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Ed Mascari - Biography
Boots MussulliEd Mascari-Educator, Jazz Pianist, Composer, Church Musician­­
Chronology-Year by Year

 


1949 – Born in Paterson, NJ


1954 – Conduct Kindergarden class in “McNamara’s Band


1957 – Start violin lessons


1959 – Give up violin & start Accordion lessons


1962 – Begin playing for relatives at family gatherings


1964 – Perform in trio at church variety show


1966 – Perform first G.B. gig and switch from listening to rock to listening to jazz
Start learning to play standards
Start exploring the piano despite focus on accodion practice & performing


1968 – Buy Farfisa organ & Leslie, practice all summer Form 1st Ed Mascari Quartet & play in campus social rooms-jazz


1969 – Jam with legendary jazz organist Jimmy Smith who was performing at Holy Cross


1970 – Begin composing jazz pieces at Jimmy Smith’s recommendation
Meet flutist  & practice with/mentor–fellow Holy Cross student John Mangiardi (who’s style was influenced by Ian Anderson of Jesthro Tull)
           
1970 -1972 Compose original jazz compositions continuously
Classic Ed Mascari Quartet performs
(Ed Mascari –Hammond B-3 organ, John Mangiardi-flute, Charles Mascari-bass & Warren Cohen-drums) From clubs like Shrewsbury’s Hungry Eye andthe unique Holden Experiment to the famed Lennies on the Turnpike, the quartet honed its trademark sound. This resulted in energetic performances at many New England College concerts (including WPI, Holy Cross, Quinnipiac, URI, Brown, and others) by this tight-knit ensemble.


1970-1972 First jazz disc jockey on newly established WICN-FM radio station (located at WPI).
Vast library of recordings provided influence & inspiration for composing & performing.


1972 disbanded the quartet, joined a commercial group led by jazz guitarist John Dougherty, who also provided him with some important jazz theory training, and toured the East Coast.


1973- 1974 worked with jazz vocalist Rebecca Parris in “Top 40” band in New England clubs and hotel lounges.


1974-1975 Brother Sunshine –commercial group which included jazz drummer Keith Copland who went on to play with Billy Taylor, Kenny Baron, Hank Jones and many others.


1974 studied briefly with well-know jazz pedagogue Charlie Banacos.


1975 -1981 returned to role as a leader of trio called Synergy commercial gigs, but also spent two years of performing Ed’s new jazz compositions at New England College Concerts (Trinity College, Clark University, Western New England College, etc).


1979 switched to Rhodes electric piano and Moog synthesizer


1978-1981 Three year process of major career change


1978 Began teaching piano to private students which he absolutely loved.


1980 Renewed his Christian faith and started attending church again after a long hiatus.


1980 Began studying piano, jazz composition and church music privately with New England Conservatory professor Joe Maneri.


1981 Began job at the Hartford Street Presbyterian Church in Natick


1982 Gave up ensemble playing and began an active performing career as a solo pianist.


1984 Boston’s Sheraton Hotel at Copley Square. While at the Sheraton he spent many hours listening and talking to Dave McKenna who was performing close by at the Copley Hotel. Those “lessons’ continue to have an impact on Ed’s solo piano playing and teaching.


1985 took classical piano lessons from Holy Cross professor Marian C. Hanshaw


1987 began a 14 year stint as house pianist at the Sheraton (later Radisson) Hotel in Milford,MA


1988 recorded a solo album which resulted in his wanting more training. So he searched for jazz pianist and classical composer Tom McKinley whom he had heard perform at a gig in 1974 at WPI.


1988-1993  Master of Music Degrees in Jazz Studies (1992) and in Classical Composition (1993) from New England Conservatory sstuies with Tom McKinley


1989 Jazz Worship Service featuring Ed’s Compositions & arrangements
Guest artists included saxophonist Mike Monaghan and bassists Marshall Wood and Barry Smith.


1993-1998 Boston University’s doctoral program- studied with Charles Fussell and Lukas Foss.

1991-2005 classical composing career -composed a wide variety of orchestral, choral and chamber music.


2005 returned to his jazz roots as a listener and pianist. With this inspiration and background, he began to incorporate ALL of his combined career experience and training into refining and developing his proprietary teaching method for helping students to learn to play show tunes and standards.


2008 Began publishing his free bi-weekly blog  http://edmascari.com/emblog/ . Each post includes Ed’s article and solo piano recording of a show tune or standard written by one of America’s most well known composers.


2012 Began recording YouTube video lessons: www.edmascari.com/youtube


2012-began writing his Piano Secrets for Grownups: Learn to Play Show Tunes and Standards Step By Step –his proprietary teaching method