Welcome to the homepage of the Mark Zaleski Band

A note from fan and friend Joe Mussachia:

The teachers of New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA, has one strong unifying theme that they try to get across to their students: find yourself. The members of the Mark Zaleski Band at the school are exactly at this point. In the year 2007, Jazz is changing and forever evolving. The band attempts, very much successfully, to embody this evolution. Each voice of the band sings true to their individual personality in line with the ideas presented at NEC. Musicians such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and so many other greats showed the importance of moving music forward into the next year. These musicians understanding these concepts, or they might say, “hanging with”, so early in their career is a truly special thing. That forward moving freshness is possibly the strongest aspect of this group.

Within the music itself there is clear compositional evolution within all the tunes as well. The sound of Jazz today is of harmonic and rhythmic complexity. When listening to Mark Zaleski’s “Care Free”, for example, there is a clear weaving of harmony and rhythm between the horns and the rhythm section give the band a very modern sound. The sound of Tyson Stubelek’s airy hands, Alex Brown’s blend of complex harmony and time, Will Slater’s deep grooves, Will Graefe’s quick, sophisticated fingers, Jon Bean’s fluid complex patterns, and Mark’s smashing power make the tunes of the band unmistakable of only one possible Origin: The Mark Zaleski Band. Check them out and stay informed with where music is at in 2007 and 2008 y’all.

Mark Zaleski - Alto/Soprano Saxophone

Mark Zaleski is a woodwind specialist, performing professionally on all saxophones, clarinets, and flutes. He formed his first professional band out of Boylston, MA at the age of 13. Called the Eastern Jazz Project, the group released a CD and was nominated for the Worcester Magazine Wormtown Music Award in the category of Best Local Jazz Act.

At the age of 18 Mark was one of six people in the country to be selected to study at the Dave Brubeck Institute in Stockton, CA. During his time at the Institute he performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneanapolis, MN, Yoshi's Jazz Club in Oakland, CA, and the Library of Congress in Washington, DC among other venues around the country with the Brubeck Institute Jazz Sextet.

Mark has experience performing with such jazz luminaries as Bennie Maupin, Mic Gilette of Tower of Power, Robin Eubanks, Eric Harland, Ndugu Chancellor, Christian McBride, and Dave Brubeck. In October of 2006 he performed with Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull on bass clarinet and clarinet in a month-long national tour called "Ian Anderson plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull."

Mark currently studies at the New England Conservatory of Music and studies with Jerry Bergonzi and Charlie Banacos and is also on adjunct faculty at Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, MA. You can catch the Mark Zaleski Quintet performing in Boston area regularly. For more information on dates and to hear his music see www.markzaleskimusic.com .

Glenn Zaleski - Piano

Pianist Glenn Zaleski, is a graduate of Tahanto Regional High School in Boylston, Massachusetts, and has been playing piano since the second grade. In 1998, he was awarded the Massachusetts IAJE MVP award. In 2004 and 2005 he was selected to play in the MMEA All-State Jazz Band. Also in 2004 he attended the Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony and won an ARTS Honorable Mention Award. In 2005 he was invited to the Steans Institute at the Ravinia Jazz Festival in Illinois. In 2005, he was accepted as a Brubeck Institute fellow. During his two years at the Brubeck Institute he performed/studied with such artists as Geoff Keezer, Christian McBride, Fred Hersch, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Lewis Nash and Freddie Hubbard. In 2006 he performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival with the BIJO, with Dave Brubeck for his "Cannery Row Suite", as well as a three piano performance with Hank Jones and Oscar Peterson. He also was recently awarded an "Outstanding Soloist" from Downbeat magazine. In 2007 he was a finalist for the Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz.

