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Multi-instrumentalist
MARK ORTWEIN had been thinking of making his own albums for
years but has been too busy playing full time in an orchestra,
teaching at a university, recording for other people, and doing live
jazz gigs. He finally found the time to focus on his own music during
the pandemic lockdown and decided to record his debut jazz album as a
leader, IT WAS TIME. The album showcases
Ortwein’s mastery of the woodwinds and his prowess as a composer and
arranger. Over
the last 30 years, Ortwein, a Yamaha and D'Addario Performing Artist,
has performed all over the world in many different venues, ranging
from Carnegie Hall to the Grand Ole Opry to MTV, and on many
different projects in many different settings, including jazz and
R&B groups, classical orchestras, chamber ensembles, and musical
theater. He leads his own jazz group, the Ortwein JazzTet and was a
member of the saxophone section for the Cincinnati Pops. He also
recently formed a jazz fusion group, the HetWein Futet and was a
member of the Icarus Ensemble, a jazz quintet that released an album
in 2014. Ortwein
is also a highly accomplished bassoonist. He is currently the
Assistant Principal Bassoonist and Contrabassoonist of the
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and he teaches bassoon at the
University of Indianapolis. He is also now working on two CDs of
concertos and solo works for electrified bassoon and contrabassoon. Ortwein
grew up in Las Vegas and attended Loyola University in New Orleans,
majoring in bassoon and jazz saxophone. He transferred to Boston
University where he received a Bachelor of Music degree in Bassoon
Performance. He played for one season with the Las Vegas Symphony
Orchestra and then joined the United States Air Force Band as a
saxophone soloist and woodwind doubler at March Air Force Base in
California. He moved to the Air Force Academy in Colorado where he
was the principal bassoonist with the United States Air Force Band of
the Rockies for four years. After that, he moved to Cincinnati to
study bassoon at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and complete
his master’s degree. After
recording the demo recording of John Williams' "Escapades for
Alto Saxophone and Orchestra" from the movie Catch Me if You
Can, Mr. Williams asked Ortwein to be the featured soloist with
the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with Williams himself conducting.
Ortwein has since recorded twice more with Williams. Ortwein
plays an entire woodwind section of instruments on IT WAS TIME,
including tenor, alto, soprano, and baritone saxes, bassoon and
electrified bassoon, clarinet and bass clarinet, and flute. He
gathered some of the top musicians from Indianapolis, Chicago, and
New York, including FRANK GLOVER (piano), PAUL LANGFORD
(piano), GARY WALTERS (piano), PAVEL
POLANCO-SAFADIT (piano),
OLAS ORTWEIN (fretless bass, bass), PETER HANSEN
(bass), FRANCIS WYATT (drums), MATT MCGRAW (drums), CRAIG
HETRICK (drums), JOHNNY CONCANNON (drums), CARRINGTON
CLINTON (drums), JOHN FELL (guitar), KENNY RAMPTON
(trumpet), JON CRABIEL (percussion), JOSH KAUFMAN
(vocals). Ortwein
opens the album with his composition, “It Was Time.” The title has a
double meaning for him as he wrote the melody when his mother passed
away a couple years ago. It was clearly her time to go but it was
also time for him to work on his own projects. “Pepperoni
Grande con Queso Mas,” another original by Ortwein, is a jaunty,
modern Latin number featuring Pavel Polanco-Safadit on piano, congas
and cow bell and Ortwein on electrified bassoon and bari sax. Ortwein’s
friend Josh Kaufman sang “I Can’t Make You Love Me” on NBC’s The
Voice and won that season. Ortwein plays alto sax. Ortwein
updates the old chestnut “After You’ve Gone” with a bit of funk in
the rhythm section. The tune features trumpeter Kenny Rampton, who
plays in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
“Basso Bossa” was written by bassist Peter Hansen. It is a very
lively bossa with plenty of solo space for alto sax, guitar and
drums. “No
More Butterflies” was composed by Ortwein after coming back from a
tour in Poland where he visited Auschwitz. The tune features the bari
sax with a flute countermelody. Ortwein funks up Coltrane’s “Lonnie’s
Lament” and plays the melody and solo on bassoon with his tenor sax
playing the countermelody. Ortwein
wrote “Lunar Love” for his new wife, Carrie. A sexy, evocative piece,
it gives the soloists a lot of freedom during the solo sections.
Guitarist John Fell composed “I Might Be Happy,” which features a
swinging guitar solo by Fell with Ortwein trading solos with himself
on tenor sax and bassoon. “Schizoid”
is an Ortwein composition written while he was waiting for his
university saxophone student who hadn’t been showing up for lessons.
It’s dedicated to his ex-wife. It opens with a New Orleans feel but
moves to a cool jazz vibe ala “Take Five” in the solo section. Bassist
Olas Ortwein, Mark Ortwein’s son, wrote the funk tune “Bigfoot.”
Ortwein plays the electric bassoon in the solo as well as the tenor
and bari sax parts. "Kenny Rampton plays a tasty trumpet plunger
solo, and Johnny Concannon is let loose on the drums at the end. IT
WAS TIME
is an exciting debut album for this versatile and highly accomplished
musician who has been making beautiful music for many years as a
member of jazz groups and classical orchestras. It certainly is time
for him get the attention he deserves as a creative artist in his own
right. # # # IT
WAS TIME is
set for release on February 24, 2023 on Terra Voce and will be
available everywhere. Online: Ortweinwoodwinds.com Facebook:
www.facebook.com/markortwein Instagram:
www.instagram.com/ortreed1/ | 
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Topic: Mark Ortwein Finally Releases Debut Album (Feb 24)
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