Mark Flugge, Jazz Pianist
Beloved jazz piano virtuoso, teacher, and composer Mark Flugge passed away in May 2014 after a 22-month battle with a debilitating hearing disorder. It was his fondest wish that his music would live on; this site is now dedicated to remembering his beautiful spirit and sharing his amazing music.
Mark Flugge Memorial Fund
The purpose of the non-profit Mark Flugge Memorial Fund is to further Mark's musical and educational legacy. Major goals include the dissemination of Mark's recordings and sheet music, the establishment of the Capital University Mark Flugge Jazz Award, the continued performance of Mark's compositions and their arrangements in the widest possible variety of ensembles and venues, and the Annual Mark Flugge Memorial Concert. Please sign up for this website's mailing list to receive updates on music releases, publications, performances of Mark's music including the Annual Memorial Concert, and the Mark Flugge Scholarship.
The Mark Flugge Memorial Fund continues to support commissions, the Mark Flugge Jazz Award and the Annual Memorial Concert at Capital University, and other related worthy projects which share his music, love of jazz, and teaching with the wider community. Please contact me with requests for music or other helpful suggestions.
Thank you for your support and friendship!
Lisa Jelle, Director of the Mark Flugge Memorial Fund, 501(c)3 Nonprofit
Chamber Jazz Series at the Columbus Museum of Art
Mark's idea for the Chamber Jazz series began around 1999/2000 as a partnership with friend Charlie Rath, a local businessman. They called it the Firehouse Jazz Society; performances were held in the famed Columbus Music Hall, owned by Becky Ogden, a friend and supporter of local jazz. Aided by corporate sponsors and the Jazz Arts Group, they did shows with Gene Bertoncini, Marcus Belgrave, Byron Stripling, Dave Glasser, Ira Sullivan, Ken Peplowski, Jiggs Whigam, and many others. JAG took over the reins of the FJS around 2003, and eventually moved the series to the King Arts Complex.
Mark continued to perform at the Music Hall, but when it was sold he started looking for a new venue. In a casual conversation at Bexley’s Monk with Pam Edwards of the Columbus Museum of Art, he realized that the Museum had tremendous potential for a concert series. Mark wanted to continue offering small group jazz shows that drew mostly from our extraordinay local talent, and to keep each show pretty tightly focused on one artist, a specific recording, or the music of a particular composer. Although the performances began in 2001, in his mind the series really took root as the Chamber Jazz Series in 2006. 2013/2014 was the 8th and culminating year of this creative series.
Season Eight 2013/2014
| October 27, 2013 | |
| “Cancioneiro: Music Of Antonio Carlos Jobim” | Vocalist Kelly Crum Delaveris, with pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Andy Woodson, drummer Danny Aguiar, and guitarist Brett Allen |
| November 24, 2013 | |
| “Grove City Groovers” | The Mark Flugge Quintet featuring saxophonist Randy Mather and trumpeter Jim Powell |
| December 22, 2013 | |
| “Christmas With the Adams Family” | Vocalist Natalie Adams, saxophonist Matt Adams, and the Mark Flugge Trio |
| February 9, 2014 | |
| “Suite Bill Evans” | Flutist Lisa Jelle with the Mark Flugge Trio |
| March 23, 2014 | |
| “Satch Meets Bix” | Trumpeter Tom Battenberg and the Mark Flugge Trio |
| April 27, 2014 | |
| “Rainbow’s End: Music of Henry Mancini” | Vocalist Jody Mancini, saxophonist Michael Cox and the Mark Flugge Trio |
| June 8, 2014 | |
| “Jazz Is Now”: A Memorial Concert | Mark Flugge Compositions, with the From The Five Jazztet |
Season Seven 2012/2013
November 4, 2012 “Jazz is Now”
trumpeter Rob Parton, saxophonist Bryan Olsheski
