I believe in Zufall (chance).
I guess it was before 1995 when I became aware of Marc Copland, so it was just the same time when Brian met the music of Marc Copland. It was the time when the internet stepped out from governmental, universitary or military institutions to conquer the world and knit a world wide web. In those days it was not so easy to do things like this:
I’ll be exploring his back catalog for many years to come.
Nowadays it’s simple. Just visit Discogs or Spotify (as I did yesterday) and you’ll find an abundant number of recordings of Marc Copland.
How did it happen – maybe in 1993 – that I heard Marc Copland? You know (or even not) that German TV-stations didn’t broadcast a full 24-hour-program then. The station 3sat for example showed overnight only Teletext, underlaid by Jazz and some additional information about the presented tune. On average I visited 2 or 3 times a month this nightly hours of 3sat when I couldn’t find sleep or when I woke up early in the morning. One morning I listened to an electrifying Piano Trio, Marc Copland treating the keys, as I could read. A few days later I got the CD. Two Way Street is the title of this fine album, starting and ending surprisingly muscular. In between you’ll find wonderful balladesque versions of M.A.S.H. and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Zingaro. You listen to an imaginative pianist with a highly individual use of harmonies, fine melodic lines, in conversation with his tasteful partners Dieter Ilg on bass and Ralph Penland on drums. Songs Without End never found the way to Germany, I presume.
Booklet remarks by John Abercrombie
I lost sight of him, like you Brian, not because of descending interest, but rather than lack of offerings. I discovered one more album, What’s Goin On, with Dieter Ilg and Jeff Hirshfield. This time the notes in the booklet are created by Marc Copland.
Booklet remarks by Marc Copland
It was rather late, when I focussed on this great artist again, not since Copland is cooperating with ECM, which started not before 2013. The label Pirouet from München had been the home of Copland for a long time, as far as I see from 2003 until 2012. In this period 3 highly important albums had been released, gems in my collection.
– NEW YORK TRIO RECORDINGS VOL. 1 / MODINHA
– NEW YORK TRIO RECORDINGS VOL. 2 / VOICES
– NEW YORK TRIO RECORDINGS VOL. 3 / NIGHT WHISPERS
I know that Marc Copland started his musical career as a saxophone player, a fact which is well documented on the Pirouet website.
Marc Copland, 1948 in Philadelphia geboren, beherrschte das Altsaxophon Mitte der 1970er Jahre vorzüglich, kollaborierte in New York mit arrivierten Kollegen wie Ralph Towner, Chico Hamilton und John Abercrombie. Doch irgendwann spürte er, dass etwas falsch lief. „Die Musik, die ich spielte, war nicht die Musik, die mir im Kopf herumging.“ Von einem Tag auf den anderen legte er das Horn zur Seite, zog sich völlig aus der Szene zurück und begann, das Geheimnis des Elfenbeins zu ergründen. Zehn Jahre verschwand er von der Bildfläche, übte verbissen und studierte andere Pianisten. 1985 fühlte er sich endlich bereit für den Start in die zweite Karriere. Ein Novum, ein Unding!
Another important label is hatOLOGY, where Copland recorded several albums between 2002 and 2011, including Marc Copland And … & Impressions (Duo with Dave Liebman).
I can’t say more than Brian about Marc Copland, except of that I witnessed him live at the wonderful Jazz Club Birdland in Neuburg/Donau – a deep experience.
Thanks to Brian for singing the praise of Marc.
