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Phil Markowitz

Phil Markowitz, is forty year veteran of the International Jazz scene and is dedicated to realizing the full potential of improvisational music within the jazz idiom. He performs original compositions, which range from hard-cutting chromaticism to the most lyrical post-romantic ballads. Inventive, virtuostic, and accessible, Markowitz presents a forward-looking vision for contemporary music. His recordings as leader include “Perputity” on Dottime Records, “Catalysis” on Sunnyside Records, "Taxi Ride" (which features an incredible reunion with his lifelong friend, Toots Thielemans), "In the Woods", "Sno Peas", with Eddie Gomez and Al Foster and "Restless Dreams" (with vibraphonist Joe Locke). Mr. Markowitz leads his own trio, and a quartet and duo with violinist Zach Brock, and is the pianist in the all-star group "Saxophone Summit" (David Liebman, Joe Lovano and Greg Osby and Billy Hart). His credentials span a cornucopia of jazz; from the traditional to the avant- garde; from his early associations with Chet Baker and Toots Thielemans, through his multi decade affiliations with Bob Mintzer and David Liebman. In 1979, he joined Chet Baker's band. That four-year association yielded such recordings as "Broken Wing", "Live at Nick's Place", "Two A Day", and "Live at Chateauvalion". Phil has also performed and/or recorded with Mel Lewis, Marion McPartland, Phil Woods, Ravi Coltrane, Michael Brecker, Lionel Hampton, Nick Brignola, Joe Chambers, Miroslav Vitous, and Joe Williams. Phil has a long association with Bob Mintzer and was the pianist on 15 big band and small group recordings including "In The Moment", "Live at MCG", the Grammy Award-winning "Homage to Count Basie", "Quality Time", "Latin in Manhattan", and "Big Band Trane". Phil's notoriety as a composer came in the late 1970's when he was playing in a NYC club with legendary jazz harmonica player, Toots Thielemans As they were playing Phil's composition, "Sno' Peas", pianist Bill Evans walked in, loved the song, and asked Toots to bring it to their upcoming recording session. Evans' and Thielemans' subsequent recording of "Sno' Peas" on the classic Grammy-nominated album, "Affinity", put Markowitz on the map as a venerable jazz composer. For the past 30 years Phil has been playing, touring, and recording with NEA saxophone master Dave Liebman. Phil has served as pianist, composer, and/or producer with the quintet on "New Vista", "Voyage", "Return of the Tenor", "Songs for My Daughter", "Miles Away", "Turn It Around”, and two duo albums, "But Beautiful" and "Manhattan Dialogues", which was recorded in Greenfield Hall at the Manhattan School of Music.

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Album Review

Phil Markowitz: Solo Piano Live in Rome

Read "Solo Piano Live in Rome" reviewed by Alberto Bazzurro


Newyorchese, settant'anni compiuti da pochi mesi, Phil Markowitz si è fatto le ossa accanto a Chet Baker per poi legare il suo nome soprattutto a Dave Liebman. Il classico pianista accompagnatore? Sì e no, perché se è vero che, come molti colleghi di strumento, eccelle nel far risaltare le doti del solista che occupa il centro della scena, è anche vero che la sua personalità di leader ha avuto modo di precisarsi in pochi (cinque, prima di questo, salvo errori) ...

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Album Review

Ted Moore Trio: The Natural Order of Things

Read "The Natural Order of Things" reviewed by Jack Bowers


A piano trio led by a drummer? While that may not always be The Natural Order of Things, it is here. The drummer is the veteran Ted Moore, his teammates the talented pianist Phil Markowitz and rock-solid bassist Kai Eckhardt. Moore composed and arranged (almost) all of the music, which enlivens themes from Brazil and Spain, embraces the classical canon, and embodies earnest tributes to Chick Corea and Miles Davis / Joe Zawinul. The qualifier “almost" is ...

Album Review

Phil Markowitz, Zach Brock: Perpetuity

Read "Perpetuity" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero


La presenza di due batterie e di due bassi (uno acustico e l'altro elettrico), la dovrebbe dire lunga sull'importanza della componente ritmica in Perpetuity. Ma l'indicazione è parzialmente e piacevolmente ingannevole perchè chi si aspettava una groviglio di ritmi, una giungla percussiva poderosa pronta a lanciare in orbita il virtuoso di turno rimane profondamente deluso.Tant'è che “Nebulae" -il brano più lungo del CD con i suoi undici minuti abbondanti -è un'avvolgente, delicata escursione in atmosfere sognanti, sospese, dove ...

