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Mark Elf

Mark Elf has been on the Jazz scene for over 35 years. He was born in Queens, New York in 1949 and started playing the Guitar at the age of 11. He has played and or recorded with the Jazz Giants: Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath & the Heath Bros., Wynton Marsalis & Jon Hendricks just to name a few. His first professional Jazz performance occurred around 1971 as a sideman at the Club Barron in Harlem, New York with Gloria Coleman and Etta Jones. This performance was a double bill with the George Benson Quintet.

During the 1970’s he toured with Lou Donaldson, Jimmy McGriff, Groove Holmes & Charles Earland and recorded a number of albums with them. He recorded his first album as a sideman with Jimmy McGriff & Groove Holmes in 1973 on the Groove Merchant Record label called Giants of the Organ Come Together. In the late 1970’s Mark worked with Junior Cook and Bill Hardman in New York City and also recorded with them on the Muse Label.

In the 1980’s he toured Europe with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry and other Jazz Luminaries and also recorded his first album as a leader in 1986 called the Mark Elf Trio Volume 1.

In 1988 he recorded his second album as a leader The Eternal Triangle with Hank Jones, Jimmy Heath, Ray Drummond and Ben Riley. This album would be released in 1996 on Mark’s Jen Bay Record Label.

1993 brought Mark his first overseas record deal with The Alerce Record Label and The Mark Elf Trio was recorded in Santiago, Chile. This recording was marketed to radio in 1996 and went to #7 on The Gavin Jazz Chart.

1995 found Mark recording for Telarc on the Jon Hendricks CD, “Boppin' at The Blue Note” with, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Al Grey & Red Holloway. This recording went to #1 and opened up some radio doors just before the Alerce recording released in 1996.

After forming his own record company in 1995, Jen Bay Records, he stunned the record industry with hit recordings on Jazz Radio. From 1996 to 2004 all 10 of his recordings had finished in the top ten on National Jazz Radio with eight of them going to #1 consecutively from 1997 to 2004!!

In 1996 he joined the Jimmy Heath band and also worked with the Heath Bros. During this time the Eternal Triangle was released and it went to #4 on The Gavin Jazz Chart. He recorded As We Were Saying with the Heath Bros. for Concord in 1997. This same year Mark’s third recording as a leader, A Minor Scramble was released. This was the second for his own company and it hit #1 on The Gavin Jazz Chart. This was the first of eight consecutive Chart Toppers! The other seven were 1998 - Trickynometry #1, 1999 - New York Cats #1, 2000 - Over The Airwaves & Live At Smalls #1 - 2001 - Swingin' #1, 2002 - Dream Steppin' #1, 2003 - Glad To Be Back #1, 2004.

Mark Elf: Mark Elf Returns 2014

Read "Mark Elf Returns 2014" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
September 23, 2014

Nothing can stop guitarist Mark Elf from making music. He's battled serious health problems, contended with the ups and downs of the music industry for decades, and, most recently, dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, the massive storm that flooded his home, delaying the recording of this record for a year. In spite of all of those setbacks and hardships, Elf still manages to have a fairly sunny musical outlook when he straps on the guitar for this, his ...

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Album Review

Mark Elf: Liftoff

Read "Liftoff" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone

by Michael P. Gladstone
June 23, 2006

Guitarist Mark Elf has been recording since 1986, and on Liftoff he continues to amaze. All but two of his dozen sessions have been on his own Jen Bay label. Athough Elf usually appears in a guitar/bass/drums format, he also includes piano on a few of these recordings.

Such is the case on Liftoff, where he joins pianist David Hazeltine, drummer Peter Washington, bassist Lewis Nash, and (on one track) percussionist Daniel Sadownick. Over the years, I've heard ...

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Album Review

Mark Elf: Liftoff

Read "Liftoff" reviewed by Terrell Kent Holmes

by Terrell Kent Holmes
May 31, 2006

John Coltrane's “Countdown, like Hemingway's “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, is a brief, emotional and enduring classic. Guitarist Mark Elf makes this tune the heart of Liftoff. Elf, who played last month at Flushing Town Hall with bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Quincy Davis, was an exuberant performer who scatted along with his solos on up-tempo tunes, played fluidly on ballads, and was humorous and engaging throughout. The challenging title cut is based on “Countdown, but it also ...

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Album Review

Mark Elf: Liftoff

by Jim Santella
May 30, 2006

Guitarist Mark Elf enjoys the rush of re-interpreting music by masters such as John Coltrane. He also enjoys creating fiery originals that allow him to work out on the instrument the way Trane did. It doesn't matter that one played saxophone and other plays guitar, since both artists share a deep appreciation for the creation of animated magic.

With Liftoff, Elf takes his guitar for a balanced drive that includes both up-tempo romps and sensual ballads. He loves ...

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Album Review

Mark Elf: Liftoff

Read "Liftoff" reviewed by Jerry D'Souza

by Jerry D'Souza
May 23, 2006

Several musicians have found their muse in John Coltrane, and Mark Elf joins the group with Liftoff. The guitarist takes the chord changes to Coltrane's “Countdown to create the title piece. Word play notwithstanding, Elf can turn a tune to his advantage. His notes are crisp, even as they zip along at feverish pace, and that is where his strength lies: there is no clutter, just a story well told. The closing alternate version, taken at a slower pace, is ...

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Album Review

Mark Elf: Glad To Be Back

Read "Glad To Be Back" reviewed by Terrell Kent Holmes

by Terrell Kent Holmes
December 5, 2004

In light of the serious medical issues that guitarist Mark Elf has overcome recently--he had a kidney disorder and is recovering from prostate cancer--any new CD he puts out is a triumph for him and his many fans. Glad To Be Back , a crisp balance of standards and originals, is Elf's musical affirmation of life. His quartet, featuring the stellar rhythm section of pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash, performed at Smoke last month.

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Album Review

Mark Elf: Glad to Be Back

Read "Glad to Be Back" reviewed by Jack Bowers

by Jack Bowers
October 23, 2004

"Sometimes," guitarist Mark Elf writes in the liner notes to Glad to Be Back, “it takes something really serious to make one appreciate life and what the [importance] of good health means." In Elf's case, that “something" was two major surgeries, the first for a kidney disorder in December '02, the second for prostate cancer in June '03.

Elf truly is “glad to be back," and his enthusiasm and gratitude shine through on every note on this delightful album, several ...

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