On this episode of 'Exposition', we speak with guitarist Mark Tonelli. He previews his upcoming 'Underground Jazz' show on March 21st at Scout Hall in Downtown Cape Girardeau. The show is at 7:30 pm. Doors open at 7.
Mark talks about his connection to Brazil— including his multiple travels to the country, his South American musical influences, and his collaboration with Dr. Felipe Brito in the jazz music scene. He also shares how he got his start playing classical guitar, later moving into rock and jazz styles as his career progressed.
The show will also feature a trailer for an upcoming documentary that offers a behind-the-scenes look at his many travels to Brazil while recording his new album, Brasiliana.
About the guitarist, Mark Tonelli:
Mark has had residencies in the major music hubs of New York City, Dallas, and Kansas City. He has performed on three continents, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the Netherlands, Ukraine, and in twenty-five U.S. states. As a Fulbright Scholar, Mark was a visiting professor at Universidade Federal de Uberlândia in Minas Gerais, Brazil. He traveled across the country performing in the cities of São Paulo, Recife, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Londrina, and Goiânia.
For ten years, Mark was the guitarist for the U.S. Army Jazz Knights, touring and performing in the nation's top venues, including Jazz Standard, Blues Alley, Jazz Showcase, Kennedy Center, Jazz Kitchen, and Avery Fisher Hall. With the Jazz Knights, Mark performed with a who's who of jazz legends, including Benny Golson, Billy Cobham, Bobby Watson, Rufus Reid, and Bob Mintzer, as well as the Boston Pops and the New York Philharmonic Brass Quintet.
Mark's music has been featured on National Public Radio's (NPR) All Things Considered. He has been a winner or finalist in the Billboard Magazine World Song Contest and the USA Songwriting Competition. Mark is the author of “Everybody's Jazz Guitar Method,” “Way To Play: Jazz Guitar Riffs and Chords,” and “Way To Play: Chord Melody,” published by the FJH Music Company; and “Entrepreneurship in Action: The Power of Student-Run Ventures,” published by Edward Elgar. He has made presentations at major music conferences, including the Jazz Education Network, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and the College Music Society. He proudly endorses D'Addario Strings and Eastman Guitars.
