Biography



Jonathan Marks (Violin, Vocals) was a founding member of the Toronto based Club Django Sextet, a group dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Quintet of the Hot Club de France, the group that featured the legendary Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Club Django performs regularly locally and has appeared in jazz festivals in Toronto and Ottawa, and as part of the Sound of Toronto Jazz concert series on JazzFM91. Their CD A Tribute to the Quintet of the Hot Club de France has received frequent airplay on JazzFM91 and many other stations throughout the country, and won the Canadian Collectors' Congress Award for Best Traditional/Classic Jazz Album of 2000.

Toronto Star music critic Geoff Chapman had this to say about Jonathan's playing:

"Jonathan Marks on violin, is an enterprising soloist with interest in precise time, supple phrasing and thrusting improv"
- December 2000

"He's a little young to pass for violin legend Stephane Grappelli, but Jonathan Marks has a good handle on how to swing and how to deliver sweet melodies"
- August 2001

"...textural and colourful..."
- August 2003

While Jon still loves the energy and exuberance of early swing music, his interests in the past few years have led him to study bebop and other later styles of jazz improvisation. This interest has led him to form the Jonathan Marks Trio (J.M.T.). For the J.M.T., Jonathan invited two of Toronto's finest players (Kevin Manaugh on guitar, and Michael Herring on bass) to collaborate with him on a new sound with elements of Swing Music, Bebop, Latin and post bop sounds. The repertoire reflects these influences, featuring a healthy dose of classic jazz standards, tunes from Monk, Bird, Miles and Sonny Rollins with some Bossa Nova tunes mixed in.

For more information, please contact:

Jonathan Marks
416-458-5532




Home    Gigs    Listen    Images    About Us

Discography    Mailing List    Contact Us