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Alto/soprano saxophonist and flutist Charlie Mariano created a body of work that has only improved with age. Born in Boston on Nov. 12, 1923, Mariano started out with piano lessons as a child, waiting until he was 17 to take up the saxophone. After an army-band stint, he went to the Berklee College of Music, where he studied saxophone with Joe Viola. His time at Berklee afforded the opportunity meet and play with a number of name musicians, among them being Quincy Jones, Jaki Byard, Herb Pomeroy, Gigi Gryce and Sam Rivers. Mariano played with Stan Kenton's band from 1953-'55, after which he spent some time in Los Angeles, playing with Shelly Manne, among others. He married Toshiko Akiyoshi in 1959 and formed a quartet with her the following year. It was a group that toured the United States and Japan. An important recorded collaboration came in 1963, when worked with Charlie Mingus (having joined him the previous year). The album was The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady. After a couple of years in Japan with Akiyoshi, Mariano moved back to Boston, where he taught at Berklee for six years. He also played with Astrud Gilberto during this time. Working with the State Department during the mid-'60s, Mariano went to Malaysia and India, where he was exposed to even more non-Western music systems and learned to play the nadaswaram, a South Indian wind instrument. During the '70s and '80s, Mariano lived in India and Europe, where he played with many European musicians, such as Stu Martin, Eberhard Weber and the United Jazz + Rock Ensemble. He also worked as a featured soloist with singer/songwriter Konstantin Wecker, and went on the work in his own groups and with, among others, Wolfgang Dauner. He died on June 16, 2009. Recordings include Adagio (Lipstick, 1991), Innuendo (Lipstick, 1991), It's Standard Time (Fresh Sound, 1989), Live (VeraBra, 1989), Mariano (Intuition, 1987), Jyothis (ECM, 1983) and Charlie Mariano Plays (Fresh Sound, 1954). —John Ephland |