Marvin Stamm

Throughout his distinguished career, Marvin Stamm has been praised for both the art and the craft of trumpet playing. Leonard Feather believes that "Mr. Stamm is an accomplished performer whose technical skill is used as a means to stimulating original ends."

While attending North Texas State University, a school noted for its innovative lab bands, Mr. Stamm was discovered by Stan Kenton. After graduation, he became Kenton's trumpet soloist for two years, recording five albums with the orchestra. In the mid 60's, he also toured worldwide with Woody Herman.

Settling in New York in late '66, Marvin Stamm quickly established himself as a busy jazz and studio trumpeter. New York was bustling with jazz activity during the period, and Stamm performed at key venues with many of the significant players in the business. A member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, and Duke Pearson's Big Band, he also recorded with: Bill Evans, Quincy Jones, Oliver Nelson, Charles Mingus, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Hubert Laws, Michel Legrand and Frank Foster, among others.

With the advent of orchestral arrangements in rock, Mr. Stamm recorded with such artists as Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin and James Brown, as well as such legends as Barbara Streisand and Lena Horn.

Marvin Stamm's first solo album, Machinations, on Verve, was composed and arranged by jazz legend, John Carisi. After touring for several years with Frank Sinatra, he recorded Stammpede in 1982, which heralded his re-dedication to a solo jazz career. Eschewing the lucrative studio scene, he has focused on playing jazz, and in the past decade, has worked with John Lewis' American Jazz Orchestra, the Bob Mintzer Band, the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, Louis Bellson's big band and quintet, as well the big bands of emerging composers, Maria Schneider and Rich Shemaria.

Consciously acknowledging his debt to the influence and guidance of former teachers and fellow musicians, Marvin Stamm commits his time and energies helping young music students to develop their own voices. Involved in jazz education, he visits colleges and universities across the U.S. and Europe as a performer, clinician and mentor, perpetuating the traditions of excitement and innovation that Jazz represents.

In 1991, Marvin Stamm recorded Bop Boy, which features Bob Mintzer on tenor sax, Terry Clarke on drums, Phil Markowitz on piano and Lincoln Goines on bass. While continuing to tour with all star ensembles, Mr. Stamm began working across the country with his own group. Mystery Man was released in the summer of 1993, and also features Mintzer and Clarke, but this time in the company of Mike Richmond on bass and young piano wizard Bill Charlap. The critical response to Stamm's work in the 90's has been highly enthusiastic. Downbeat reported that Stamm "has a gorgeous tone on the trumpet and flugelhorn, and he flies through changes." JazzTimes said that "the Memphis native has chops and talent in abundance. He can burn on bebop changes, or mellow out on a ballad, all the time maintaining the lucid consistency that enthusiasm and experience engenders."