Todd Marcus-Virginia MacDonald Quintet

About

Todd Marcus may be the most prominent improviser in contemporary jazz whose main instrument is the bass clarinet. The Baltimore-based composer, bandleader and activist-by-day makes a strong case for why the instrument deserves more recognition — whether he’s coaxing out deep melancholy in ballads or unleashing a cascade of overtones in “sheets of sound”-style playing. Joining Marcus on this date is Virginia MacDonald, a rising force on clarinet in the Canadian straight-ahead jazz scene, who has a remarkable command of the instrument and a lyrical style. The way the pair weave melodies together is something to experience in person.