MARK GRIFFITH, LLC
BOCA RATON, FLORIDA

Drummer Mark Griffith deserves special recognition for his excellent work on driving the tempo. Griffith is a standout on a CD where every single musician is worthy of note. © 2013 Mark Griffith - All Rights Reserved The Jaco Pastorius Big Band was formed in 2003 by long time friend and original member of Jaco's Word of Mouth Big Band, Peter Graves, as a tribute to Jaco's legacy as a compositional genius as well as bass virtuoso. Mark Griffith has been the drummer for the band since it's inception. The band has recorded two CD's for the Heads Up International Jazz label. The thirteen tracks on Word of Mouth Revisited span most of Jaco's prolific and diverse career, from his early compositions and arrangements with Graves' orchestra ("Punk Jazz" and "Killing Me Softly") to his more progressive forays with Weather Report ("Havona" and "Teen Town") and Word of Mouth ("Continuum," considered by Graves and many others to be Jaco's signature song). "Wiggle Waggle," one of Jaco's favorite Herbie Hancock tunes, features Graves' current lineup playing around a bass track originally recorded by Jaco at a live gig on Sanibel Island in the late 1970s. In many cases, additional arrangements are provided by Larry Warrilow, former guitarist with Graves' orchestra and Jaco's longtime friend and collaborator. © 2013 Mark Griffith - All Rights Reserved “Jaco’s music was timeless,” says saxophonist Bob Mintzer, who not only solos on “Dania” but provided the arrangement as well. “Aside from revolutionizing the way the electric bass was played, he was a serious composer and bandleader whose music should join the ranks of jazz repertoire.” © 2013 Mark Griffith - All Rights Reserved Mark Griffith Alongside some of today’s most revered electric bass players, drummer MARK GRIFFITH drives the outstanding group of players with a forceful and passionate swing and jazz-rock attitude. Jaco himself would have jumped all over this stuff. © 2013 Mark Griffith - All Rights Reserved © 2013 Mark Griffith - All Rights Reserved