Mark Towns profile picture

Mark Towns

Make It Happen

About Me

Mark Towns, virtuoso guitarist and prolific composer, is best known for creating guitar-based instrumental Afro-Cuban Jazz, producing a sound which blurs the lines between Latin Jazz, Flamenco Jazz, and Salsa. His music has the rare quality of being both esoterically hip, yet universally accessible. Whether burning hot or flowing cool, Marks music retains a magical, other-worldly feel.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 12/29/2005
Band Website: marktowns.com
Band Members: LOS ANGELES BAND:
Oskar Cartaya - bass
Richie Gajate-Garcia - congas, percussion
Bryan Velasco - piano
Enzo Todesco - drums
TEXAS BAND:
Anibal Ambert - bass
Rainel Pino - piano
Nestor Vidal - timbales, drums
Cro Cro Orta - congas
Influences: MUSICIANS: Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Charles Mingus, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Cal Tjader, Ray Barretto, 13th Floor Elevators, Les McCann, Eddie Harris, Kenny Burrell, anything played backwardsTHINGS: Sunsets, Clouds, The Wind, Trees, Reflections of LightINTANGIBLES: Positive Energy, Intuition, Love
Sounds Like: Cal Tjader's overall vibe meets Joe Sample's overall vibe, starts playing Pat Martino-type virtuoso guitar mixed with Kenny Burrell-type bluesy/jazz licks, and writes Stevie Wonder-meets-Antonio Carlos Jobim-type tunes with an Afro-Cuban beat.
Record Label: Salongo
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

random words I like:

inspiration, instinct, insight, intuition, connection, transcendance, illumination, enlightenment, creativitiy, boundless, awe, wonder, sensual, sonoluminescence, electric, glowing, sparkling, shiny,...
Posted by Mark Towns on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:09:00 PST

Universal Love

We are one humanity on this planet.All life is interconnected and interdependent.All share in the Universal bond of love.With tolerance and compassion we embrace diversity.Together we make a differenc...
Posted by Mark Towns on Thu, 15 May 2008 12:06:00 PST

Thoughts, Words, Destiny

Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts become your words.Keep your words positive, because your words become your behaviors.Keep your behaviors positive, because your behaviors become your...
Posted by Mark Towns on Sun, 04 May 2008 06:21:00 PST

Curiouser and Curiouser

curiouser and curiouser...
Posted by Mark Towns on Sat, 03 May 2008 08:32:00 PST

The Value of Time

To realize the value of one year: Ask a student who has failed a final exam.To realize the value of one month: Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.To realize the value of one ...
Posted by Mark Towns on Fri, 02 May 2008 03:37:00 PST

Three Kinds of People

There are three kinds of people:1) Those who make things happen2) Those who watch what happens3) Those who wonder what happened ...
Posted by Mark Towns on Thu, 01 May 2008 10:01:00 PST

Dont you just love it...

Don't you just love it......when it's a slow night, it's the band's fault; when it's a busy night, the manager's a genius....when somebody requests a tune you are currently playing....when the club fi...
Posted by Mark Towns on Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:56:00 PST

math riddle - hotel room

I love this:Three people check into a hotel. They pay $30 to the manager and go to their room. The manager suddenly remembers that the room rate is $25 and gives $5 to the bellboy to return to the peo...
Posted by Mark Towns on Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:27:00 PST

Magical Touch

From "The Greek Philosophers" by W. K. C. Guthrie: "Magic is a primitive form of applied science. Whether or not spirits or gods are thought to enter at some stage into the process, their actions are ...
Posted by Mark Towns on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 03:08:00 PST

Water

No one tests the depths of the river with both feetA hippopotamus can be made invisible in dark waterThe heart of a wise man lies quiet like limpid waterThe flood takes him in and the ebb takes him ou...
Posted by Mark Towns on Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:33:00 PST