Marky Markowitz

Irvin "Marky" Markowitz (aka Irwin Markowitz, Irving Markowitz; December 11, 1923 – November 18, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter.

Born the youngest of seven children of Russian-Jewish immigrants who disembarked in Baltimore, and settled on 4 1/2 Street, Southwest, in Washington, D.C., Markowitz learned the trumpet at the local Police Boys' Club. He played early in his career in a number of big bands, including those of Charlie Spivak (1941–42), Jimmy Dorsey, Boyd Raeburn, and Woody Herman (1946). He played in Buddy Rich's orchestra in 1946–47, then returned to service under Herman in 1947–48. Moving his family from Washington, D.C. to New York in 1958, and eventually settling in Nyack, he worked primarily as a studio musician in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Some live appearances included work with Herman, Gene Krupa (1958), Lee Konitz (1959), Ralph Burns, George Russell, Al Cohn (1962), Paul Desmond (1969), and Bill Evans (1974). Marky was a "first call" trumpeter for many top artists of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, the Young Rascals, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Dionne Warwick, Maynard Ferguson, George Segal, and many others, as well as hundreds of advertising "jingles", TV ads and movie scores. He was a perennial on the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy, and known for a "sweet" tone on the trumpet and flugelhorn, as well as a better-than-average vocal impression of Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, which was featured on a 1970s TV commercial for Hecker's Flour. In January 1985, just the year before his death at age 62, Marky returned to his hometown of Washington, D.C. to perform with an All-Star band, led by famed composer/arranger Nelson Riddle, at the Inaugural Ball for President Ronald Reagan's 2nd term. He led only one recording session, for Harry Lim's Famous Door label in 1976.

Marky Markowitz, Tony Bennett, Torrie Zito at taping of "Play It Again, Sam", NYC 1969
Marky Markowitz with Joel Grey, backstage Palace Theatre NYC 1975, set of "Goodtime Charley"

Discography

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With David Amram

With Burt Bacharach/Dionne Warwick

With Richard Barbary

With Gato Barbieri

With Louie Bellson

With Tony Bennett

With Sonny Berman

With Brasilia Nueva

With Bob Brookmeyer

With Solomon Burke

With Ralph Burns

With Paul Butterfield

With Emmett Carls / Lennie Tristano

With Barbara Carroll

With Chris Connor

  • Free Spirits (Atlantic, 1962)

With King Curtis

With Paul Desmond

With Neil Diamond

  • In My Lifetime (Rel. 1996, Columbia)

With Bo Diddley

With Duke Ellington

With Bill Evans

With Maynard Ferguson

With Astrud Gilberto

With Dizzy Gillespie

With Grant Green

With Bobby Hebb

  • Sunny (Philips, 1966)

With Woody Herman

With Tommy James and the Shondells

With Tamiko Jones

With Ben E. King

With Lee Konitz

With Gene Krupa

With The Manhattan Transfer

With Herbie Mann

With Jackie McLean

With Carmen McRae

With Butch Miles

With Blue Mitchell

With Hugo Montenegro

With James Moody

With Claus Ogerman Orchestra

With Felix Pappalardi

  • Don't Worry, Ma (A&M, 1979)

With Bill Potts

With Tito Puente

With Buddy Rich

With Lalo Schifrin

With George Segal

With Bobby Short

With Paul Simon

With Zoot Sims

With Jimmy Smith

With Howard Tate

With Joe Thomas

  • Masada (Groove Merchant, 1975)

With Joe Timer and Charles Mingus

With Leslie Uggams

With Frankie Valli

With Loudon Wainwright III

With Grover Washington Jr.

With Kai Winding

Film credits

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Television

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References

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