Braden-Rapp: The Strayhorn Project
A Tribute to the Music of Billy Strayhorn:

If you are familiar with the jazz composition, “Take the A Train,” then you know something about not only Duke Ellington, but also Billy “Sweet Pea” Strayhorn, its composer. Strayhorn joined Duke Ellington’s band in 1939, at the age of twenty-two. Ellington liked what he saw in Billy and took this shy, talented pianist under his wing. By the end of the year Strayhorn had become essential to the Duke Ellington Band, arranging, composing, sitting-in at the piano. Billy made a rapid and almost complete assimilation of Ellington's style and technique. It was difficult to discern where one's style ended and the other's began. The results of the Ellington-Strayhorn collaboration brought much joy to the jazz world.

Tracks: Rain Check, Isfahan, A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing, Something To Live For, Satin Doll, Daydream, Johnny Come Lately, Lament For Javanet, Chelsea Bridge, Pretty Girl/Star Crossed Lovers

Don Braden on Sax/Flute

Don Braden has toured the world leading his own ensembles, and as a sideman with greats such as Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, and many others. He has composed music for everything from duo to full symphonic orchestra, for recordings, film and television including several shows with Bill Cosby. He is an imaginative, technically excellent, soulful saxophonist, and his harmonic and rhythmic sophistication give him a unique approach to improvising as well as composing and arranging. Most important of all: he has a beautiful sound, and he swings! All this combines with his joyous yet disciplined personality to make him one of the most important young musicians working today.

Mark Rapp on Trumpet

Mark Rapp has played sold out shows at the Blue Note (NY), Joe's Pub, Yoshi's (San Fran) and such venues as the JVC Newport Jazz Festival, Dizzy's at Jazz Lincoln Center, JazzTime Festival (Croatia), Jazzland (Vienna), Jazz Standard and more. Mark was named a “top emerging trumpeter” by Downbeat Magazine, featured on a Travel Channel documentary and has played with artists as diverse as Branford Marsalis to Hootie and the Blowfish. His critically acclaimed debut CD Token Tales is being played around the globe.

"There’s a new breed of young trumpeters coming down the road.  These new young lions have studied the playing and music of bop and hard bop masters such as Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and Kenny Dorham, among others.  Having looked at the innovations of forward-thinkers like Don Cherry, Lester Bowie and Dave Douglas, the young firebrands have also not neglected the funk, jazz-rock, soul and fusion of artists like Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock.  The resultant music they create melds and brings together the radio music of their youth with the history of their horn to find fresh ways to approach and fashion a style of playing more oriented toward groove without losing modern approaches to upper chordal harmonic structures so prevalent in the jazz music of the late 20th century.  Perhaps one of the best examples of the direction being taken by this new breed is played by Mark Rapp.

Growing up in South Carolina, Rapp first attended Lenoir-Rhyne College on a music scholarship, but dropped out after a few months, moving to Florence, South Carolina to work construction.  Eventually Rapp enrolled in Winthrop University in South Carolina, studying trumpet with Dr. Ian Pearson.  After graduating, and following discussions with Wynton Marsalis, Rapp moved to New Orleans to study jazz under Ellis Marsalis while earning a Masters in Jazz from the University of New Orleans.  Five years later and after performing extensively throughout the city, Rapp moved to New York.  Finding the initial year there a tough go, his perseverance paid off and the now mid-30s year-old musician has been turning heads ever since.  Regular performances at the Carnegie Club and the Rockwood Music Hall in New York have brought him to the notice of people such as saxophonist Branford Marsalis, who has performed with the young trumpet phenom.

Rapp’s reputation has grown to the extent that many of today’s top artists want him in their bands.  Included in this list are rockers like Darius Rucker, Hootie & The Blowfish, Edwin McCain and Sister Hazel.  From the jazz side artists Rapp has worked with include Walter Blanding Jr., Don Braden, Gerald Clayton, Wess Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, Seamus Blake, John Ellis and Rodney Green, among others.  With such a pedigree it’s no surprise Rapp received a standing ovation following his performance at the 2008 Newport Jazz Festival appearance.  Other recent performances include the JVC Newport Jazz, Jazztime Festival (Croatia), Sonoma Wine & Song Festival and the WC Handy Jazz festivals, as well as club appearances at New York locales like the Blue Note, and Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Room to Yoshi’s in San Francisco.

The critical praise has, as one would expect from the above, been great. In 2007 Down Beat listed Rapp on their very short list of, “Top emerging jazz trumpeters.”  JazzTimes also had great praise, writing, “(Rapp) has his own way of defining jazz, which keeps its standard principles… while delving into the experimental side.”"

- Excerpt from Dr. Thomas Erdmann's book "Jazz Trumpet Interviews" published by Edwin Mellen Press

Raised in SC, Mark attended Winthrop University where he had a most propitious meeting with Wynton Marsalis, which led him to study under Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans where he earned his Masters in Jazz.

Mark won and received many awards during his time in New Orleans including the 1st and 2nd annual "New Orleans Jazz Kings Competition", the "People to Watch" and the "Best New Jazz Group" awards. He premiered his 2-hour long Jazz suite "A Soul's Journey" with Ellis Marsalis and Wess Anderson, Jr. and has performed for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, W.C. Handy Festival, Jazz Brevard, City Stages, as well as, multiple trips to Europe. One particular highlight for Mark was working with his idol Terence Blanchard on his "Jazz in Film" effort.

Since moving to NY, Mark has become one of the city's hardest working bandleaders. Staying true to his vision, Mark consistently performs his originals and his arrangements. "I'm more interested in discovering and expressing the music in me - like Miles and Monk did... unique artists like Bjork, Dave Matthews and even Dr. Dre."

The National Urban League featured Mark 3 years in a row as bandleader, composer and soloist during their annual EOE Awards Gala; consequently, he played in front of Aretha Franklin, Spike Lee and Avery Brooks to name a few. Mark has had many notable and celebrated musicians perform with him including: Walter Blanding, Jr., Wess Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, Seamus Blake, John Ellis, Brad Leali, Rodney Green and more.

As a sideman, Mark went on the road with multi-platinum artist Darius Rucker and has played with Hootie & the Blowfish, Edwin McCain and Sister Hazel. Mark has a myriad of guest appearances on everything from a Fox NFL commercial to NY artists Hired Goons, Charley Hustle and Shitake Monkey. Mark is also a prolific composer and has written music for a number of independent film projects including Friendship Hotel and Night and Day.

Currently, Mark resides in Geneva, Switzerland and New York, NY and is constantly performing in support of his critically acclaimed debut record Token Tales. The upcoming Braden-Rapp: The Music of Billy Strayhorn record with Don Braden, Gerald Clayton and Sachal Vasandani is in production.

Mark plays a custom Monette Ajna I Prana trumpet with a Monette B2GS3 88 mouthpiece, a custom Monette Prana LTJ with a Monette B3 mouthpiece and a Kanstul flugelhorn with a Monette B2 mouthpiece.

For more information on Mark, check out the following sources:

www.markrapp.com
www.facebook.com/markrappmusic
www.twitter.com/markrappmusic
www.myspace.com/markrappmusic
www.youtube.com/markrappmusic