Tina Marsh
| Tina Marsh | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 18, 1954 Annapolis, Maryland, US |
| Origin | Austin, Texas, US |
| Died | June 16, 2009 (aged 55) Austin, Texas |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupations | singer, bandleader, composer |
| Instruments | singing, scat singing, extended techniques |
| Years active | 1979–2009 |
| Labels | CreOp Muse |
| Associated acts | Creative Opportunity Orchestra (CO2) |
| Website | CreOp.org |
Tina Marsh (January 18, 1954,[1] Annapolis, Maryland[2] - June 16, 2009[2]) was a jazz vocalist and composer based in Austin, Texas. Marsh was the creative director of the Creative Opportunity Orchestra (or CO2), a large jazz ensemble which she founded in 1980.[3][4] In 2000, the Austin Chronicle inducted Marsh into its Texas Music Hall of Fame.[5][6] In 2008, the Austin Critics Table inducted Marsh into the Austin Arts Hall of Fame.[7] C. Michael Bailey of All About Jazz has described Marsh's music as "progressive big band, a kind of marriage between the avant-garde and postmodern classical. Marsh, like [Carla] Bley, favors low brass in assembly and solos. She uses her voice in a creative Meredith Monk sort of way that is not unattractive."[8]
During the late-1970s, Marsh worked as an actor in musical theatre in and around New York City and Philadelphia.[4] While living in New York, she began forming ideas about jazz singing. After moving to Austin, Marsh attended concerts by Anthony Braxton and Sam Rivers at Armadillo World Headquarters.[4] These performances inspired her to form her first professional group, New Visions Ensemble, with Alex Coke, Rock Savage, Booka Michel and Horatio Rodriguez.[4]
In 1980, at the suggestion of Charlie Haden, Marsh studied at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, New York.[4] Upon returning to Austin, she formed the Creative Opportunity Orchestra with the members of New Visions Ensemble at its core.[4] CO2 began as a cooperative organization, similar to the AACM, though Marsh gradually assumed a managerial role and became the group's director.[4]
Marsh and CO2 went on to perform with artists such as Carla Bley, Hamiett Bluiett, Vinny Golia, Dennis González, Billy Hart, Roscoe Mitchell, Steve Swallow, and Kenny Wheeler.[3][4] Marsh and the ensemble regularly performed at the Laguna Gloria lakeside amphitheater in Austin.[4] Marsh was a participant in the Austin Jazz Workshop.
In 1994, Marsh was diagnosed with, and treated for, breast cancer.[9] In February 2008, Marsh learned that the cancer had returned and metastasized, though she continued to record and perform later in the year.[1][10] Marsh died on June 16, 2009.[2] She had continued to perform up to two months prior to her death.[11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Austin Music Database". Austin Chronicle. Austin Chronicle Corp.. http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/AMDB/Profile?oid=oid:115353. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
- ^ a b c Buchholz, Brad (2009-06-17). "'Creativity poured out of her like the scent of honeysuckle'". Austin360.com (Austin American-Statesman). http://www.austin360.com/search/content/music/stories/2009/06/0617marshobit.html. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
- ^ a b "About". Tina Marsh & the Creative Opportunity Orchestra. Archived from the original on 2008-05-05. http://web.archive.org/web/20080505000505/http://www.creop.org/about.html. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Van Trikt, Ludwig (December 2005). "Tina Marsh interview, January 31, 2005, Austin, TX". Cadence Magazine (Redwood, NY: Cadnor Ltd.) 31 (12): pp. 12–19. ISSN 01626973.
- ^ "Bios". Tina Marsh & the Creative Opportunity Orchestra. http://www.creop.org/tinamarsh.html. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ "Austin Chronicle Music Poll Hall of Fame inductees". Austin Chronicle. http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Awards/MusicPollHallOfFame. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
- ^ Faires, Robert (2008-04-25). "Austin Arts Hall of Fame: Class of 2008". Austin Chronicle (Austin, TX: Austin Chronicle Corp.). http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid:616088. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
- ^ Bailey, C. Michael (2000-06-01). "The Heaven Line / World Wide". All About Jazz. http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=5725. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- ^ Hernandez, Raoul (1995-06-08). "CO2's Tina Marsh: The Perils of Jazz". Austin Chronicle (Austin, TX: Austin Chronicle Corp.). http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol14/issue40/jazz.marsh.40.html. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
- ^ Powell, Austin (2008-02-01). "Off the Record". Austin Chronicle (Austin, TX: Austin Chronicle Corp.). http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/column?oid=oid:586587. Retrieved 2008-05-15.
- ^ Brad, Buchholz (5 September 2009). "Once more, for Tina". Austin, TX: Austin American-Statesman. http://www.austin360.com/music/content/music/stories/2009/09/0905jazz.html. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
