Mark Isham

• Genre: Non-Orchestral
• Hometown: San Francisco
• Mark Isham Website

About

Mark Isham's versatility has earned him a place as one of Hollywood's finest film composers, as well as keeper of the Cool Jazz flame. He plays trumpet in the muted, introspective style of '50s-era Miles Davis, he's been an innovator in the use of electronics in jazz, and he's handled arrangements for cult stars Scott Walker and David Sylvian. His straight jazz, Chamber Music, or electronica-based soundtracks are excellent, and he has forged working relationships with such iconoclastic directors as Alan Rudolph, Robert Redford, Carroll Ballard, and Robert Altman. For jazz buffs, Isham is a top improviser and a first rate tunesmith (a rare combination -- refer to Gerry Mulligan and Horace Silver). During live performances, his tunes often depart wildly from their recorded versions, yet he never loses his West Coast cool.

- Nick Dedina