SongVault Artist Profile
![]() ![]() Saskatoon
Saskatchewan, Canada Cool Jazz / Worldfusion
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Mark
DeJong
is
a
multi-instrumentalist,
composer
and
band
leader,
and
is
also
a
founding
member
of
the
Outer
Bridge
Ensemble.
He
has
performed
throughout
the
United
States,
Canada,
Europe
and
Japan
and
has
shared
the
stage
with
such
luminaries
as
Ray
Charles,
Rob
McConnell,
Lenny
Pickett,
Hugh
Fraser,
Kenny
Wheeler
and
Sean
Jones.
He
has
participated
in
the
renowned
Banff
Jazz
Orchestra
Workshop,
and
is
active
as
a
performer internationally and across North America.
“The Unknown” features pianist Steve Hudson, bassist Mike Norrdzy, drummer Jerome Jennings and percussionist David Freeman, and reached number 2 on the Canadian campus and community radio top 20 jazz albums for 2008! Here's what some people are saying about "The Unknown" "Mr. Dejong congratulations on a stunning cd. Swinging jazz at its best indeed, delivered with style and panache from a wonderful outfit led by your virtuoso saxophone playing. Stunning reed sir, stunning. Your compositions are electric and engaging. The tempo and delivery is faultless. Will it get air-play here on the leading jazz show? Yes it will, and then the listeners will hear what l have had the absolute pleasure of listening to! Congratulations on an absolute gem of a cd..." Peter Merrett PBS 106-7 FM Melbourne, Australia “...The Unknown” focuses on the power of Mark’s tenor saxophone, whose sound remains in the foreground during the epic creations on the album. The piano and wurlitzer provide roundness and a gloomy, hidden feeling, while the solid rhythm section drives through occasional deconstruction and dramatic switches. What makes this album so good is it’s capacity to innovate while remaining accessible, and to produce a sound that goes well with standards while sounding like an album composed and produced today". François-Samuel Fortin, Jazz Director CHYZ 94.3 - Université Laval, Quebec ..."It's been a pleasure to receive your CD,to know and to promote your music, so full of energy and poetry. It isnt a simple exhibition of good technic, but a communication of sincere "feeling" that arrives directly to the sensible listener. Bruno Pollacci, AnimaJazz, Puntoradio FM, Italy Recorded at Peter Karl Studios in Brooklyn, NY,“The Unknown” features six of DeJong’s original compositions as well as two well-known standards. The tunes demonstrate a compelling mix of funky bass lines with odd-meter arranging, infectious grooves and hard-hitting yet cohesive solos. Produced by DeJong, the mixing was done by engineer Wayne Giesbrecht, and the mastering was completed by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in New York. |