Gary Marks — Press & Reviews
Gary Marks emerged in the 1970s with three critically acclaimed albums featuring jazz icons John Scofield, Art Lande, Paul McCandless, David Samuels, and Mark Isham.
Crossroads, an official 2026 Record Store Day UK/Europe vinyl release of fourteen songs, continues his five-decade career as an American singer-songwriter.
REVIEWS / FEATURES
EARMILK MAGAZINE — March 2026
“A powerhouse talent who has pushed the conventions of industry expectations, Crossroads is a rare chance to discover a songwriter whose work bridges generations, rooted in sheer passion for the craft over everything else.
Selected as an official Record Store Day UK/Europe for an April release, this vinyl exclusive traces the continuity of a songwriter whose voice has remained steady and powerful across five decades.”
The Hustle Podcast — April 2026
“Wholly unique music that will blow your mind... It doesn’t sound anything like anything I’ve ever heard before.”
Concert Pipeline — April 2026
“Marks is someone whose music spans decades, not just in sound but in thought.... Crossroads isn’t just a collection of songs. It’s a reflection of ideas about life, society, love and where we’re headed.”
It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine — March 12, 2026
“After five decades of writing in the shadows of an industry he walked away from, Gary Marks returns with ‘Crossroads…fourteen tracks, including nine previously unheard gems, proving his internal drive never flickered.”
NOISE11 - June 2026
Gary Marks Revisits Lost Albums With Release Of ‘Sky High’ And ‘The Real World’
Paul Cashmere, June 27, 2026
Noise11’s Paul Cashmere features Gary Marks’s career, highlighting his 2026 singles, “Sky High” and “The Real World,” and connecting them to the larger story of his archival rediscovery through Crossroads -- his 2026 RSD UK/Europe vinyl album release through Lantern Heights Records.
The feature identifies “Sky High” as a song from the unreleased 2007 album A Whisper Can Change The World, and “The Real World” as the title track from an unreleased 1988 album. Cashmere connects these recordings to a much wider archive of unreleased material created after Marks stepped away from the traditional music industry in the 1980s.
Noise11 also links Marks’s current rediscovery to his 1970s albums Gathering, Upon Oanda’s Wing, and Thoughts Of Why. Those recordings featured John Scofield, Paul McCandless, Art Lande, David Samuels, and Mark Isham, and were later reissued seven times in Europe and Japan.
The article frames Gary Marks as an American singer-songwriter whose catalogue spans from the 1970s into the 2020s, with recurring themes of democracy, environmental responsibility, cultural change, compassion, and personal conscience.
Mentioned in the article: Gary Marks; Paul Cashmere; Noise11; Crossroads; Record Store Day UK/Europe 2026; Lantern Heights Records; “Sky High”; “The Real World”; A Whisper Can Change The World; Gathering; Upon Oanda’s Wing; Thoughts Of Why; John Scofield; Paul McCandless; Art Lande; David Samuels; Mark Isham; Jim Scott; Stef Burns; Bonnie Hayes; Teresa Trull; Vicki Randall.
Other Quotes:
“Sky High, from the Ever-Prolific Singer-Songwriter Gary Marks: We here at SEM cannot help but both marvel at the artistry inherent and simply let ourselves be drawn in to its intrinsic humanity no matter how many times we keep hitting ‘play’ which at last count was somewhere north of twenty.” — David Cantrell - Stereo Embers, June 2026
Review of Crossroads: “A supremely exquisite album that seems to celebrate his half-century journey... era-defying... with improvisational playing woven by master musicians.” Meditations, International Record Store, June 2026
Review of the song, I Guess It Never Stops, on Crossroads: “Marks watches the rainforests fall and the boardrooms carve up the map with a heartbreak that feels earned.” - It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine - Klemen Breznikar - 2026
“…. Crossroads captures that nerve: freedom, conscience, and power, without the nostalgia trap.” - Fame Magazine - 2026
“For five decades, Gary Marks has written songs about power, compassion, and freedom — themes that feel strikingly current in 2026.” - V13 Media - 2026
“Gary Marks is best-known as a cult artist who released albums in the 1970s which combined elements of jazz and folk. A socially conscious songwriter, his music has things in common with Tim Buckley but also with Elton John.” — The Arts Desk — theartsdesk.com — Thomas H. Green June, 2026
“Marks sings his latest compositions in an acoustic-electric, folk-rock style reminiscent of early Jackson Browne (he has been compared by other critics to Steve Winwood and Bruce Hornsby). Among the players are lead guitarist Stef Brinbaum and reedsman Paul McCandless of the jazz band Oregon.... Marks shows a knack for combining a catchy and memorable song with mature and often brilliant lyrics....”
“Superb song craft.... Each song is intelligent, exceptional....”
“Marks is a meticulous craftsman, injecting his modern rock sound with interesting harmonic subtleties and jazz-rooted sensibilities... Nearly every song addresses questions of how we treat each other and our planet.”
“. . . A flow chart of ‘Upon Oanda’s Wing’ might closely resemble some of Milton Nascimento’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.”
“.... Marks was and still is a truly unique voice in rock — and therefore was ignored by the industry power brokers who, to this day, only think in dollar bills, not artistry.”
