Mitch Marcus Quintet to Release INAROUND, Play Firehouse 12 and Smalls
Saxophonist Mitch Marcus leads a band featuring Evan Francis, Jeff Miles, Peter Brendler and Jerad Lippi.
Saxophonist Mitch Marcus is releasing a new album, INAROUND, with his quintet, and will play two album release shows in support of the record. The band features Mitch Marcus on tenor saxophone, Evan Francis on alto saxophone and flute, Jeff Miles on guitar, Peter Brendler on bass, and Jerad Lippi on drums.
Mitch Marcus' INAROUND is passionate jazz of the 21st century: stirring music filled with unpredictable ideas and a wide range of sounds created by five masterful musicians. The quintet teams Marcus' tenor with altoist Evan Francis, the sound explorations of guitarist Jeff Miles, and an intuitive rhythm section to form often-startling new music.
Event Details
Mitch Marcus Quintet
Friday, September 18th, 8 pm, 2 sets
Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St, New Haven, CT 06510
(203) 785-0468
Friday, September 30th, 9 pm and 10:30 pm
Smalls Jazz Club, 183 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014
https://www.smallslive.com/events/33756-mitch-marcus-quintet/
Artist: MITCH MARCUS QUINTET
Title: INAROUND
Artist Website: www.mitchmarcusmusic.com
Release Date: September, 18 2026 (digital only)
Label: mmm mitchmarcusmusic
Tracklist
1. InAround 10:58
2. Mailiam 7:30
3. 3 up, 3 down 6:41
4. Light Grey 8:45
5. 4-7-11 7:12
6. Uh Huh 10:39
7. Out the Door Samba 8:47
8. Hope 6:41
9. Tranein' 9:12
All songs written by Mitch Marcus.
Recorded and mixed by Michael Coleman.
Recorded at Figure 8 Recording.
December 20th and 21st, 2024.
Mixed at Rocketship Sound.
Mastered by Eli Crews.
Cover art by Robert Marino.
Graphic Design by Patrick Lugo.
Musicians: Mitch Marcus - tenor saxophone, Evan Francis - alto saxophone, flute, Jeff Miles - guitar, Peter Brendler - bass, Jerad Lippi - drums.
In his busy career, Mitch Marcus has never played it safe. While he has performed in many different settings through the years, his quintet (which he first formed in 1999) is a perfect outlet not only for his playing but for his inventive frameworks and open-minded music. The current version of the Mitch Marcus Quintet teams his tenor with Evan Francis (alto and flute), guitarist Jeff Miles, bassist Peter Brendler, and drummer Jerad Lippi.
As is obvious from the first moments of the opening title cut of INAROUND (which is a digital-only release), the music of Marcus' quintet is beyond simple description or classification. The two saxophonists are energetic and explorative whether taking solos or playing dazzling unisons together. Guitarist Miles' playing could be considered avant-rock in that he makes the ensembles dense and stormy yet avoids the predictable, giving the ensembles a unique sound. Bassist Brendler is subtle but intuitive in his playing while drummer Lippi adds to the band's unique musical identity with all types of unexpected sounds and accents.
While compared elsewhere to the likes of Charles Mingus and Frank Zappa in reality the Mitch Marcus Quintet sounds different than any previous band. Whether it is Francis swinging over the very unpredictable background on 'Mailiam,' the racehorse tempo and fiery solos of '3 up, 3 down,' the relatively calm but still intense 'Light Grey,' a heated 'Out The Door Samba' (which is not a samba), or the playful melody of 'Hope,' this is a group filled with enthusiasm, high musicianship, and spontaneity. A highpoint is 'Uh Huh' which begins as a slightly funky riffing tune but becomes a series of free and colorful flute, guitar and tenor solos.
Mitch Marcus, who plays keyboards and clarinet in addition to tenor, was born in New York, earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Indiana University, and was an important part of the San Francisco music scene during 1999–2009 before returning to New York. He has since performed in many different groups and idioms. In addition to his own jazz units (which has included the MMQ +13 big band), he has performed the 1960s folk music of Donovan, plays with Molly Tigre (blending Ethiopian and Malian rhythms with modern jazz), worked as an accompanist for modern dance companies, fulfilled writing commissions, and composed for independent films and has a new trio recording coming out soon called the Smith/Atwal/Marcus Trio. He currently works in the Phish tribute band Readicculus, the Grateful Dead group Shakedown Citi, and plays 1970s Miles Davis music on keyboards and tenor in Get Up With It.
The Mitch Marcus Quintet will be starting a Kickstarter campaign in the near future so the music of INAROUND will also be available on LP. The group will be performing album release shows with the same personnel as is on the recording on Sept. 18 at Firehouse 12 in New Haven, CT (two sets starting at 8 p.m.) and at New York City's Smalls Jazz Club on Sept. 30 at 9 and 10:30 p.m.
