Mark Sherman

Mark Sherman (born April 17, 1957) is a jazz vibraphonist, pianist, drummer, producer, arranger, author, and classical percussionist.

Sherman has performed for some of the world's top orchestral conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Sir Georg Solti, Zubin Mehta and Herbert Von Karajan, in Jazz as a leader and sideman with Kenny Barron, Peggy Lee, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker, Larry Coryell and many more. He worked in Broadway musicals, and has been one of the most in-demand studio musicians, appearing on more than two dozen film and Broadway soundtracks including The Lion King. He has worked as a sideman for pop artists Michael Bolton, Natalie Cole, and Michael McDonald.

Sherman's song "Changes in My Life" became a cult hit in Asia with YouTube videos that earned more than 220 million views.

He is on the faculty of The Juilliard School, New Jersey City University He produces records under his Miles High Records label and publishes music books through his Miles High Music Books subsidiary.

Early life

Sherman was born in New York City. His mother, Edith Gordon, was a Juilliard-trained soprano who performed with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Sherman grew up around opera and studied classical piano as a child.

Education

Sherman attended The High School of Music and Art in Manhattan in 1975, where he met and performed with many future Jazz musicians including bassist Marcus Miller, Saxophonist Bob Franceschini, and guitarist Bobby Broom. in 1998 and Spiral Staircase One Step Closer (2005, featuring Joe Lovano), Family First (2007), and Live At The Bird’s Eye (2008). Sherman was selected as the winner in the Rising Star (Vibes) category in the Down Beat magazine critics poll in 2007–2018

2010s

Sherman has released several albums so far this decade, including "Interplay" (2015, Chesky Records with NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron, Good Rhythm Good Vibes (2010), Explorations In Space And Time (2011, Chesky Records), Live At Chorus (2012), The LA Sessions (2012) and Project THEM (2013). He recorded as a sideman with Dan Block as well as with Larry Cornell, Ruth Brown, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Maureen McGovern, Rodney Jones, Tim Horner, and Tim Hegarty.

Sherman has performed live in New York at top clubs like Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Smalls, and the Kitano, and in Europe with his Mark Sherman 4tet composed of some of the top performers in modern Jazz including Carl Allen and Kenny Barron in the US and with the Mark Sherman 4tet Europa Antonio Farao, In 2013-2014 a band with the great Bob Franceschini "Project THEM" toured Europe 3 times with the CD release in 2013.

He produced and performed on Laura Perlman's debut 2016 release "Precious Moments" on his Miles High Records label and arranged all but two of the tracks, the latter being done by GRAMMY winning pianist Bill Cunliffe, who also performed on the album along with bassist Chris Colangelo, and drummer Joe LaBarbera.

Educational career

Sherman is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School, Good Rhythm Good Vibes (Miles High Records, 2010) Explorations in Space and Time (Chesky, 2011) featuring Lenny White and Jamey Haddad Live at Chorus (Miles High Records, 2012) The L.A. Sessions (Miles High Records 2012) with Bill Cunliffe (Hammond B3), John Chiodini (guitar), and Charles Ruggiero (drums) Project THEM (Miles High Records, 2013) Interplay with Kenny Barron (Chesky, 2015) Life Cycle (Ropeadope, 2018) VENTURE with Mike Clark, Chase Baird and Felix Pastorius My Other Voice (Miles High Records, 2019) featuring Vincent Herring, Nana Sakamoto and Dan Chmielinski, Ray Drummond and Carl Allen Bright Light (The Audiofile Society, 2022) featuring Joe Magnarelli, Dean Johnson and Tim Horner Third Eye Vision ((Miles High Records 2023 featuring Sam Dillon, Ugonna Okegwo, and Johnathan Blake “Live At The Bird’s Eye Vol 2” ((Miles High Records, 2024 featuring Joe Maganarelli, Stephan Kurmann, and Bernd Reiter “Bop Contest” (Miles High Records) 2025 featuring Donald Vega, Ron Carter, Carl Allen, and Joe Magnarelli