December 9, 2012 "It's Love, It's Christmas"
vocalist Lisa Clark, saxophonist Randy Mather
February 10, 2013 "You Taught My Heart To Sing: the Sammy Cahn Songbook"
vocalist Jody Mancini, guitarist Derek DiCenzo
March 10, 2013 "Inner Urge: the Music of Joe Henderson"
saxophonist Randy Mather
April 21, 2013 "Suite Bill Evans"
flutist Lisa Jelle [rescheduled to February 2014]
May 12, 2013 "Cloudburst: A Vocalese Celebration"
vocalist Rachel Sepulveda
June 2, 2013 "Salsa Picante: The Latin Jazz Music of Clare Fischer"
flutist Lisa Jelle, saxophonist Michael Cox, pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Andy Woodson, drummer Matt Wagner, percussionist Jim Ed Cobbs [Cancelled]
Season Six 2011/2012
October 9, 2011 “Autumn Serenades”
vocalist Kelly Delaveris, trumpeter Rob Parton, pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Dave DeWitt and drummer Jim Rupp
November 6, 2011 “Bluesology: Music of the Modern Jazz Quartet”
vocalist Lisa Clark. vibist Nate Anders. pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Chris Berg and drummer Joe Ong
December 11, 2011 “Rudolph In Tunisia”
vocalist Jody Mancini, guitarist Derek DiCenzo, pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Chris Berg, drummer Joe Ong
February 12, 2012 “Cannonball Adderly/Nancy Wilson”
vocalist Mary McClendon, saxophonist Shawn “Thunder” Wallace, trumpet Rob Parton, pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Doug Richeson, and drummer Jim Rupp
March 11, 2012 “Chick Corea’s Three Quartets”
flutist Lisa Jelle, saxophonist Randy Mather, pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Andy Woodson, and drummer Matt Wagner
April 22, 2012 “Quiet Carnival: Music of Moacir Santos”
guitarist Stan Smith, pianist Mark Flugge, saxophonist Michael Cox, saxophonist Jay Miglia, bassist Roger Hines,and drummer Danny Aguiar
Season Five 2010/2011
December 12, 2010 “Feliz Navidad”
The Mark Flugge Trio with Kelly Crum Delaveris and Derek DiCenzo
January 16, 2011 “The Sound of Stan Getz”
The Mark Flugge Trio with Michael Cox
February 13, 2011 “Blossom’s Garden: A Tribute to Blossom Dearie”
The Mark Flugge Trio with Jody Mancini
March 13, 2011 “Blue Rose: the Music of Duke Ellington”
The Mark Flugge Octet with Dick Mackey
April 10, 2011 “With Strings Attached”
The Mark Flugge Trio with Andy Carlson and Tom Carroll
May 22, 2011 “Chamber Jazz Greatest Hits”
Mark Flugge and Friends Past Shows: Unless otherwise noted, the rhythm section for each show is pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Dave DeWitt, and drummer Dave Weinstock
Season Four 2009/2010
November 15, 2009 “A Tribute to Michele Horsefield and Gary Carney”
Jim Rupp, Doug Richeson, Vaughn Wiester, Kelly Delaveris, and Mark Flugge
December 13, 2009 "Snowfall" A Christmas Jazz Concert"
Multi-instrumentalist Derek DiCenzo, vibist and spiritual leader Father Zero (Joe Ong), and the Mark Flugge Trio
February 14, 2010 “Isn't it Romantic: the Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart Songbook”
Vocalist Jody Mancini, saxophonist Randy Mather, and the Mark Flugge Trio with Dave Weinstock and Dave DeWitt
March 14, 2010 "London By Night"
Vocalist Dick Mackey, saxophonist Michael Cox, and the Mark Flugge Trio
Season Three 2008/2009 at the Columbus Museum of Art
September 14, 2008 “I Love Paris: An Afternoon of French-Inspired Jazz"
The Mark Flugge Trio, pianist Mark Flugge-bassist Dave DeWitt-drummer Dave Weinstock and special guests: vocalist Kelly Delaveris, flutist Lisa Jelle and guitarist Derek DiCenzo
10/12/08 "Let’s Get Lost: Music of Chet Baker" with the Mark Flugge Trio and special guests: trumpeter Jim Powell and vocalist Dick Mackey
11/23/08 “Filthy McNasty: Music From the Horace Silver Songbook" with the Mark Flugge Trio and special guests: trumpeter Lee Savory and saxophonist Bryan Olsheski