Jon Bean - Tenor Saxophone

Jon Bean is a tenor saxophonist native to Southern New Hampshire. He began playing the saxophone at age 11 and studying jazz at age 16. After completing High School in 2001 he went on to study for a Bachelor's in Jazz Performance at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he studied saxophone with Lynn Klock and Adam Kolker. He played in Jazz Ensembles led by Jeff Holmes and David Sporny both in and outside of school while he attended UMass. After graduating from Amass in 2005, Jon then went on to study for his Master's in Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, which he currently attending. While at NEC, Jon has studied with Jerry Bergonzi, George Garzone, Rakalam Bob Moses, John McNeil, and Danilo Perez. Jon is currently a member of "Tiny Orchestra", which is the NEC Honors Jazz Ensemble for the 2006-07 year, and the Mark Zaleski Quintet. Jon has performed in groups under the direction of Frank Mantooth, Greg Hopkins, Rufus Reid, Jeff Holmes, David Sporny, Bob Brookmeyer, Danilo Perez, Jerry Bergonzi, Ken Schaphorst, Cecil McBee, Bob Neiske, Adam Kolker, Catherine Jensen-Hole, and Frank Carlberg.

Tyson Stubelek - Drums

Drummer Tyson Stubelek began playing drums at the age of three under the guidance of his father, also a drummer. As a youth, Tyson got involved in the music scene in his hometown of Portland, OR, playing in a number of youth symphonies and jazz bands. Upon meeting and hearing Elvin Jones play live, Tyson, at age twelve began to focus intently on being a jazz musician. He began studying with renowned Portland drum gurus Alan Jones, and Mel Brown, to whom he attributes much of his musical understanding.

Tyson is well versed in many styles of music including funk, rock, classical, and jazz. Moving forward with focus and purpose, Tyson is entirely focused on achieving new musical heights of expression. In the past Downbeat magazine has honored Tyson, for playing and recording original jazz compositions with his quartet.

Presently, Tyson resides in Boston Massachusetts where he moved in 2005 after completing his undergraduate studies at Portland State University (BM Jazz studies, BS Communications, BS Arts and Letters). Tyson has since completed a Master of Music degree at the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he studied with legendary musicians Billy Hart, Rakalam Bob Moses, Danillo Perez, and Jerry Leake. He also teaches drum lessons, and performs at various clubs, festivals, events, benefits, weddings, and parties. He has played with many of the top players in the Northwest from California to Washington state, to the East Coast from Boston, Connecticut, Maryland, to Washington D.C.

Peter Spear - Bass

Peter was born in Kyoto , Japan and raised in Littleton , Colorado . While attending Chatfield High School , he was selected as Jefferson County All-County Bassist three years in a row, and Colorado All-State Bassist his senior year. He spent four years in the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, a small group mentor program run by Paul Romaine. There he worked with players such as Eric Gunnison, Greg Gisbert, and Ron Miles. Peter has toured Romania playing concert halls and opera houses with his church band, worked in clubs and concert venues throughout Colorado, and was a gigging bassist in Denver and Colorado Springs. He attended the Brubeck Institute in California in 2006 where he studied and performed with players such as Lewis Nash, Matt Penman, Christian McBride, Brian Lynch, and Bobby Watson. The Institute also traveled and performed in Toronto, Canada and Houston, Texas. Peter now attends Berklee College of Music in Boston. There he has performed and studied with Delfeayo Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis, Ralph Peterson, and Mark Whitfield. He is going to visit Madrid, Spain this summer to tour with the group High Groovin. Currently a gigging bassist in Boston Peter plans to finish his time at Berklee and move to New York City shortly after.

Will Graefe - Guitar

Will Graefe is a guitarist and current 2nd year student at NEC. Growing up in Massachusetts, he studied guitar with Tim Miller and Adam Larrabee in High School and took ensemble classes in the New England Conservatory Prep division. In his junior year he performed with the MMEA Massachusetts All State Jazz Ensemble in Symphony Hall. During this time he also began playing with noise rock/free jazz ensemble The Abrahamn Lincoln Brigade, and by the time he entered The New England Conservatory he had already toured the East Coast and opened for Deerhoof, Capillary Action, and Rashied Ali. Entering New England Conservatory in Fall of 2006', he began studies with Brad Shepik and Jerry Bergonzi, and performed at various venues around Boston with musicians such as Mark Zaleski, Jeremy Udden, Noah Preminger, among others.