George Mraz

George Mraz was a greatly in-demand bassist for straight-ahead dates after he emigrated to the United States in 1968. After a brief time playing violin and alto, Mraz studied bass at the Prague Conservatory and gigged at a club in Munich for a year. In 1968, he attended Berklee and he soon toured with Oscar Peterson, from 1970 to 1972. After moving to New York, Mraz became a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (1973 to 1976), worked with Stan Getz (1974 and 1975), and went on to work with most of the top jazz players, including Walter Norris, Pepper Adams, Roland Hanna, Zoot Sims, Tommy Flanagan, John Abercrombie, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Rowles, Stephane Grappelli, and countless others. With the exception of an obscure duo date with Roland Hanna for Trio in 1976, Mraz surprisingly did not have an opportunity to lead his own sessions until the mid-'90s when he signed with Milestone. His album roster included Jazz (1995), Bottom Lines (1997), Duke's Place (1999), and Morava (2001). George Mraz died on September 16, 2021 at the age of 77. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi