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Mort Weiss

Mort Weiss is a bebop-oriented clarinet player with ten albums as leader to date. After having taken 30-odd years off from playing, Weiss came to musical life as a leader in 2003 with The Mort Weiss Quartet (AKA Mort Wiess Meets Joey DeFrancesco) (SMS Jazz, 2003) following with B3 and Me (recorded in 2003 but not released until 2006). According to jazz writer Scott Yanow, "Clarinet-organ groups are far from common. In fact, prior to Mort Weiss' debut CD with organist Joey DeFrancesco, it is possible that combination had never been utilized before." Indeed, but this didn't stop Weiss and DeFrancesco from doing so.

Born in 1935 in Pennsylvania, Weiss began clarinet lessons when he was nine-years old. After moving with his family to Los Angeles, he continued playing classical music, and during his teens studied with the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra's esteemed clarinetist, Antonio Remondi. After graduation and a year at the Westlake School of Music, the precocious teenaged Weiss soloed on several T.V. programs with the Freddie Martin Orchestra, a.k.a. "The Band of Tomorrow."

Weiss' exposure to jazz began with Dixieland. But, when he first heard a Charlie Parker record, that was when he was hooked. He frequented jazz clubs, participating in after- hours jam sessions, and spending many hours in the woodshed honing his craft. Be bop clarinetist Buddy DeFranco became his idol.

At the age of 19, Weiss was drafted into the Armed Services and played tenor sax in the Army band. In the ten years following his discharge, there was a dearth of work for jazz clarinetists and the tenor saxophone became his bread and butter. Weiss' life became lounges, minor jazz clubs, and work in R&B bands.

Enter the 1960s. Travelling in the proverbial fast lane became a rapid trip down the wrong speedway. Weiss eventually found himself in jail, buck naked, his life in "total shambles," playing the "wrong" instrument to support a dead-end life style. In that moment of clarity, Weiss decided to "put everything down, including playing music." His love affair with his horn, that harshest of mistresses, was put on hiatus.

Unable to disassociate himself from music completely, Weiss began working at a music store. He eventually became District Manager for the company's chain, and in 14 years opened his own store, The Sheet Music Shoppe, in Santa Ana. Under Weiss' direction, The Sheet Music Shoppe grew into the largest purveyor of printed music in Southern California.

Mort Weiss: Mort Weiss Is a Jazz Reality Show

Read "Mort Weiss Is a Jazz Reality Show" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
April 19, 2016

La storia del jazz è ricca di drammatiche vicende umane e quella di Mort Weiss è l'ultima in ordine di tempo. Dopo quarant'anni di assenza del mondo della musica (per fatti che l'hanno condotto anche in prigione) nel 2001, all'età di 66 anni ha ripreso in mano il clarinetto e l'anno successivo ha inciso il suo primo album (Mort Weiss Quartet, SMS Jazz) mostrando di saper recuperare “il tempo perduto." Residente in California, fino al 2013 ha pubblicato ...

Album Review

Mort Weiss: Mort Weiss is a Jazz Reality Show

Read "Mort Weiss is a Jazz Reality Show" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky

by Dan Bilawsky
September 26, 2015

In recent years, life has thrown one obstacle after another at the feet of octogenarian clarinetist Mort Weiss. Divorce, loss of home, cancer, and hospitalization for a variety of other life-threatening ailments all came at him, threatening to kill his resolve and cut him down. But it would seem that practically nothing is capable of felling this forthright man and fine clarinetist. This album gives ample proof that there's a lot of musical life left in Mort Weiss.

Album Review

Mort Weiss: Mort Weiss is a Jazz Reality Show

Read "Mort Weiss is a Jazz Reality Show" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
August 23, 2015

The informal definition of a Character is an “odd, eccentric, or unusual person." That is a bit disappointing in that “odd, eccentric, and unusual" more often than not may be pejorative. I prefer a “unique, memorable, or exceptional person." That said, it takes all six adjectives to adequately describe clarinetist Mort Weiss, who with this recording makes me eat a whole crow soufflé considering I was tempted to take him at his word that his last release, A Giant Step ...

The Mort Report

Some Thoughts from the worlds greatest out of work Bebop clarinet player

by Mort Weiss
October 18, 2014

As many of you know, I've discontinued my column here at All About Jazz called “the Mort Report." See my final one (number 22), aptly named “My Final Mort Report." Clever, what? My reports were mostly autobiographical, as I kind of put myself on automatic pilot and opened the storage lockers of my brain to let the good times and the bad times roll. In retrospect, they sure as hell did. I read some awhile back, as I was kicking ...

The Mort Report

My Final Report

by Mort Weiss
May 28, 2014

I stood there at graveside in the cold morning mist, collar of my dark blue, (but not too warm coat) turned up-in an effort to--ahh hell, I don't know--I saw it in a film noir flick once--let's just say--that it looked appropriate for the occasion--"the occasion"? The laying to rest of my mother-my mother of soul-of laughs-of tears (the very same that I'm drowning in as I write this bit of text about my mother who I never thought that ...

