Mark Isaacs Originals LP 1981 Battyman rare Australian jazz NM

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	$		23

Mark Isaacs Originals LP 1981 Battyman rare Australian jazz NM

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Original Australian pressing on Battyman

First recording by Mark Isaacs made at age 21. Compositions for violin, oboe and voice and solo piano improvisations. Featuring John Harding, Kerrie Biddel and Roxanne Kimmorley.

Australian-based pianist-composer Mark Isaacs (b. 1958) has pursued a unique and demanding career path that has seen him gain international acclaim in both jazz and classical music. Such diversity was nurtured in the crucible of a highly musical family.

Mark's uncle was the legendary British jazz guitarist Ike Isaacs, who worked for many years with jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli and was on friendly terms with many of the biggest names in jazz. 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.

Another uncle was violinist Kelly Isaacs who throughout his London-based career was a distinguished soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player. Through his "classical uncle" Mark was able to experience first-hand the highest level of the world classical scene, with connections to Yehudi Menuhin, the London Symphony Orchestra and others.

Mark's father was an accomplished jazz guitarist and songwriter who had one of his songs recorded and released by Petula Clark and Mark's mother had been trained as a classical pianist as well as often singing jazz standards. His father was born in Rangoon, Burma and his mother in Calcutta, India, their forebears being of Baghdadi Jewish origins. They emigrated to London as young adults, where Mark was born. The family emigrated again to Australia when Mark was four.

Mark began piano studies at age five and it was soon discovered that he had perfect pitch. Beginning around age nine, Mark began to experiment with improvising on jazz standards. From age twelve Mark began a ferocious interest in classical composition and began to compose orchestral and chamber works which received high profile public performances and for which he won many awards and scholarships throughout his teens. At the age of 14 he performed the solo part in his own piano concerto on Australian national television. During those high school years he studied classical piano, composition, theory, counterpoint, orchestration, chamber music performance, jazz ensemble work and big band arranging in an intense program of classes and private lessons after school.

He began University studies in classical piano and composition at Sydney University, while at the same time being recognised as one of the major emerging jazz players in Australia, recording his first jazz album as leader while barely out of his teens.

From his early 20s Mark travelled extensively, and as well as a busy professional life he spent periods of time checking out jazz in New York and Europe, studying piano and composition at the Rubin Academy of Music in Jerusalem, doing a conducting course with Sergiu Celidibache and the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, finishing his Bachelor of Music degree in classical composition and piano at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and ultimately completing a Master of Music degree in classical music at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in the USA. His teachers in classical music included many internationally recognised composers and pianists such as Peter Sculthorpe, Isadore Goodman, Alexander Tamir, David Burge, Joseph Tal, Igor Hemelnitsky and Samuel Adler.

In 1981 Mark began work as an orchestrator for Australian film and television productions. From 1984-88 Mark himself composed and conducted the orchestral soundtracks for a series of ten animated telemovies made by Burbank Films, based on classic tales such as Robin Hood, Ivanhoe and Kidnapped. These films were given very wide international television distribution and continue to be screened after 30 years. His film composition forays began while Mark was still an undergraduate student, and saw him conducting orchestras comprising members of the Sydney Symphony and Sydney Conservatorium faculty in the recording studio. He continued to write music for Australian television until 1991.

(See https://www.markisaacs.com/)

A1         Fantasy             5:32

A2         Lamente           3:46

A3         Fits And Starts             5:00

A4         Sad Girl              6:00

B1         Once In A Dream         3:48

B2         Cushla                3:30

B3         Nine Moods - Or More             5:40

B4         Inner Game - Of Tennis           2:37

B5         The Rave          8:04

CONDITION:

SLEEVE: VG++ to EX— Laminated both sides, minor wear

RECORD: NM

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