Mark Zauss was first inspired to play the trumpet seriously at age 10 after hearing a recording of Maynard Ferguson. This inspired Mark to practice 6 to 10 hours a day for several years. His dedication enabled him to develop a unique command of the extreme upper register along with improvisational skills in several musical styles. Mark’s sound is engraved with the masters he has performed with such as Arturo Sandoval, Branford Marsalis, James Moody, Marcus Printup, Pat Metheny, and many others. Mark is a trumpet artist for the G. Leblanc division of the Conn-Selmer Corporation along with Arturo Sandoval and the late great Maynard Ferguson. The album’s first track “Oleo” features Mark taking the melody up two octaves and then igniting the bridge with extreme upper register improvisation. His solos combine power, grace, and nimble fingering with an inexhaustible supply of endurance. Mark’s soaring sound pays tribute to the essence of Maynard Ferguson with his heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream”. Mark then captures the distinctive sound of Clifford Brown and blows with a dark roast in his hauntingly auspicious version of “I’ll Remember Clifford.” Mark’s performance on this CD are depictions of his agility and unbridled power in the upper register combined with his ability to perform a widely diverse variety of musical styles. Mark pays tribute to the masters to honor the foundation they have paved in the creation of Jazz.