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Mark Soskin
Mark Soskin was born July 12, 1953 in Brooklyn, N.Y. Soskin has recorded and performed with such diverse musicians as Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson, Randy Brecker, Billy Cobham, Buster Williams, Eddie Henderson, Stanley Turrentine, Cornell Dupree, Herbie Mann, John Abercrombie, Claudio Roditi, Sheila Jordan, Gato Barbieri, Joe Locke, David\"Fathead\"Newman, Mark Murphy, Slide Hampton, Pete and Sheila Escovedo, Bobby Watson, Miroslav Vitous, The NY Voices, Phil Woods and others.
Soskin attended Colorado State University where he pursued classical studies, but at this time his interests in jazz music were growing. In 1973 he enrolled in The Berklee College of Music, studying composition as well as arranging. In Boston he began to work professionally until moving to San Francisco, eventually going on to work with some of the west coast\'s finest players.
Shortly after arriving in San Francisco, Soskin was introduced to the Latin music legend, Pete Escovedo. Along with Pete\'s daughter, percussionist Sheila. E, they toured and recorded as Azteca, a group in which Soskin\'s keyboard, writing, and arranging talents were showcased. Eventually, the group, which now included Tom Harrell on trumpet, went on to record two discs for Fantasy Records, produced by drum ace Billy Cobham. Soskin was enlisted in Cobham\'s band, a stint that lasted for two years and which produced two recordings for Columbia. Between tours for Cobham, Soskin did a tour and live recording for the CBS All Stars with Tom Scott, Alphonso Johnson, Steve Khan, and Billy Cobham. At this time Soskin was very active as a session player at Fantasy studios in Berkeley, California and veteran jazz music producer Orrin Keepnews took notice.
Soskin signed his first recording contract with Prestige (a subsidiary of Fantasy) produced by Keepnews, entitled \"Rhythm Vision.\" This featured the likes of Benny Maupin and Harvey Mason with the album eventually making it into Billboard\'s top ten Jazz Chart.
Keepnews introduced Soskin to Sonny Rollins, which started a long, fruitful collaboration (14 years). Besides the extensive touring throughout the world, Soskin can be heard on a number of critically acclaimed recordings with the tenor sax master, including a video,\"Saxophone Collosusî.
Since 1981 Soskin has resided in New York City, remaining active as sideman and as a leader. He has seven of his own recordings to date and three as co-leader, one which features Harvie Swartz and Joe LaBarbera with Sheila Jordan called \"Spirits\", one under the name \"Contempo Trio\" with Danny Gottlieb and Chip Jackson featuring Ravi Coltrane and another Contempo Trio recording named \"The Secret of Life\" featuring Carolyn Leonhart. His recording, \"17\" on TCB, highlights Soskin in a quintet setting featuring mainly original compositions. His CD \"One Hopeful Day\"(Kind of Blue,2007) features John Abercrombie,John Patitucci,Chris Potter, and Bill Stewart. His latest recording is "Man Behind The Curtain"(Kindofblue, 2009) which features Ravi Coltrane, Bill Stewart and Jay Anderson. Soskin's most recent CD is "Mark Soskin Solo Piano/Nino Rota(Kindofblue, 2012) which was voted in the top ten recordings of 2012 by All About Jazz. He continues to maintain a busy tour schedule as well as giving master classes and workshops. Television performance credits include the HBO hit series, \"Sex And The City.\" Examples of arranging projects have been writing for Slide Hampton\'s \"World Of Trombones\" and his writing and playing on Steve Smith\'s DVD,\"Drumset Technique/History of the U.S. Beat\". Soskin has been featured in solo piano concerts throughout the world such as the Ottawa Jazz Festival. He has performed the premier of contemporary classical music composer John Adams\' opera, \"Ceiling/Sky\" at Lincoln Center.
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Mark Soskin is probably best known for his work with saxophone legend Sonny Rollins. As Rollins' pianist from 1978 to 1991, he contributed to a string of several marvelous CD releases on the Milestone label. These included Dancing in the Dark (1987), which opened with a masterfully straightforward cover of the pop song, “Just Once," that featured Soskin's sparkling electric keyboards.Soskin's work with Rollins was mostly in the realm of jazz standards, Great American Songbook tunes, and the ...
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by R.J. DeLuke
In conversation with the immensely talented and engaging pianist Mark Soskin, the word “challenge" arises periodically. It's used in a good sense. Simply put, “I like to be able to be handed a challenge and then rise to it," he said in conversation, earlier in the summer of 2010. Diversity is also something he likes. The evidence is in the myriad of projects with which he has involved himself since leaving a golden gig with Sonny ...
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by Warren Allen
Mark Soskin Quartet with Ravi Coltrane The Kitano Hotel New York, NY May 2, 2009
Mark Soskin is one of the more underrated pianists working today. Perhaps best known for his sideman work alongside greats like Sonny Rollins and Herbie Mann, Soskin combines an always melodic approach with a rich vocabulary that draws on a wide range of influences.