Lyrics

I 10 Cd nel CD Player di... Phil Markowitz

Read "I 10 Cd nel CD Player di... Phil Markowitz" reviewed by Vincenzo Roggero


01. Count Basie/Duke Ellington -The Count Meets the Duke (Columbia -1961). Incontro ai massimi livelli. Sicuramente la sfida ha tirato fuori il meglio da tutti i grandi solisti, che suonano con grande personalità e swing, con Basie e Duke insieme a sciorinare ritornelli blues. Tutto quello che c'è da sapere su come si suona il piano in una big band lo trovate in questo disco. Oltre ad una bonus track che vede Billy Strayhorn e Duke su due pianoforti ...

4
Album Review

Phil Markowitz/Zach Brock: Perpetuity

Read "Perpetuity" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


The debut collaboration between veteran pianist Phil Markowitz and rising star violinist Zach Brock focuses on a shared love of questioning and questing through sound(s). Each man brings five originals to the table for this project, and most of them serve to highlight their common interest(s) in angular exploration, dovetailing designs, and scenarios that encourage searching. Markowitz brings a wealth of experience to the table, having worked with everybody from trumpeter Chet Baker to guitarist Al Di ...

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Album Review

Phil Markowitz: Catalysis

Read "Catalysis" reviewed by John Barron


Veteran pianist Phil Markowitz has built an impressive resume over the last thirty years, performing with the likes of Chet Baker, Toots Thielemans, Bob Mintzer and David Liebman. On Catalysis, Markowitz leads the way with an outstanding acoustic trio featuring eight of his original compositons. The trio is rounded out by bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Adam Nussbaum.

The level of communication between the members of the trio is of the highest order. After the sneaky unison line ...

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Album Review

Phil Markowitz: Catalysis

Read "Catalysis" reviewed by John Kelman


With so many artists striving for attention, it's often easy to overlook those who have devoted their lives to music, known amongst musician circles as players of great depth while remaining largely below the radar. His discography as a leader may be small, but Phil Markowitz has, for the past three decades, been the pianist of choice for more visible artists including saxophonist David Liebman--in whose group he worked for a decade, collaborating on the dark-hued and pensive duet disc ...

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Performance / Tour

Dave Liebman And Phil Markowitz Two Jazz Virtuosos Play at North Pointe Saturday, May 7th 8PM

Dave Liebman And Phil Markowitz Two Jazz Virtuosos Play at North Pointe Saturday, May 7th 8PM

Source: All About Jazz

May 5, 2005 To: Listings/Critics/Features From: JAZZ PROMO SERVICES Press Contact: JIM EIGO, [email protected] Two Jazz Virtuosos Play at North Pointe KINDERHOOK—Pianist Phil Markowitz and saxophonist Dave Liebman join forces Saturday, May 7, for a concert in the Hudson Valley Friends of Jazz series at North Pointe Cultural Center. The 8 p.m. concert, produced by Planet Arts - one2one, is preceded by an informal discussion between audience and performers starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 ($20 members of HVFOJ ...

"His haunting style and signature captivates one’s soul and, if music can soothe and heal, takes one’s spirit on a beautiful, restorative journey."- Tim J. Nelson - Pop Matters

"Markowitz and his constantly risk-taking trio are capable of keeping the interplay at an empathic level while navigating his demanding yet compelling charts. Catalysis is a sure contender for one of the year's best, piano trio or otherwise." - John Kelman - All About Jazz

"It is the type of disc one appreciates more and more with successive listening. Isn’t that true with most great recordings?" - Scott Balin - Jazz Improv Magazine

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Solo Piano Live in...

Parco Della Musica
2022

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John Coltrane's...

Arkadia Records
2022

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Puccini: A Walk In...

Arkadia Records
2022

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New Vista

Arkadia Records
2021

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Let's Get Tropical

Outside in Music
2020

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The Natural Order of...

Origin Records
2020

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The Natural Order of Things

From: The Natural Order of Things
By Phil Markowitz

Stablemates

From: Let's Get Tropical
By Phil Markowitz

Straight Talk

From: Let's Get Tropical
By Phil Markowitz

MR 2

From: Let's Get Tropical
By Phil Markowitz

Mental Self Defense Fitness

From: Let's Get Tropical
By Phil Markowitz

Let's Get Tropical

From: Let's Get Tropical
By Phil Markowitz

Glacier Lake

From: Let's Get Tropical
By Phil Markowitz

MR 4

From: Let's Get Tropical
By Phil Markowitz

Trio 3

From: Let's Get Tropical
By Phil Markowitz

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