Marcus Anderson is embracing every opportunity to perform and inspire fans – and most importantly, as the title of his third and latest CD attests, fully living in the NOW. The multi-talented composer, saxophonist and flutist’s original working title was “Transition”, a nod to the powerful ongoing development of his career and his move toward the top tier of contemporary jazz.

Anderson realized that the career he had always dreamed of was indeed happening right NOW, and it’s exciting. Today, with the release of NOW, his third solo CD, Anderson’s goal was to capture the energy from his live shows and make this collection of music his most dynamic, joyful and creative recordings yet.

Anderson, a South Carolina native, is from a large musical family of seven siblings. Growing up, both of his parents sang regularly, but it was his father who introduced him Jazz, which has become his passion. Obviously talented, his parents nurtured his musicality and he began performing in church with his older brothers. He graduated from Dorman High School in Roebuck, SC and after graduation he continued his jazz studies at North Carolina Central University. There, he was a member of the program’s world renowned Jazz Ensemble directed by Dr. Ira Wiggins. He studied with Branford Marsalis and Gospel Saxophonist, Donald Hayes for several years.

His numerous accolades include All-State High School Jazz Ensemble for South Carolina three consecutive years, receiving the Chancellor’s Award three times, having performed for Hilary Clinton and Jesse Jackson, he was a member of the HBCU All-Star Jazz Ensemble as 1st Tenor Sax for three consecutive years and he is a proud member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America. He was recently nominated and won the North Carolina Gospel Announcers Guild 2011 Prestige Awards for Gospel Jazz Artist of the Year.

On Stage
No one can deny the energy created during a live performance; it’s magical how an artist can mix with the audience and make that moment powerful and memorable. Anderson has a unmatchable energy on stage and it shows in all his live performances which have been at some high profile venues such as Jazz Alley in Seattle, the Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival (where he’s been invited again to play in 2011), Humphrey’s in San Diego, Spaghettini in Seal Beach and the Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Panama City, Florida.

Widely recognized for his natural ability to entertain, early on he quickly became a first call saxman to perform within groups like Pieces of a Dream and Four 80 East. Marcus has also been invited to perform with or open for Peter White, Boney James, Mike Phillips, Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, George Duke, Everette Harp, Wynton Marsalis, Alex Bugnon, Nenna Freelon, Bob Baldwin, Matt Marshak, Ledisi, Jennifer Holiday, Layla Hathaway and many others. He’s now packing the venues with devout fans who shout for more. “For me, it’s about the crowd”, said Anderson, “I feed off their energy.”

Notable Live Performances
Anthony Hamilton, opening act for PRINCE
Catalina Island Jazz Trax Festival - Avalon, CA
Humphrey’s Backstage Live – San Diego, CA
Jazz Fest West – San Dimas, CA
Jazz on the Hill – Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands
Seabreeze Jazz Festival – Panama City Beach, FL
Genuine Jazz Fest – Copper Mountain, CO
Jazz Alley w/ Four80East – Seattle, WA
Anthology – w/ Four80East - San Diego, CA
Thornton Winery Jazz Series – Temecula, CA
Spaghettini – Seal Beach, CA
Capital Jazz Fest Challenge - Washington, DC - 2009 winner
Capital Jazz Super Cruise - Bahamas
Blues Alley - Washington, DC – headliner, sold out show
Carolina Music Theatre - Durham, NC with Ledisi
The Gardens on El Paseo - Palm Desert, CA
Rams Head On Stage - Annapolis, MD
Jazz On The River - Fayetteville, NC
Christmas with Jennifer Holiday - Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC
Black Film Fest w/ Malcolm Jamal Warner – Winston-Salem, NC
Jazz Under the Stars – Nassau, Bahamas
Carolina Music Fest w/ Mike Phillips & Boney James – Cary, NC
Downtown Jazz Series w/ Four 80 East & Matt Marshak - Winston-Salem, NC
Silver Springs Jazz Festival, opened for Winton Marsalis – Silver Springs, MD
Virginia Beach Jazz Festival – Virginia Beach, VA
Old Pasadena Jazz Festival w/ Marcus Johnson – Pasadena, CA

Music
Anderson’s newest and third solo CD is a 13-track collection and is driven by his trademark powerful, horn textured melodies, which he composes as if his saxes are singing like vocalists with dynamic sensual and funky grooves. He also plays occasional flute and creates fascinating vocals on covers of Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” and Smokey Robinson’s “Cruisin’” using the AKAI EWI 4000 and talkbox.

The saxophonist vibes on NOW with incredible young musicians like 17 year old keyboardist Nicholas Cole and bassist Julian Vaughn, as well as the popular Canadian electronic duo Four80East (on “M-Powered”). But it is on the soulful “Together Forever” that he joins vocalist and twin-brother Marcel Anderson that create harmonies reminiscent of the great gospel-jazz group Take 6.

“When I started the album,” Anderson says, “I was thinking I was just making the transition into the next phase of my career. But then I thought about these past two incredible years and realized I was already living that phase Now!”

Now is his third solo release, which is expected to debut high on the charts just like his second album From The Heart (2009) did. It drew critical raves and earned strong airplay for both “Karsen’s Song” and “Sparkle City” (written about his hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina); the track “Everything’s Clearer” was played regularly on the cable TV network Music Choice. His first CD, My Turn, is an upbeat collection of musical moods ranging from bold jazz grooves to romantic ballads. Notable singles from My Turn include the title track, “Waiting For You” and “That’s The Way It Goes.”

Website :- www.marcusanderson.net