"Marcus...is clearly what the jazz polls call a "rising star" - as a composer-arranger and as a bass clarinetist. In Marcus' hands, the bass clarinet is no longer a specialty instrument. Its unique timbral richness becomes incisive, fully capable of forceful expression." - JazzTimes, August 2015

"Listeners won't have any trouble recognizing Marcus's compelling gifts for composing and arranging." - Washington Post, May 2015

"Todd Marcus is not only one of the great individualists in jazz, he's also a great composer. There’ve been some amazing big band jazz albums issued in the past few years, but none as good as this since Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society released their withering anti-gentrification broadside Brooklyn Babylon in 2012. As happened with that album, time may judge Blues for Tahrir to be a classic." --New York Music Daily, May 2015

"Baltimore-based Todd Marcus, the virtuoso bass clarinetist and composer, is a master of straight-ahead jazz.” Baltimore Sun, January 2014

Todd Marcus, bass clarinetBruce Barth, pianoKris Funn, bassEric Kennedy, drums

Bass clarinetist, composer, and bandleader Todd Marcus is one of the few jazz artists worldwide to focus exclusively on the bass clarinet as a solo instrument. While use of bass clarinet in jazz typically tends to lean heavily towards avant-garde and free-jazz styles, Marcus? playing presents the instrument with a modern straight-ahead jazz approach.

Pianist and composer Bruce Barth has performed on over 100 recordings and movie soundtracks, including 10 as a leader. He arrived on the New York jazz scene in 1988 and soon was working with Stanley Turrentine, Nat Adderley, Vincent Herring and Dave Douglas. In 1990 he joined the Terence Blanchard Quintet which recorded six CDs as well as several movie soundtracks.

Barth has had extended collaborations with Tony Bennett, Steve Wilson, Terell Stafford, Luciana Souza, and Karrin Allyson and David Sanchez and has performed with James Moody, Phil Woods, Freddie Hubbard, Tom Harrell, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Art Farmer, Victor Lewis, John Patitucci, Lewis Nash, and the Mingus Big Band.

Bruce Barth (piano) -- Barth is also a dedicated teacher, with more than ten years on the jazz faculty of Temple University in Philadelphia and currently teaches private lessons to City College University and New School students. More at: brucebarth.com

Kris Funn (bass) – Born and raised in Baltimore, Funn took up the double bass at age 14 and through the instruction of his father, Charles Funn, performed his first professional bass gig the same year. Funn graduated from Howard University with an honors degree in computer science but decided to pursue a career as a professional jazz musician and at age 23, Kristopher began touring internationally with alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett. Since then, he has traveled to every major jazz festival in the world touching six continents performing with artists including the Christian Scott Quintet, Bruce Williams, Nicholas Payton, Pharoah Sanders, Jeff Majors, Jeff Lorber, and many others. More at: funndamentals.com

Eric Kennedy (drums) - Based in Baltimore, Kennedy is also a prolific composer (with over 500 compositions), vocalist, and educator who has performed, toured and recorded with Bobby Watson, Gary Bartz, Larry Willis, Curtis Fuller, Richard Wyands, Gary Bartz, Yusef Salim, Charles Davis and Ronnie Mathews to name a few. As an educator he has taught all ages in the classroom, workshops, clinics and private lessons both in the US and overseas during years spent living Europe.

Tickets: $20 in advance/$23 at door; $10 full-time students with ID