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Mariel Austin

About Mariel

Mariel was born in 1988 in the California bay area, a humble home of musicians, artists, organic weed growers and LGBT rights activists. Some of Mariel's first memories were immersed in music. One 4th of July afternoon, the Austin family household was abuzz with party guests sipping beer as their children played in the back yard, The Cranberries playing on the stereo in the living room. On this afternoon, 3-year-old Mariel was in a daring mood and decided to steal a wooden spoon from the kitchen. She then ran into the living room and brandished the spoon as an electric guitar in front of a puzzled group of adults, her parents included. Once capturing her audience's attention she started striking her spoon like a brazen rock star and belted along to the chorus of "Zombie" by the Cranberries, coming from the living room stereo. Dad was quick on his feet and captured this spontaneous musical outburst on the family camcorder. The home movie is still floating around to this day.

Fast-forward about four years later.....by age seven Mariel's parents recognized her thirst for music and had signed her up for voice lessons through the San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC), a program in which her older sisters were already enrolled. From Gregorian chants and Chinese poetry to Balkan folk songs and Broadway show tunes, she had begun to sow her soon-to-be diverse musical palette. At some point in her training she discovered she had absolute pitch (also known as perfect pitch) and was further encouraged by her family, friends and teachers to pursue music. So throughout the years of elementary school Mariel had taken up piano, flute, clarinet and alto sax, each with newfound ferocity.

However, there was a slight blockade. Her interest—and ability—in said instruments were short-lived. Something about them didn't quite click with her. By ear she could easily pick up the songs her teachers taught, but once she got home and sat down with her written exercises and homework, she was once again marooned and sent back to square one. But...all that changed one evening when Mariel's parents took her to a concert by the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble when she was in the 6th grade. Not everyone knew this, but 12-year-old Mariel had made it a personal goal to get into the Berkeley High Jazz Ensemble once she reached high school, whatever it took. Little did she know that this particular concert would be a spring awakening.

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Radio & Podcasts

A Musical Journey with Mariel Spencer Austin

Read "A Musical Journey with Mariel Spencer Austin" reviewed by Nick Davies


This show features an interview with trombonist and composer Mariel Austin talking about her career in music especially the journey from choirs to the trombone. We also discuss her latest album Runner in the Rain. As this is jazz show there is lots of new music and some tracks from the archives as well as an album of the week which is Melodic Ornette Coleman: Piano Works XIII by Joachim Kuhn Playlist Duncan Eagles “Citizen" from Citizen ...

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Album Review

Mariel Austin: Runner in the Rain

Read "Runner in the Rain" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Young trombonist / vocalist Mariel Austin, who quadruples as composer / arranger on her debut album, Runner in the Rain, writes music that is hard to pigeonhole, at least as it relates to jazz. Some of her compositions are thematic, some experimental, some have classical overtones, some even swing on occasion, and most are technically demanding. As for improvisation, it plays a subordinate role more often than not, with some digressions to be noted later. Austin, whose ...

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Album Review

Mariel Austin: Runner in the Rain

Read "Runner in the Rain" reviewed by Troy Dostert


In case anyone is wondering whether big-band jazz continues to hold appeal for younger musicians, witness this debut five-track album from trombonist Mariel Austin. Despite (or perhaps because of) her youth, Austin possesses an ambitious and expansive vision. And on Runner in the Rain, she marshals a skilled ensemble, many of whom are friends from the New England Conservatory or the Berklee College of Music, to craft music that has one foot firmly planted in the jazz tradition, while the ...

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Recording

Trombonist And Big Band Composer/Arranger Mariel Austin Releases Debut Ep Runner In The Rain

Trombonist And Big Band Composer/Arranger Mariel Austin Releases Debut Ep Runner In The Rain

Source: Mouthpiece Music

NEW VOICE IN BIG BAND WRITING EMERGES IN AWARD-WINNING RISING JAZZ STAR Every so often, an article appears in print or social media that ponders whether jazz is dead or just on its last legs. While it’s true that jazz is just a tiny part of the overall music market and the larger venues for jazz performance have become fewer over the last several years, the jazz culture has been kept alive by a growing cadre of hard core fans. ...

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