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 |
| Occupation(s) | 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 at the Wayback Machine (archive index) |
Tina Marsh (January 18, 1954,[1] - 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]
Marsh was born in Annapolis, Maryland.[2] 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]
The Austin History Center maintains a collection of Marsh's papers.[12]
References
- 1 2 "Austin Music Database". Austin Chronicle. Austin Chronicle Corp. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
- 1 2 3 Buchholz, Brad (17 June 2009). "'Creativity poured out of her like the scent of honeysuckle'". Austin360.com. Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
- 1 2 "About". Tina Marsh & the Creative Opportunity Orchestra. Archived from the original on 5 May 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Van Trikt, Ludwig (December 2005). "Tina Marsh interview, January 31, 2005, Austin, TX". Cadence Magazine. Vol. 31 no. 12. Redwood, NY: Cadnor Ltd. pp. 12–19. ISSN 0162-6973.
- ↑ "Bios". Tina Marsh & the Creative Opportunity Orchestra. Archived from the original on 12 January 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
- ↑ "Austin Chronicle Music Poll Hall of Fame inductees". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
- ↑ Faires, Robert (25 April 2008). "Austin Arts Hall of Fame: Class of 2008". Austin Chronicle. Austin, TX: Austin Chronicle Corp. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
- ↑ Bailey, C. Michael (1 June 2000). "The Heaven Line / World Wide". All About Jazz. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
- ↑ Hernandez, Raoul (8 June 1995). "CO2's Tina Marsh: The Perils of Jazz". Austin Chronicle. Austin, TX: Austin Chronicle Corp. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
- ↑ Powell, Austin (1 February 2008). "Off the Record". Austin Chronicle. Austin, TX: Austin Chronicle Corp. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
- ↑ Brad, Buchholz (5 September 2009). "Once more, for Tina". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, TX. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2009.
- ↑ "Tina Marsh Papers: An Inventory of the Collection". Texas Archival Resources Online. Retrieved 2 January 2013.