George Mraz
George Mraz was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephane Grappelli, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Raney, Chet Baker, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, and Richie Beirach, among others.
During the 1970s, he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet and The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, and in the 1980s a member of Quest. He also appeared with Joe Lovano, Hank Jones and Paul Motian on Lovano's records I'm All For You and Joyous Encounter.
Mraz died on September 16, 2021, in Prague. The immediate cause of death was undisclosed, though he had battled pancreatic cancer in 2016.
Discography
As leader/co-leader
- 1977: Alone Together with Masaru Imada
- 1982: Classic Jazz Duets with Adam Makowicz
- 1992: Catching Up
- 1995: Jazz with Richie Beirach, Billy Hart, Larry Willis, Rich Perry
- 1995: My Foolish Heart with Richie Beirach, Billy Hart
- 1997: Bottom Lines with Cyrus Chestnut, Al Foster, Rich Perry
- 1999: Duke's Place with Renee Rosnes, Billy Drummond, Cyrus Chestnut
- 2002: Morava with Billy Hart, Emil Viklicky, Zuzana Lapčíková
- 2007: Moravian Gems with Iva Bittova, Emil Viklicky, Laco Tropp
- 2012: George Mraz quartet-Jazz na Hrade with David Hazeltine, Rich Perry, Joey Baron
- 2014: Together Again with Emil Viklický
As a member
The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis OrchestraSuite for Pops Potpourri Live in Tokyo Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica New LifeThe New York Jazz QuartetThe New York Jazz Quartet In Concert In Japan Surge Song of the Black Knight Blues for Sarka New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago Oasis Manhattan David Hazeltine - George Mraz Trio Your StoryGeorge Mraz / David Hazeltine Trio
Keystone TrioHeart Beats
- ''Newklear Music''
As sideman
With John AbercrombieArcade Abercrombie Quartet Straight Flight M Solar FarewellWith Pepper AdamsEphemera Julian Twelfth & Pingree Reflectory The Master... Urban Dreams
With Toshiko AkiyoshiTime Stream Four Seasons Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream Time Stream: Toshiko Plays Toshiko Hope 50th Anniversary Concert in Japan
With Richie BeirachElm Rendezvous Elegy for Bill Evans Inborn Some Other Time : A Tribute to Chet Baker The Snow Leopard What Is This Thing Called Love? Round about Bartok Round about Monteverdi
With Benny CarterIn the Mood for Swing My Man Benny, My Man Phil
With Jon FaddisJon & Billy with Billy HarperYoungblood
With Tommy FlanaganEclypso Ballads & Blues Confirmation The Magnificent Tommy Flanagan Giant Steps Thelonica Nights at the Vanguard Jazz Poet Beyond the Blue Bird
With Stan GetzLine for Lyons with Chet BakerThe Stockholm Concert Voyage Bossas & Ballads – The Lost Sessions
With Dizzy GillespieThe Winter in Lisbon Bird Songs: The Final Recordings To Bird with Love
With Sir Roland Hanna1 X 1 Porgy & Bess 24 Preludes Book 1 Time for the Dancers Sir Elf Plus 1 Glove 24 Preludes Book 2 This Must Be Love Rolandscape Roland Hanna and George Mraz Play for Monk Sunrise, Sunset Romanesque This Must Be Love Milano, Paris, New York: Finding John Lewis
With Elvin JonesEarth Jones Youngblood
With Jimmy KnepperCunningbird I Dream Too Much Dream Dancing
With Joe LovanoGrand SlamCelebrating Sinatra I'm All For You Joyous Encounter Classic! Live at Newport
With Warne MarshStar Highs Posthumous
With Greg MarvinThe Greg Marvin Quartet I'll Get By Workout! Wake-up Call! Special Edition
With Tete MontoliuBody & Soul I Wanna Talk About You The Man from Barcelona
With Art Pepper Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard Friday Night at the Village Vanguard Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard More for Les at the Village Vanguard
With Oscar PetersonAnother Day In Tune Walking the Line
With Jimmy RaneyWisteria with Tommy FlanaganBut Beautiful
With Zoot SimsZoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers Soprano Sax If I'm Lucky with Jimmy RowlesFor Lady Day Warm Tenor with Jimmy RowlesThe Sweetest Sounds with Rune Gustafsson
With others
- Eric Alexander, Solid!
- Lorez Alexandria, My One and Only Love
- Chet Baker, Studio Trieste with Jim Hall and Hubert Laws
- Kenny Barron, Minor Blues
- Dee Dee Bridgewater, Afro Blue
- Bob Brookmeyer, Back Again
- Kenny Burrell, Ellington Is Forever Volume Two
- George Cables, Senorita de Aranjuez
- Arnett Cobb, Arnett Cobb Is Back
- Larry Coryell, Comin' Home
- Kenny Drew, Lite Flite
- Yelena Eckemoff, A Touch of Radiance
- Art Farmer, Crawl Space
- Urbie Green, The Fox
- Jim Hall, Jim Hall & Basses
- Jaroslav Jakubovič, Coincidence
- Scott Hamilton, The Grand Appearance
- Fred Lipsius, Dreaming of Your Love,
- Steve Kuhn, Steve Kuhn Live in New York
- Andy LaVerne and Al Foster, Time Well Spent
- John Lewis, Evolution II
- Kevin Mahogany, An Evening of Ballads
- Carmen McRae, Carmen Sings Monk
- Charles Mingus, Three or Four Shades of Blues
- Mark Murphy, The Artistry of Mark Murphy
- Mike Nock, In Out and Around
- Michel Petrucciani & Stephane Grappelli, Flamingo
- Quest, Quest
- John Scofield, John Scofield Live
- McCoy Tyner, McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane: Live at the Village Vanguard
- Mal Waldron, Mal 81
- Larry Willis, ''My Funny Valentine''