For those unaware, JMARQ Records is pleased to announce the February 17th, 2023 release of Storybook, celebrated trumpeter and composer Markus Rutz� sixth studio release as a bandleader.

Fresh off the heels of the release of his critically acclaimed albums Blueprints � Figure One, Blueprints � Figure Two, and One Saturday in September, Rutz� new innovative work takes listeners on a musical journey from past to present, telling the story of Rutz� early musical inspirations and education while reflecting on the musical vibrancy of modern-day Chicago.

Rutz is in great company on this thrilling release which features saxophonist Sharel Cassity, pianist Adrian Ruiz, bassists Kurt Schweitz and Samuel Peters, drummer Kyle Swan and guitarist Kyle Asche.

Prologue:
1. Something�s Blowing In (4:02)
2. Interlude for the Weekend (0:27)

Chapter One � The Straightaway:
3. The Everyday Escapades of M&M (5:47)
4. Third Coasting (5:18)
5. Interlude of Values & Education (0:27)

Chapter Two � Learning is an Enviable Opportunity:
6. Buffalo � by Kenny Dorham (6:54)
7. Mr. E (5:46)
8. Short Story � by Joe Henderson (5:42)
9. Interlude on a Nostalgic Afternoon (0:34)

Chapter Three � The Sentiments:
10. Just for a Thrill � by Lil Hardin Armstrong (4:200
11. Soul Eyes � by Mal Waldron (6:26)

Epilogue:
12. Right at Home (3:57)

This incredibly heartfelt new recording opens on Prologue, which features the soulfully atmospheric �Something�s Blowing In� (which itself depicts a Westerly wind blowing in from New York City in 1949), and the birds are a�cheepin� on a short, but sweet Interlude for the Weekend, and then we are into Chapter One (The Straight Away), and which represents the present day in Chicago, Illinois, and which opens on the gently triumphant The Everyday Escapades of M&M, continues in with the more melodically dutiful Third Coasting, closing on a short, veritable train-tracked bridge in time piece, Interlude of Values & Education.

Along next is Chapter Two (Learning is an Enviable Opportunity), which allows Rutz to honor some of his great mentors, and opens on the finger-snapping hipsway of Kenny Dorham�s �Buffalo�, closes on Joe Henderson�s upbeat and perky �Short Story,� whilst sandwiching in the middle an original, noticeably more earnest composition �Mr. E�; a tribute to Ellis Marsalis, closing on the nimble Interlude on a Nostalgic Afternoon.

Then we get Chapter Three (The Sentiments), a meditation on the past through the eyes of the present, and which opens on the ornate gossmer of the hallmark composition �Just For a Thrill� (Lil Hardin Armstrong), and closes on the quietly composed, laid low �Soul Eyes� by Mal Waldron. The Epilogue, Right at Home, brings us all back to the here and now, with Rutz� affecting composition lulling us back gently to the present.

Chicago-based trumpeter Markus Rutz is well-regarded for his bluesy, soulful style and gorgeous tone. Following the success of his Blueprints Figure One and Blueprints Figure Two, which both garnered international radio coverage, Rutz received the honor of being selected as a Representative of Chicago Music for the 2020 Year of Chicago Music.

These accolades might grant audiences insight into the impression Rutz has made on his listening community, but to truly gain insight into Rutz� unique compositional mind, one has to open the Storybook.

Rutz� upcoming release features superb performances of compositions by the bandleader as well as thoughtful arrangements of time-tested standards. Opening with a prologue, the album unfolds into three distinct chapters. Storybook begins in the present, looks back in time and pauses for reflection, and once more returns home to the present.

The album was composed with universality and oneness at its core. Storybook celebrates the notion that our collective stories are all woven together, and by shedding light on Rutz� musical upbringing, also tells the stories of his biggest influences including such luminaries as Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Ellis Marsalis, Mal Waldron and Lil Hardin.

The album-opener �Something�s Blowing In� demonstrates the effect of the tremendous musical output from such giants as Miles Davis and Charlie Parker on Chicago, and on Rutz� life. Rutz indicates �At the age of 14 years, Miles Davis became a co-author in my life.�

�One afternoon I picked up a copy of Kind of Blue and from the first notes of Bill Evans and the walking bass of Paul Chambers and sound of Miles� trumpet, the life path I was walking opened up to something else � Miles arrived in my life with that recording and brought each of the other musicians along, each of whom has remained in my consciousness and has become part of my development learning and musical experience.�

�Chapter One � The Straightaway� represents the present day in Chicago, Illinois. �The Everyday Escapades of M&M� and �Third Coasting� reflect on the ebbs and flows of everyday life; the wonderful experiences and the strife that we face in our current moment. Chapter one concludes with an interlude that bridges time with an homage to mentors that have guided Rutz both directly and indirectly in personally getting to the present from the past.

�Chapter Two � Learning is an Enviable Opportunity honors Rutz� great mentors including Kenny Dorham, Ellis Marsalis and Richard Davis. Rutz delivers evocative arrangements from both Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson, whilst including an original composition, as a tribute to Ellis Marsalis.

Rutz notes, �Even without knowing or meeting someone, we take cues and have influences that can be elements of our life stories.� �Chapter Three � The Sentiments� exhibits this influence by showcasing specific songs that made a grand impact on Rutz. �Interlude on a Nostalgic Afternoon� sets the tone for this chapter of reflection � a meditation on the past through the eyes of the present.

Within Chapter Three, Rutz delivers a stirring performance on both �Just For a Thrill� by Lil Hardin Armstrong, and �Soul Eyes� by Mal Waldron, with the recording coming to a close on the Epilogue; where we are brought forth the aptly-named �Right at Home,� for it delivers the listener right back to the present.

StoryBook celebrates a life well-lived through song, and those who have made an impact on it, the �co-authors� of Rutz� story, whose wisdom he seeks to carry with him and impart on others. Rutz indicates �Storybook is a personal postcard I am sending to create a soundscape of happiness, pleasure and peace in the lives of listeners.�

www.rutzmusicworks.com

Markus Rutz @ Instagram

The Rose Rhapsody

Markus Rutz Quintet @ Facebook

Barbara Blue @ Twitter