For those unaware, the music of the mysterious Dodo Marmarosa finds new life in this recording, Tone Paintings, by jazz pianist, arranger, composer, and educator Craig Davis.

Joined by John Clayton on bass and Jeff Hamilton on drums and recorded in Los Angeles where Dodo found his voice in the progressive form of jazz, bebop, Tone Paintings combines masterful compositions with contemporary arranging and exquisite soloing from three Masters of Jazz.

Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa, bebop pianist, composer and arranger who retreated to his childhood home in Pittsburgh after years of touring with several major big bands, including those led by Tommy Dorsey, Gene Krupa, and Artie Shaw and recording with leading bebop and swing musicians, including Howard McGhee, Charlie Parker, and Lester Young, as well as leading his own bands in the 1940s due to mental health issues.

1. Mellow Mood
2. Dodo’s Bounce
3. Dodo’s Blues
4. Escape
5. A Ditty For Dodo
6. Opus No. 5
7. Compadoo
8. Dary Departs
9. Tone Paintings
10. Battle Of The Balcony Jive
11. Dodo’s Lament

This well crafted and harmoniously melodious album opens on the playful Mellow mood and the sprightly Dodo’s Bounce and then comes the aptly-titled, low slung Dodo’s Blues, the drum-led, energetically cheerful Escape, and the last dance, slow twirl of A Ditty For Dodo.

Up next is the elegant gossamer within Opus No. 5 which is in turn followed by the peppy Compadoo and then comes the late night, smoky blues club appeal within the upright bass-led Dary Departs, the feel changing, the rhythmic gears worked down to balladry level for the titular track, and then the album rounds out with the zippy Battle Of The Balcony Jive and the sheer elegance of musical splendor found within Dodo’s Lament

MCG Jazz is a social enterprise of Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, a subsidiary of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, a non-profit arts and learning center in Pittsburgh, PA. MCG Jazz supports its mission to preserve, present, and promote jazz through its annual subscription concert series, dedicated to hosting the world’s finest jazz musicians; a specialty, jazz recording label; and a multi-faceted educational outreach program that reaches thousands of music lovers and students locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Official Purchase Link

www.craigdavisjazz.com

MCG Jazz @ Bandcamp