Mark Hollingsworth
-
Chasing The Sun
Los
Angeles based studio musician Mark Hollingsworth has worked with
musical legends like Stevie Wonder, Santana, Tom Petty, Ray Charles,
Tom Jones, Luther Vandross and Quincey Jones.
Mark comments: “Working
professionally with recording artists and other pros is always an
amazing and powerful learning experience. That's been a wonderful
aspect of a career in music, I'm always learning new things!”
“After I left Tom Jones, I picked up recorders in a very casual way
and over time found some other kinds of wood flutes and started
experimenting with making my own flutes. Since I made the choice not
to play oboe, which might have been helpful in Los Angeles, I decided
that ethnic flutes would be another way of broadening my skill base.”
Result of this experience was his debut album Zen Gardens
(2002), which settles in the New Age meditation genre. He also played
the score for the Chinese movie
Xiu-Xiu.
He performed with artists from the smooth jazz scene like Dan Siegel,
Grant Geisman and Greg Adams. Motivated by his fans Mark recorded his
second album On The Mark in 2005. “On the Mark really
got started because of the musicians I worked with when I toured with
Greg Adams. James Wirrick played guitar and wrote and produced with
Greg for several of Greg's albums. We produced that album in the same
way that many smooth jazz albums are produced today. We started with
‘mock-ups’ of the songs using samples and loops. Then we overdubbed
one instrument at a time starting with drums. We would replace a
mocked up part with the real player leaving only some of the samples
or loops in the mix. Working with James gave me the confidence to know
that my first album would turn out to be a quality project.”
There is a smell of Indiana Jones in the
air. Mark is chasing the sun and he starts his quest with Spirit of
Adventure. "This is the spirit of exploration that one's permeated
Western Man's thinking," comments Mark in the liner notes. The starter
is leaving the safe soundscape of smooth jazz and travels into the
region of fusion jazz. Mark comments:
“I wrote and produced
this entire album by myself, so I had no collaborators on this song.
This song is actually where my concept for the direction of the album
as a whole coalesced.”
Open Throttle
sounds like a jazzy jam session. There is much space for all musicians
even for extensive solos. Mark on tenor and alto sax is strongly
supported by Nick Lane (trombone) and Bill Armstrong (trumpet).
Tropic Breeze is
exactly what the title promises. A mellow tune based on a Bossa Nova
rhythm filled with smooth textures of Mark's tenor sax, flute and
clarinet. Spice of Life
has a propelling groove. Mark blows his uplifting sax like hell.
Doing My Own Thing showcases Mark
on tenor, alto and bari sax in a tight solo tune. That is overdubbing
at its best. If you like to dance with a beloved person in a beautiful
place Chasing The Sun is the right melody for you. Mark
conjures up the good old time when we were tipsy by swing and Big
Bands.
A Higher Plane is an uplifting
approach to the sound of the 70's and 80's. Arrangement and
performance are perfectly set in scene. Come on let's dance!
High Velocity his a nice reminiscence to the music of the Disco
age. Hi-Hat rhythm, wah-guitar, horn-arrangement, all ingredients of
the good old Saturday- Night-Fever-time.
No, that's not Car Wash, but
Crawfish Pie. This burst out of Bill's muted trumpet and Nick's
trombone let me tumble. Get me back to the French Quarter of New Orleans.
Sambarosa is featuring Mark on flute performing a smooth
Brazilian influenced melody.
Stowaway evokes memories of Indian
tribes moving through the wide planes of the Wild West. A mixture of
fusion and world music with Penny-whistles and Bansuri flutes. On
Undercurrents the members of Mark's group are presenting their
contributions in solos which gives this tune a unique varnish.
The final tune Darwin's Voyage is
with more than 8 minutes the longest of this album. This epic ballade
holds up the fusion torque. Very expressive Curtis Pringle on piano,
while Mark's soprano sax has a touch of oriental flagrance.
Mark's album Chasing The Sun is
definitely not the typical smooth jazz album we are used to listen to.
Consequently Mark avoids the trends of contemporary music to create
his own different style of jazz.
- Mark Hollingsworth - Website
- Bio
- Buy the album at
- Title: Chasing The Sun
Artist: Mark Hollingsworth
Year: 2007
Length: 1:13:52
Genre: Smooth Jazz
Label: Windshore Music
Tracks:
01 Spirit of Adventure [7:15]
02 Open Throttle [6:14]
03 Tropic Breeze [5:45]
04 Spice Of Life [6:29]
05 Doing My Own Thing [2:33]
06 Chasing The Sun [5:54]
07 A Higher Plane Intro [1:04]
08 A Higher Plane [5:55]
09 High Velocity [6:44]
10 Crawfish Pie [3:04]
11 Sambarosa [5:09]
12 Stowaway [3:18]
13 Undercurrents [6:10]
14 Darwin's Voyage [8:18]
