George Mraz

File:Viklicky Mraz Hart SpertusMuseum.jpg

Mraz (center) performing with Emil Viklický (piano) and Billy Hart (drums).

George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz on 9 September 1944 in Písek, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, now Czech Republic) is a jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and has worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephane Grappelli, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Raney, Chet Baker, Joe Henderson and many other important jazz musicians.

He also appears with Joe Lovano, Hank Jones and Paul Motian on Lovano's records, I'm All For You and Joyous Encounters.

Mraz is also known for performing solos with a bow in arco style like Paul Chambers.

During the 1970s he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet and The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and in the 1980s a member of Quest.

Discography

As leader/co-leader

• 1977: Alone Together with Masaru Imada
• 1992: Catching Up
• 1995: Jazz with Richie Beirach, Billy Hart, Larry Willis, Rich Perry
• 1995: My Foolish Heart with Richie Beirach, Billy Hart
• 1997: Bottom Lines with Cyrus Chestnut, Al Foster, Rich Perry
• 1999: Duke's Place with Renee Rosnes, Billy Drummond, Cyrus Chestnut
• 2002: Morava with Billy Hart, Emil Viklicky, Zuzana Lapčíková
• 2007: Moravian Gems with Iva Bittova, Emil Viklicky, Laco Tropp
• 2012: George Mraz quartet-Jazz na Hrade with David Hazeltine, Rich Perry, Joey Baron
• 2014: Together Again with Emil Viklický

With the New York Jazz Quartet

• Surge (Enja, 1977)
• Song of the Black Knight (Sonet, 1977)
• Blues for Sarka (Enja, 1978)
• New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago (Bee Hive, 1981)
• Oasis (Enja, 1981)

As sideman

With Yelena Eckemoff featuring Mark Turner, Joe Locke & Billy Hart

• A Touch of Radiance (L & H Production, 2014)

With Michel Petrucciani & Stephane Grappelli

• Flamingo (Dreyfus, 1996)

With Pepper Adams

• Ephemera (Spotlite, 1973)
• Julian (Enja, 1975)
• Twelfth and Pingree (Enja, 1975)
• Reflectory (Muse, 1978)
• The Master (Muse, 1980)
• Urban Dreams (Palo Alto, 1981)

With John Abercrombie

• Arcade (ECM, 1978)
• Abercrombie Quartet (ECM, 1979)
• M (ECM, 1980)

With Toshiko Akiyoshi

• Time Stream (1984)
• Four Seasons (1990)
• Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream (1990)
• Time Stream: Toshiko Plays Toshiko (1996)
• Hope (2006)
• 50th Anniversary Concert in Japan (2006)

With Richard Beirach

• Elm (ECM, 1979)

With Quest

• Quest (Trio/Palo Alto, 1981)

With Kenny Burrell

• Ellington Is Forever Volume Two (Fantasy, 1975)

With Kenny Drew

• Lite Flite (SteepleChase, 1977)

With Jon Faddis and Billy Harper

• Jon & Billy (Trio, 1974)

With Art Farmer

• Crawl Space (CTI, 1977)

With Stan Getz

• Bossas & Ballads – The Lost Sessions (Verve, 1989 [2003])

With Dizzy Gillespie

• The Winter in Lisbon (Milan, 1990)
• Bird Songs: The Final Recordings (Telarc, 1992)
• To Bird with Love (Telarc, 1992)

With Urbie Green

• The Fox (CTI, 1976)

With Andy LaVerne and Al Foster

• Time Well Spent (1994)

With Jaroslav Jakubovič

• Coincidence (VMM Records, 2009)

With Elvin Jones

• Earth Jones (Palo Alto, 1982)
• Youngblood (Enja, 1992)

With Keystone Trio

• Heart Beats (1996)
• Newklear Music: The Songs of Sonny Rollins (1997)

With Steve Kuhn

• Steve Kuhn Live in New York (Cobblestone, 1972)

With John Lewis (Atlantic, 2001)

• evolution II

With Joe Lovano

• Grand Slam
• I'm All For You (Blue Note, 2003)
• Joyous Encounters (Blue Note, 2004)

With Charles Mingus

• Three or Four Shades of Blues (Atlantic, 1977)

With Mike Nock

• In Out and Around featuring Mike Brecker and Al Foster) (1979)

With Oscar Peterson Another Day (MPS,1970)

• In Tune (MPS, 1971)
• Walking the Line (MPS, 1971)

With Jimmy Raney Trio

• But Beautiful (Criss Cross Jazz, 1991)

With Zoot Sims

• Warm Tenor (Pablo Records, 1979)
• Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers (Pablo, 1975)

With The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra

• Suite for Pops (A&M, 1972)
• Thad Jones / Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica (Pausa, 1974)
• Potpourri (Philadelphia International, 1974)
• Live in Tokyo (Denon, 1974)
• New Life (A&M, 1976)

With McCoy Tyner

• McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane: Live at the Village Vanguard (Impulse!, 1997)

With Mal Waldron

• Mal 81 (Progressive, 1981)

With Benny Carter

• In The Mood For Swing (Music Masters, 1988)

External links

• Conversation With George Mraz, 6/01/2009