As sideman Joe Beck, Back to Beck (DMP, 1988) Maureen McGovern, Naughty Baby (CBS Masterworks, 1989) Peggy Lee Sings the Blues (1989) Peggy Lee, Musicmasters Jazz Sampler (Musicmasters, 1989) Peggy Lee, There Will Never Be Another Spring (1990) Maureen McGovern, Gershwin (1990) Love Songs (Sony, 1992) LaVerne Butler Daydreamin (Chesky, 1992) Rodney Jones, The Unspoken Heart (1992) Christmas Songs (Milestone, 1993) Smooth Jazz Slow Jams (1993) Peggy Lee, Love Held Lightly Songs of Harold Arlen (1993) Ruth Brown, Songs of My Life (Fantasy, 1993) Best of Chesky Classics (Chesky, 1994) Larry Coryell, I'll Be Over You (CTI, 1994) Rhymes and Fables, Cab Calloway, Freddie Hubbard (1995) Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Original Cast Recording (1995) LaVerne Butler, No Lookin' Back (Chesky, 1994) Chesky Records Collection No. 1 (1995) Larry Coryell, Sketches of Coryell (Shanachie, 1996) Boys Next Door (1996) In and Out Original Soundtrack (1997) Steel Pier (Original Cast Recording) (1997) Julian Coryell, Duality (N2K, 1997) Michael Bolton, All That Matters (1997) The Lion King (Original Soundtrack) (1997) Hercules (Original Soundtrack) (1998) Gloria Lynne, This One's on Me (HighNote, 1998) Armageddon, Aerosmith (Original Soundtrack) (1999) Footloose (Broadway Cast Album) (1999) Rodney Jones, Undiscovered Few (Blue Note, 1999) Scott Hesse, Flame Within a Fire (2000) Larry Coryell, New High (HighNote, 2000) The Prime Gig (Original Soundtrack (2000) The Score (Original Soundtrack) (2001) Ronny Jordan, Off the Record (2001) The Rookie (Original Soundtrack) (2002) Two Weeks Notice Original Soundtrack (2002) Liza Minnelli, Liza's Back (2002) Blue Voices, The Finest in Jazz Ballads (2003) Mary Fahl, The Other Side of Time (CBS, 2003) DJ Spinna, Here to There (2003) Intolerable Cruelty Original Soundtrack (2003) David Chesky's Surround Sound Show (2004) Ronny Jordan, After 8 (Blue Note, 2004) The Alamo (Original Soundtrack) (2004) Ann Hampton Callaway, Slow (Shanachie, 2004) Miss Congeniality Original Soundtrack (2004) Miss Congeniality 2 (2005) Last Holiday Soundtrack (2005) Cheryl Wheeler, Defying Gravity (CBS Masterworks, 2005) The Light and the Piazza (Broadway Cast Album) (2005) Failure to Launch Original Soundtrack (2006) See What I Wanna See (Broadway Cast Album) (2006) Lena Horne, Seasons of a Life (Blue Note 2006) The Last Mimzy (Original Soundtrack) (2006) Jennifer Holiday (2008) Manure (Original Soundtrack (2008) Capathia Jenkins, Louis Rosen (PS Classics, 2009) Erin McDougald, Outside the Soiree Dan Block, From His World to Mine (Miles High, 2010) Jerry Costanza, Can't We Be Friends (Daywood Drive, 2011) Eddie Mendenhall, Cosign Meets Tangent (Miles High, 2011) Andy Farber, Big Band (2010) Tim Horner, The Places We Feel Free (Miles High, 2012) Dan Block, Duality (Miles High, 2012) Tim Hegarty, Tribute (Miles High, 2014) Laura Perlman, Precious Moments (Miles High, 2016)

As a producer Larry Coryell, I'll Be Over You (CTI Records, 1994) Larry Coryell, Sketches of Coryell (Shanachie, 1996) Dan Block, From His World to Mine (Miles High Records, 2010 Eddie Mendenhall, Cosign Meets Tangent (Miles High Records, 2011) Dan Block, Duality (Miles High Records, 2013) Tim Hegarty, Tribute (Miles High Records, 2014) Laura Perlman, Precious Moments (Miles High Records, 2016) Masumi Ormandy “By The Sea” (Miles High Records 2023

Singles "Changes in My Life" Columbia Records 1986