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read moreMark Soskin: Creating An Ever-Hopeful Day
by R.J. DeLuke
Mark Soskin listened to a litany of great jazz pianists growing up in Brooklyn and attending Colorado State University, where he was pursing classical studies before the jazz influences ushered in a switch to Berklee College of Music in the 1970s. The various styles and approaches to music went into forming his musical personality, as did listening to saxophone players. The result, over the years, has been Soskin's presence as an outstanding pianist offering his skills and ...
read moreMark Soskin: One Hopeful Day
by Jerry D'Souza
Pianist Mark Soskin has had a long and colorful career. Over the expanse of thirty-plus years he has been in varied settings. He was in the Latin music band Azteca before he went on to a fourteen-year association with Sonny Rollins. He has lived in New York City since 1981, where he continued to mark his presence with Sheila Jordan, Joe LaBarbera and Ravi Coltrane among others. He is at the helm here and with Chris Potter (saxophone), Bill Stewart ...
read more"What Could Be"- The New Release for the N. Glenn Davis Trio Featuring Mark Soskin and Peter Dominguez
Source:
Michael Ricci
Drummer and composer N. Glenn Davis leads this swinging trio of talented veteran jazz musicians for his third release as a leader. This recording continues the classic tradition of the piano trio performing creative music that will appeal to listeners on many levels. Featured here are three new original compositions by N. Glenn Davis and three compositions by stellar NYC pianist Mark Soskin (14 years with Sonny Rollins). Also featured on the CD are three classics tunes, “The Dolphin" by ...
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Sailing Away ... to Lake George (Roseanna Vitro, Mark Soskin, Christian Scott)
Source:
RJ on Jazz by R.J. DeLuke
Blogging again. (apologies for the gap in submissions. Hectic summer with other things to deal with. Nuff said.) The festival season in the Northeast has wound down, but came to a nice end in lake George, NY, with the village's annual Jazz Weekend. It featured outstanding musicians like David Amran, Buster Williams—who carried Mulgrew Miller, Cindy Blackman and Stefon Harris in his band—and newcomer Sharel Cassity. But one of the most interesting bookings was the Randy Newman Project, featuring the ...
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Pianist Mark Soskin Interviewed at All About Jazz
Source:
John Kelman
In conversation with the immensely talented and engaging pianist Mark Soskin, the word “challenge" arises periodically. It's used in a good sense. Simply put, “I like to be able to be handed a challenge and then rise to it," he said in conversation, earlier in the summer of 2010.
Diversity is also something he likes. The evidence is in the myriad of projects with which he has involved himself since leaving a golden gig with Sonny Rollins years ago, after ...
read more
Mark Soskin at the Kitano Hotel
Source:
All About Jazz
The Mark Soskin Quartet Featuring:
Mark Soskin- Piano Jay Anderson- Bass Victor Lewis- Drums Steve Wilson-Alto Sax
AT THE KITANO HOTEL 66 Park Avenue @38th Street Friday, August 22nd and Saturday, August 23rd 2 SETS 8:00 PM, 10:00 PM $25 cover $15 minimum
CALL 212-885-7119 FOR RESERVATIONS, kitano.com
“Soskin's touch is authoritative, crisp and relentlessly creative" --All About Jazz
New CD One Hopeful Day ...
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Mark Soskin at the Marblehead Jazz Festival Saturday, June 28th
Source:
All About Jazz
Pianist Mark Soskin Interviewed at AAJ
Source:
All About Jazz
Mark Soskin listened to a litany of great jazz pianists growing up in Brooklyn and attending Colorado State University, where he was pursing classical studies before the jazz influences ushered in a switch to Berklee College of Music in the 1970s. The various styles and approaches to music went into forming his musical personality, as did listening to saxophone players. The result, over the years, has been Soskin's presence as an outstanding pianist offering his skills and sensibilities to a ...
read more
"Soskin establishes a compelling style at once sophisticated and spontaneous" —Chuck Berg, Jazz Times
"Soskin renders flailing arpeggios in conjunction with harmonically based block chords with stinging rhythm accompaniment. Buoyantly executed medium tempo swing vamps and tuneful choruses, abetted by the pianist\'s intricate maneuvers and lyrically charged solos" —Glenn Astarista All About Jazz
"Soskin added crisp, leaning-into-the-beat solos with a distinct flair for rousing climaxes" —George Kanzler Newark Star-Ledger
Primary Instrument
Piano
Willing to teach
Intermediate to advanced
Credentials/Background
Currently serving on the faculty of Manhattan School of
Music.
Contact at 212-724-2453 for hours/rates.
Clinic/Workshop Information
A wide variety of clinics are offered. For more information contact at 212-724- 2453 or at [email protected]
Photos
Music
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