• Market Square Stage (map)
  • 1 Market Square
  • Knoxville, TN 37902
  • USA

Todd Marcus Quintet featuring Virginia MacDonald

Todd Marcus - bass clarinet
Virginia MacDonald - clarinet
Tim Brey - piano
Blake Meister - bass
Eric Kennedy - drums

This performance is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Since 2022, Baltimore bass clarinetist Todd Marcus and Toronto clarinetist Virginia MacDonald have been performing and touring together across the United States and Canada with their quintet. Their work together presents a lush ensemble that showcases the range of beauty and power by the clarinet in a modern jazz context, with repertoire comprised of original compositions by both bandleaders. They have performed at jazz festivals and prominent venues internationally including Smalls Jazz Club, the Toronto Jazz Festival, the International Clarinet Association, and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

Playing the clarinet is challenging (due technical and volume complexities) which leads most woodwind musicians to use saxophones and avoid using clarinets in more intense modern jazz. While the clarinet has a rich history in traditional New Orleans and Dixieland music, swing era big band contexts, and avant-garde free playing, it is significantly underutilized in modern straight-ahead jazz.

Marcus and MacDonald have filled this gap for the clarinet in modern jazz.  Their unique solo and compositional voices have established a prominence and international reputation on their instruments in jazz today. Their musical partnership showcases the versatility of the clarinet and captures audiences with a new and unique musical experience.

 

Bios

Todd Marcus is one of the few artists worldwide to focus on the bass clarinet as a main instrument in modern jazz with his small and large ensembles. His straight-ahead playing and compositions swing with fiery intensity balanced with delicate introspection.  Self-taught in jazz, his music offers a strong melodic sensibility, draws from elements of his community work, and often incorporates the Middle Eastern influences of his Egyptian-American heritage.

Based in Baltimore, Marcus leads ensembles from 2-10 musicians featuring his original compositions and jazz standards and The New York Times writes, “Mr. Marcus is probably the most inventive bass clarinetist working in straight-ahead jazz today…[and] lives in Baltimore, where he is a guiding light on the city’s jazz scene who doubles as an activist and organizer.” 

Marcus has released six albums and worked with other jazz artists such as Gary Bartz, Bennie Maupin, Don Byron, Ralph Peterson, Warren Wolf, Sean Jones, and Orrin Evans.  His performances include national and international touring including the 2023 International Clarinet Association Summit, 2017 Jazz Tales Festival in Egypt, 2015 Cairo Jazz Festival in Egypt, and in 2005 at the 1st World Bass Clarinet Convention in Rotterdam, Holland.

Todd is an endorsed artist for Syos mouthpieces, Legere Reeds, and RZ Clarinets

Learn more at: toddmarcusjazz.com

 

Virginia MacDonald

Juno Award-nominated clarinetist Virginia MacDonald has established herself as a rising star of her generation with for her lyrical and soulful clarinet playing.  As a highly in-demand bandleader, sidewoman, and composer, Virginia regularly performs across Canada, the United States, and Europe.

Virginia has performed at jazz festivals globally including the Detroit Jazz Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival, Jaipur Jazz & Blues Festival, Toronto Jazz Festival, and Montreal Jazz Festival plus prestigious international venues including Koerner Hall, Ronnie Scott’s, Birdland, Smalls, Le Duc Des Lombards and the International Clarinet Association’s 50th anniversary ClarinetFest.

In 2020, Virginia was selected as the first-prize winner of the International Clarinetist Corona Competition and has recorded and performed with esteemed artists including Michael Dease, Ira Coleman, Harold Mabern, Geoffrey Keezer, Rodney Whitaker, Xavier Davis, Quincy Davis, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bill Cunliffe, Randy Napoleon, Derrick Gardner, Kirk MacDonald, Pat Labarbera, Neil Swainson, and Terry Clarke.

Virginia is also an in-demand educator and has led classes and masterclasses at Laval University, Université de Sherbrooke, McGill University, University of Manitoba, St. FX University, University of Toronto, VSO School of Music, the Global Music Institute, and the True School of Music.

Virginia is an endorsed artist for Buffet Crampon, Rovner Products and D’Addario Woodwinds

Learn more at: virginiamacdonald.ca

 

Press

“Mr. Marcus is probably the most inventive bass clarinetist working in straight-ahead jazz today…[and] lives in Baltimore, where he is a guiding light on the city’s jazz scene who doubles as an activist and organizer.”  - New York Times

“[Virginia] is one of the only people I’ve heard get that completely soulful essence that you get on the saxophone; she gets it on the clarinet. She’s got her own voice.” Grammy Award winning trombonist Michael Dease, London Jazz News

 

Work samples