Marshall McDonald

This weeks blog features a player whom I respect highly- Marshall McDonald. This is a player who I would call a master artist who's woodwind and saxophone playing, history speak for themselves. Face it, the street cred Marshall has is inspiring. Marshall began his tenure with The Count Basie Orchestra under saxophonist Danny Turner in 1994 and now holds down the Lead Alto chair famously held by the great Marshal Royal. Marshall has performed concerts and jazz festivals world wide with the orchestra directed…

31.08. – Happy Birthday !!! Whether you heard him playing Lead alto during his 18 year tenure with The Count Basie Orchestra, or playing tenor saxophone with Paquito D’Rivera or baritone saxophone with Abdullah Ibrahim or clarinet solos with The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Marshall keeps the swing and dance that he learned in his hometown of Pittsburgh, at the heartbeat of his playing. 

A seasoned reedman, having played over 30 years in the New York City area, he is known for his ability to play all of the…

Kobe Jazz People

神戸での素晴しいインタビュー。日本のファンが楽しんでくれます。

コピーだけでなく独創性を。 
もっとジャズを楽しもう。 

今回ご紹介するのはMarshall Mcdonald（マーシャル・マクドナルド）さん。あの世界的に有名なビッグバンド「カウントベイシー楽団」のリードアルトサックス奏者です。昨年の山野ビッグ・バンド・ジャズ・コンテストに出展したKOBEjazzブースに遊びに来てくださったことをきっかけに交流が始まり、このインタビューが実現しました。学生や若い人に伝えたいこと、日本のことなど、様々なことを伺いました。

I've been blessed to meet, perform with, hang with some of the greatest musicians in the world. When I was young at University of Pittsburgh in the early 80's I just dreamed of maybe doing a few nice gigs.  Well, as March and April this year started kicking in, and we started to lose so many great musicians, some COVID related, others not, it caused me great pause.   I found this solo sax track that I recorded in 2008, and put these photos in it as a tribute to some of the heroes of mine that I have met…

Here's a hip interview I did with a beautiful English online music teaching portal, Musical-U, and what better time for remote lessons than now!  Drop me a not and let's do a trial lesson for free, my Learn to Hear, and Play Musically methods, coming out of my classical clarinet studies which led me to Lead Alto of the Count Basie Orchestra for almost 20 years, can help you enjoy and play better.  Different language, no problem, Music is the universal language!

 Inside the Jazz Mind with Marshall McDonald

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A friend of mine posted a question about the pay level of sports figures and why?  I wrote this answer and I’m sharing it. Most of y’all might not dig it. But..... 

Because predatory capitalism doesn’t care about the needs of the people, the whole concept is built on “capitalizing on each other”, that is whatever the market will pay is fair, not whether it supports our higher good. Thus sports, religion and TV are used to sedate and brainwash the masses and it’s been quite successful turning us from…

AMERICAN CLASSICAL MUSIC (JAZZ) vs EUROPEAN CLASSICAL MUSIC 

I'm always confused why certain people act like Jazz and Classical are different and say, one can only do one or the other.  Same harmony, same 12 notes, same instruments.  Jazz Players borrowed most of what they do from Classical harmonic movement and took it to a new century.  And now it has evolved into a lot of atonal playing, which was an obvious conclusion, but unfortunately when you get there you lose the audience.  People who come hear us…

I'm sorry to announce that Mr. Ibrahim had to withdraw from the Chicago Symphony Hall concert and the 4 nights at the Blue Note New York due to health concerns.  He is doing well and we appreciate your thoughts.

Also since my schedule has changed, I will not be performing with Jim Clark at the Norwalk Library on March 8, but Vincent Herring will be taking my place, so  don't miss a jazz to hear this masterful player up close.  3 PM Norwalk Library, Norwalk, CT.

SKYPE LESSONS, STUDIO LESSONS, AT HOME LESSONS  

All saxophones, clarinet and flute.  ALL LEVELS, email me with any questions!  

LEARN TO HEAR METHOD!  You have to learn to hear, music is about hearing, and jazz is about expressing yourself.   We study patterns and scales to make music, not to impress our friends!  You want to play music that touches people.  I love pop, rock, classical and jazz.  Funk, soul, R & B.  A musician should have an open mind and an open heart.  Music is music.  Respect!  I can…

This is a transcription of an intimate moment with Benny Golson at The Tokyo Blue Note, while he spoke of some of his memories of jazz and Clifford Brown.  Mr. Golson was ailing with a hand injury, just as he finished a tune written by Clifford, he started talking about his memories of Clifford.

Benny Golson speaking.....“That was Clifford Brown, as a composer.  You know, I’m from Philadelphia, back in the states, and years and years ago we used to have our jam sessions on Saturday.  And we were all…