist who performed solo at Carnegie Hall at the age of ten. But his mom also loved R&B, rock, folk, jazz, and Motown. . . .Ray Charles, the Beatles, Dylan's first recordings, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughn, The Supremes, and The Four Tops were the sounds that resonated through his house as a young boy.
In 1973, Marks self-produced "Gathering" after being offered free recording time at “Ultra Sonic Studios” in New York. He 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 by J.C.O.A. (Jazz Composers’ Organization of America). He toured the US and Europe before settling down in California in 1976.
During this 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 playing on Marks’ new recordings, "Upon Oanda's Wing," (1977) and "Thoughts of Why," (1978).
| |
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, Gary’s music took a dramatic stylistic change. His fourth major album release, “Past the Nightwatch, gathered together some of the best rock players in the San Francisco Bay Area. The song, "Only Time Can Tell," was recorded by Teresa Trull, on her album, "A Step Away," receiving international airplay.
| |
Larry Kelp of the Oakland Tribune wrote this about Marks' 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.” |
Gary's follow-up album in 1988, "The Real World," brought him further commercial success as a songwriter. Cris Williamson and Teresa Trull recorded three songs from “The Real World” on their duo album, "Country Blessed."
| |
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.
| |
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. . . ." |
Gary's next recording, "If All They Said Was True," was released in 1994, and introduced nine new songs.
| |
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." |
Marks continued producing recordings without touring, without local performances, and without publicity, yet trying to stay true to his art:
In 1999 he released, "Bountiful," followed by an unplugged release of the songs on "Bountiful," called, "Self-Portraits."
In 2007 he released, " A Whisper Can Change the World," mixed by Jim Scott in LA.
In 2010 he released, "From Here," mixed by Mark Needham in LA.
And in 2013 he released, "No Turning Back," recorded in California and Hawaii, mixed by Gary and Maui's own Lynn Peterson. Gary Marks lives in Hawaii, with his wife, Theresa, and their three children – Skylar, Annabel, and Shawn.
His oldest daughter, Skylar, has followed in her dad's footsteps, recording and releasing four CDs of her own original music by the age of sixteen. Skylar writes, sings, and plays all the instruments on her recordings.
His second daughter, Annabel, also writes and sings beautiful quirky songs (which can be heard /seen on YouTube).
Gary’s son, Shawn, currently ten years old, is an accomplished drummer and is now learning piano.
As of the summer of 2013, Gary Marks is beginning to work on his twelfth album of original music, and twelfth novel.
|
