Each Friday at noon, Barry O’Sullivan invites a studio guest onto A Jazz Hour.
This week‘s guest is Australian pianist, composer and conductor of classical music, film scores and jazz, Mark Isaacs.
Mark began piano studies at age five and it was soon discovered that he had perfect pitch. Beginning around age nine, he began to experiment with improvising on jazz standards. From age twelve, he became interested in classical composition and began to compose orchestral and chamber works for which he won many awards and scholarships throughout his teens.
While his Mark’s father was an accomplished jazz guitarist and songwriter, Mark’s uncle was the legendary British jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs, who worked for many years with jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli. Duke Ellington came for dinner one time and there were visits from George Benson, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessel and many others. As Mark grew older, he would have informal jams with some of the famous musicians who would visit the Isaacs household.
During 2020, Mark released two albums with saxophonist Loretta Palmeiro All Who Travel With Us and The Present, and two on his won Forgotten Fields and Intamacies.