The unanimous verdict is in: trumpeter Marcus Printup is one of the more rapidly developing and superbly equipped emerging talents in all of jazz. His debut recording for Blue Note, Song For The Beautiful Woman, met with universally positive notice. Own Cordle of Down Beat wrote, "[It] cooks with sudden scattershot trumpet drama, a perky outlook...and a hard bop overview." James T. Jones of USA Today called him "a prolific writer," and Peter Watrous of The New York Times said "Printup is both eccentric and knowledgable. But more than anything else, he sounds original."

Despite his relative youth, Marcus Printup has impressive credentials. He matriculated through one of the south's most prestigious jazz studies programs, at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, where he studied in a program founded by the late Rich Matteson, and currently headed by the great alto saxophonist Bunky Green. Printup's trumpet prowess has garnered several honors from significant competitions, including those of the International Trumpet Guild, the National Collegiate Jazz Competition, and the Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition in 1991.

A strong music education background and notice from prestigious competitions certainly help in one's development, but it is through repetition borne out of practical experience that the jazz musician develops his skills, and Marcus Printup has benefited from several auspicious bandstand experiences. Marcus Roberts, an ongoing mentor to Printup, first enlisted the trumpeter, and not just for his skills on the trumpet. Printup actually served an apprenticeship as road manager with Roberts on his solo piano tour in 1992. During the tour, Printup would accompany Roberts for a couple of tunes each set. Unveiled pays tribute to Roberts via the Printup original "Soulful J," a play on the pianist's nickname, J Master.

Printup followed the Roberts gig with a performing and recording stint with the versatile drummer Carl Allen and later became a member of the first class of Betty Carter's "Jazz Ahead" crew of up and coming jazz talents. More recently Wynton Marsalis has recruited Marcus as soloist and member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra's brilliant trumpet section for Lincoln Center jazz series performances and tours. "Just playing with musicians of that caliber, just being around that environment of music elevates your playing ability. We'd play every night and we'd go to jam sessions after the gig," the trumpeter fondly recounts.

All of these experiences, a wide ranging listening regimen and an intense will to advance have served to further ripen Marcus Printup's trumpet attack and broaden his compositional pallet. "Most of my growth comes from just listening to music, putting on my headphones and listening to some Monk and trying to learn his solos on trumpet; trying to learn some Dizzy and Clifford Brown solos... Lee Morgan...just the whole literature of jazz. There's just so much out here to study."

Evidence of his growth and advancement from Song for the Beautiful Woman to Unveiled is quite clear. According to Printup, "My sound is very different now. I listen to the first record and I'm very happy with it, but I like to try and make something better the second time. With anything you learn, develop, try to improve and hone your skills, and keep practicing so that hopefully it will show on your next record."

Blue Note Records