Marc Pompe began performing around Rush Street as a solo piano/vocal in the mid
fiftys and was influenced by the music of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and
Thelonious Monk. Vocal influences include Frank Sinatra, Joe Williams, Ella
Fitzgerald, Carmen Mc Crae and Jon Hendricks.
In 1965, Marc left Chicago
to work out of New York and played at Jilly’s (NYC), Eddie’s Backstreet in St.
Thomas, The Gaslight Club in Toronto and Mother’s Lounge in Pittsburgh.
After 40 years of performing, 1997 saw the release of Marc’s first CD,
Nobody Else But Me, on Kopaesthetics Records. Cadence Jazz Magazine said of the
album, “Marc does it the traditional way, full-blooded belting in front of a
tasty piano trio.”
In 2004, Marc released his Lost in the Stars album on
CIMP Records. On this,album backed by a guitar trio, Marc breaths intimacy into
deeply personal lyrics. The liner notes of Lost in the Stars sum up marc’s
performance, “Marc Pompe is a true Jazz singer who follows the thread of his own
instinct while reacting to his musical surroundings, all the while insisting
that notes sustained are never lost anywhere.”
Marc’s new album, You must
believe in swing, was released in November of 2004 on Cadence Jazz Records. This
recording features Hammond B-3 wizard Joey Defrancesco with Henry Johnson
(guitar) and Byron Landham (drums). With the backing of this powerful B-3
Hammond trio, Marc was able soar! Chicago Jazz Magazine said of Marc and the
album: “As for Pompe, he has two things that most singers don’t: his own style
and good phrasing. His treatment of each song is unique without losing the
tradition of singers that come before him.” JazzReview.com says, “Pompe handles
the American songbook with magnetism and assurance.”