The Mort Report

Septuagenarian is Not a Sexual Proclivity!

by Mort Weiss
April 5, 2014

Backstage at a concert I was doing a few years back, I heard the house announcer getting ready to bring me on, doing his thing. As I'm checking to see if my fly was zipped I heard the words (not in any particular order): jazz, clarinet, septuagenarian and Mort Weiss. I remember thinking--what the f**k? OK, I was asked to write something about a now-well-known little break I took from the scene for 40 years, and ...

The Mort Report

Love... Sorrow... Jazz... and Death

by Mort Weiss
October 1, 2013

When we think of an art form, the tendency is to look in every and all directions except inward--wherein all answers lie, although shielded and hidden from one's self and any that choose to be within your sphere of understanding and passion. Why must it take years of self- study and searching the myriad avenues and paths that lead directly to one's innermost feelings of hope, love, fear and despair? And reaching that destination, only to find that every hope ...

Book / Magazine

Mort Weiss' E-book, "Sex And The Jazz Musician - The Hollywood Years And Beyond," Now Available

Source: GoMedia PR
March 3, 2016

New E-Book Translates the Octogenarian Clarinetist’s Mort Report Columns from All About Jazz into an Autobiographic Series of Vignettes Complimented with Music and Video Sex and the Jazz Musician—The Hollywood Years and Beyond, an intriguing glimpse into the life and times of “the world's greatest unemployed jazz clarinetist," 80-year old Mort Weiss, is now available as an e-book. It is currently available for pre- sale at all online retailers, as well as at Mort’s Book Baby Bookshop. Inspired by The ...
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Contest

Enter the "Mort Weiss - 2-CD" Giveaway!

Source: All About Jazz
September 13, 2014

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the SMS Jazz “Mort Weiss - 2-CD" giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners to receive I'll Be Seeing You and A Giant Step Out and Back at the conclusion of the contest on October 13th. Click here to enter the contest (Tracking Mort Weiss at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.) Good luck! Your Friends at SMS Jazz About Mort Weiss Mort Weiss is a bebop-oriented clarinetist ...
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Contest

Enter the "Mort Weiss - A Giant Step Out and Back" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz
August 10, 2013

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the SMS Jazz “Mort Weiss - A Giant Step Out and Back“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on September 10th. Click here to enter the contest

(Becoming a fan of Mort Weiss at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.)

Good luck! Your Friends at SMS Jazz About A Giant Step Out and Back

This CD is a culmination of all ...
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Contest

Enter the "Mort Weiss - I'll Be Seeing You" Giveaway at All About Jazz!

Source: All About Jazz
December 14, 2012

All About Jazz members are invited to enter the SMS Jazz “Mort Weiss - I'll Be Seeing You“ giveaway contest starting today. We'll select FIVE winners at the conclusion of the contest on January 14th. Click here to enter the contest

(Becoming a fan of Mort Weiss at AAJ automatically enters you in the contest.)

Good luck! Your Friends at SMS Jazz About Mort Weiss

Mort was born in McKeesport, PA. in 1935. When he was nine, he ...
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271

Recording

Mort Weiss - Meets Bill Cunliffe (2011)

Source: Something Else!
April 20, 2011

Clarinetist Mort Weiss, who turns 76 years young tomorrow, is ten years into a remarkable comeback after laying off working as a musician for four—that's right—four decades. Last year, both Mark Saleski and myself totally dug Weiss' solo clarinet opus, Raising The Bar. Making up for lost time, Weiss is now nine albums in his remarkable renaissance with today's issuance of Mort Weiss Meets Bill Cunliffe. Weiss also continues with a string of albums that features some pretty high profile ...
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125

Recording

Mort Weiss Releases First Solo Jazz Clarinet Recording, Raising the Bar, on February 16th

Source: GoMedia PR
January 6, 2010

Boy meets clarinet. Boy falls head over heels for clarinet. Boy spends every available minute with clarinet. But then the fast life, drugs and alcohol, slowly seduces, then pries the boy from his true source of devotion. Early passions die. The clarinet is abandoned. Four decades pass. Finally, one day, the dreams of youth are resurrected and the clarinet, once again, takes center stage. This is Mort Weiss' love story. The culmination of that love affair can be heard on ...
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121

Interview

Interview with Clarinettist Mort Weiss at AAJ

Source: All About Jazz
December 18, 2006

Mort Weiss is a West Coast clarinet player who, over the last few years, has produced some bitchin' recordings, exhibiting a biting, aggressive tone and spirit of adventure that is opening eyes and ears.

He's 71 and has only been on the scene for about five years, but two of his latest discs, The B3 and Me (SMS Jazz, 2006) and Mort Weiss Meets Sam Most (SMS Jazz, 2006), show him in fine form with some of the heavyweights of ...
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"I think the clarinetist to watch is Mort Weiss. After thirty years away from the clarinet, he has recently begun playing again and, is making remarkable progress. Mort has good "ears" and a good "feel" for jazz, as this CD will attest. Straight ahead Mort."

—Buddy DeFranco