12/21/08 "A Cool Yule Christmas" with the Mark Flugge Trio and special guest: vocalist Mary McClendon
1/25/09 "Ray Brown: Genius of the Bass" with pianist Mark Flugge, bassist Chris Berg and drummer Jim Rupp
2/15/09 “Passion Flower: Love Songs of Billy Strayhorn” with the Mark Flugge Trio and special guests: vocalist Jody Mancini and saxophonist Michael Cox
3/15/09 "Truth: Original Compositions and Arrangements of Mark Flugge and Friends" with the Mark Flugge Trio and special guests: trumpeter Kim Pensyl and saxophonist Randy Mather
Season Two 2007/2008 at the Columbus Music Hall
9/29/07 "The Music Of Miles Davis" with saxophonist Randy Mather and trumpeter Kim Pensyl
10/27/07 "Mccoy Tyner: The Best of the Impulse Years" with drummer Jim Rupp and bassist Doug Richeson
11/17/07 “How My Heart Sings: Music of Bill Evans” with vocalist Dick Mackey
12/22/07 “Have Yourself A Jazzy Little Christmas” with guitarist Derek DiCenzo and balloonist Dave Kaplan
2/23/08 “Listen Here: Music Of Dave Frishberg” with vocalist Jody Mancini
3/29/08 “Greatest Hits of the Chamber Jazz Series: A special “thank you” concert for Becky Ogden, owner of the Columbus Music Hall” with saxophonist Randy Mather, trumpeter Kim Pensyl, vocalist Jody Mancini
Season One 2006/2007 at the Columbus Music Hall
7/15/06 "In Walked Thelonious" with saxophonist Chad Eby
8/5/06 "The Art of the Trio"
9/16/06 "Bud and Bird: Music of Charlie Parker and Bud Powell" with saxophonist Michael Cox
10/21/06 "Brubeck and Desmond" with saxophonist Michael Cox and vocalist Dick Mackey
11/25/06 "The Cole Porter Songbook" with vocalists Lisa Clark and Dick Mackey
12/16/06 "A Vince Guaraldi Christmas" with vocalists Jody Mancini and Johanna Telander
2/3/07 “Long Tall Dexter: Tribute to Dexter Gordon” with saxophonist Randy Mather
3/3/07 "The Music of George and Ira Gershwin" with bassist Terry Douds, vocalist Jody Mancini, and trumpeter Jim Powell
4/7/07 "The Music Of Keith Jarrett” with saxophonist Bryan Olsheski
5/12/07 “Tribute To Michael Brecker” with saxophonist Michael Cox
Discography
Mark's CDs may be purchased through Lisa Jelle, iTunes, CDBaby, Amazon.com, etc.
A Chamber Jazz Christmas: Mark Flugge Remembered (2016)
Jazz combo and solo piano highlights from Mark's popular Christmas concerts at the Columbus Museum of Art. These are very special takes on holiday standards.
Mark Flugge Remembered: Jazz Originals & Standards (2015)
2-CD set of Mark's compositions and performances from the archives. Solo piano, combo, Vaughn Wiester's Famous Jazz Orchestra, QuintEssential Winds, and Chamber Jazz at the Museum performances. Includes Bill Dobbins' big band arrangement of "Around Every Corner", and the Rich Thompson Trio from the Eastman School of Music faculty.
Waltz into Madness (2012)
Seven of Mark's compositions, arrangements, and performances, with flutist Lisa Jelle
Sacred Jazz and Spirituals (2008)
A Service and CD with First Community Church Chancel Choir, featuring several of Mark's arrangements and performances, directed by Ron Jenkins
In Love, In Blue (2007)
Solo Piano; Rhapsody in Blue, Cole Porter, Billy Strayhorn, Fats Waller, Johnny Hodges, and more
Familiarity (2003)
Standards, originals, and "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square"; also featuring Gene Bertoncini and Michael Moore. This is NEWLY BACK IN PRINT!! contact Lisa Jelle to purchase your copy.
February's Promise (2002)
Jazz quintet original compositions, including Time's Horizon; February's Promise; The Borderland; Drivin' the Bus; The Letter; Autumn's Waltz; Soiree; Beatrice, The Cat; Around Every Corner; and Blessings. With Doug Richeson, Dave DeWitt, Dave Weinstock, Dane Richeson, Kim Pensyl, and Randy Mather.