Mark Whitecage

Whitecage stands out among improvisers for his remarkable creativity and forcefulness. Although his straight-ahead, free-bop phrasing recalls Ornette Coleman, he remains distinctly himself. As a multi-instrumentalist he maintains keen judgment about instrumental choices, moving between horns whenever particular timbres are required. On alto saxophone his tone expands to a powerful, slightly piercing quality, while his clarinet playing offers a shadowed counterpart. Because he adjusts so fluently to each musical circumstance, his spontaneous phrases resist easy summary. The resulting melodies move fluidly across a spectrum that includes both tender lyricism and sharp aggression, shifting without effort between straightforward statements and intricate designs. Whitecage first appeared onstage at six in the family band led by his father and received his union card at twelve. During the eighties he gained wider recognition through his work with vibraphonist Gunter Hampel’s Galaxy Dream Band and bassist Saheb Sarbib’s recording group. As part of vocalist Jeanne Lee’s ensemble he played at the Kool Jazz Festival in 1982 and at Carnegie Recital Hall in 1983. Several solo recitals in Europe followed in 1986. Two years later he formed and directed two separate ensembles, Liquid Time and the Glass House Ensemble. His visibility grew rapidly through the nineties as his schedule of performances and recordings intensified. Cadence editor Robert Rusch selected the self-produced Mark Whitecage & Liquid Time as one of the outstanding releases of 1991. In 1994 Whitecage joined the New York City-based Improvisor’s Collective, an informal network that organized yearly festivals and sporadic concerts featuring many of the city’s leading free-jazz players. The launch of CIMP Records by Rusch in 1995 resulted in numerous well-received albums by Whitecage. Throughout the middle of the decade he recorded and toured with several musicians associated with the Improvisers Collective, notably bassist William Parker, drummer Jackson Krall, and clarinetist Perry Robinson. He also appeared in groups directed by Anthony Braxton, performing saxophone while Braxton played piano. In 1996 he served as featured soloist for a presentation of Braxton’s opera “Trillium R” at John Jay Theatre in New York. Fellow musicians have long regarded Whitecage as a consummate professional whose abilities command deep respect. His collaborators during the late nineties formed a virtual roster of New York free jazz, including Parker, Braxton, Robinson, Joe Fonda, Dominic Duval, Joe McPhee, and Steve Swell. By 2000 he had ended his association with CIMP and begun issuing a steady stream of recordings on his own Acoustics label. Beyond his activities in New York, Whitecage maintains a steady presence in Europe through regular tours across the continent. His wife, Rozanne Levine, is herself a respected clarinetist. Together with Perry Robinson the couple constitutes the trio Crystal Clarinets.