“An important work by an important musician.” — Soichiro Suzuki, reviewing Thoughts of Why, March 28, 2013
“1970s folky-jazz singer-songwriter masterpieces.” — Tower Records Japan, referring to Gathering, Upon Oanda’s Wing and Thoughts of Why — June 20, 2012
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“Gary Marks - ‘Gathering’ is a rare find. A true underground masterpiece.... Blending folk harmonies with sophisticated jazz arrangements, this rare gem bridges the gap between Tim Buckley and early ’70s Impulse! sessions. Self-produced and recorded in New York, ’Gathering’ remains one of the best-kept secrets in jazz-folk history.”
Reissue of Gary Marks's '70s folk jazz classic, Gathering, featuring jazz greats John Scofield, Dave Samuels, Michael Cochrane in their recording debuts:
“Like Tim Buckley, Gary Marks has a real respect for jazz in his free-flowing arrangements. He allows plenty of space for vibes solos from David Samuels, guitar solos from John Scofield, and piano solos from Michael Cochrane – all of which serve as a backdrop for Gary’s beautifully written songs and stretched-out vocals.
This record is a real under-discovered gem from the prime years of the American singer/songwriter era. Issued on Carla Bley’s JCOA label, every song is fiercely unplugged from the conventional.
Marks was and still is a truly unique voice in rock — and therefore was ignored by the industry power brokers who, to this day, only think in dollar bills, not artistry.”
“Gary Marks’ Gathering is exactly what you would call a miracle. Self-produced in 1974 and engineered at Ultra Sonic Recording Studios in New York, the album includes guitar legend John Scofield, the amazing jazz pianist Michael Cochrane, and one of the top vibraphonists in the world, David Samuels.”
“In 1973, at the age of 22, singer-songwriter Gary Marks self-produced his first album, Gathering. It is now considered a classic, a totally unique amalgam of folk-rock-jazz that seems to get richer and more powerful through the years.
While the music and lyrics are timeless, and Marks’ voice is rich and subtle in its delivery, what makes the album extra special is the fact that his band included guitar legend John Scofield, the renowned jazz pianist Michael Cochrane, and one of the top vibraphonists in the world, David Samuels.
At the time, none of them were known to the general public. In fact, Gathering was the recording debut for each of them.
Gary played guitar and sang live with the band on these tracks. No overdubs were used, and all nine tracks were first takes.”
Major Editorial Features
EARMILK - Feature - April, 2026
Psychedelic Baby Magazine — Feature — March, 2026
“A powerhouse talent who has pushed the conventions of industry expectations, Crossroads is a rare chance to discover a songwriter whose work bridges generations rooted in sheer passion for the craft over everything else....
...a songwriter whose voice has remained steady and powerful across five decades.”
— Malvika Padin - EARMILK Magazine, April, 2026
The Gary Marks “catalog blends the intimacy of a singer-songwriter with some intense jazz harmonies. It takes a unique touch to guide players like Art Lande or Stef Burns through those changes without losing the emotional core of the song.” — Klemen Breznikar, It’s Psychedelic Magazine, March, 2026
Lyrical Muse — Feature — April, 2026
“Marks, a cult figure rooted in the 1970s jazz-rock circuit, has built a legacy outside conventional industry structures.” — Khushboo Malhotra, Lyrical Muse, April, 2026
Americana Highways — Feature — March, 2026
“I Guess It Never Stops captures a sense of cyclical destruction — environmental, political, and cultural — but the song itself feels buoyant and almost hopeful.” -- Melissa Clarke, Americana Highways Magazine, March, 2026
Chorus FM — Feature — April, 2026
Mundane Mag — Feature — April, 2026
“Musically, the (Crossroads) album bridges worlds. Earlier work leans toward folk-jazz, with collaborators such as John Scofield, Mark Isham, and Paul McCandless shaping its sonic language. Later material expands into classic rock textures, while still holding onto the improvisational spirit and emotional clarity that define Marks’ writing. The result is a record with range, but also with a strong internal line: every song is navigating some version of the same question: “How do we move through the inner and outer struggles of life without giving ourselves over to destruction, denial, or control?”
“Choose your memories very carefully, they’re the crossbeams of the world you’re living in,” Marks says of the track. “They frame and form who you’re bound to be.” With this guidance in mind, Marks has made a song worthy of the legacy he has crafted for himself.” — Adam Grundy, Chorus FM Magazine, April, 2026
POPDUST — June 2026
“For five decades, Gary Marks has written songs about power, compassion, democracy, and freedom internally and externally — themes that feel strikingly current in 2026.”
Americana Highways — Feature — May, 2026
Reviewing the song For Molly’s Sky, from the Crossroads album: “This song speaks from the heart, with soaring honest lyrics and piano to engage your soul.” — Melissa Clarke May, 2026.
Book Coverage
Robb Literary, Los Angeles
“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. . . .”
Putnam Books - Random House
“I’m so glad I was able to delve into the world evoked by Gary Marks. Marks succeeds in transporting his narrative into the 1960s. In fact, from the first page, I felt like I’d traveled back in time. There’s a lyricism to both the language and the plot that’s mesmerizing. I also loved the real-world facts and historical figures. They added a richness to the text and made it clear that Mr. Marks really knows this world.... Gary Marks is a clear talent.”
Harper Collins
“Fascinating story and characters with so much heart.”