Mraz (center) performing with Emil Viklický (piano) and Billy Hart (drums).

George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz on 9 September 1944 in Písek, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, now Czech Republic) is a jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and has worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stephane Grappelli, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Raney, Chet Baker, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, Richie Beirach and many other important jazz musicians.

He also appears with Joe Lovano, Hank Jones and Paul Motian on Lovano's records, I'm All For You and Joyous Encounter.

Mraz is also known for performing solos with a bow in arco style like Paul Chambers.

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.^[1]

Discography[edit]

George Mraz at Exxon Park, NYC 7/7/83 with the Tommy Flanagan Trio, Vernell Fournier, drums.

As leader/co-leader[edit]

• 1977: Alone Together with Masaru Imada (Three Blind Mice
  


• 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

With the New York Jazz Quartet

• 
  Surge (Enja, 1977)


• 
  Song of the Black Knight (Sonet 1977)


• 
  Blues for Sarka (Enja, 1978)


• 
  New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago (Bee Hive, 1981)


• 
  Oasis (Enja, 1981)

As sideman[edit]

With Pepper Adams

• 
  Ephemera (Spotlite, 1973)


• 
  Julian (Enja, 1975)


• 
  Twelfth & Pingree (Enja, 1975)


• 
  Reflectory (Muse, 1978)


• 
  The Master... (Muse, 1980)


• 
  Urban Dreams (Palo Alto, 1981)

With John Abercrombie

• 
  Arcade (ECM, 1978)


• 
  Abercrombie Quartet (ECM, 1979)


• 
  Straight Flight (JAM, 1979)


• 
  M (ECM, 1980)


• 
  Solar (1985)

With Toshiko Akiyoshi

• 
  Time Stream (1984)


• 
  Four Seasons (1990)


• 
  Remembering Bud: Cleopatra's Dream (1990)


• 
  Time Stream: Toshiko Plays Toshiko (1996)


• 
  Hope (2006)


• 
  50th Anniversary Concert in Japan (2006)

With Eric Alexander

• 
  Solid! (Milestone, 1998)

With Chet Baker

• 
  Studio Trieste (CTI, 1982) with Jim Hall and Hubert Laws
  

With Kenny Barron

• 
  Minor Blues (Venus, 2009)

With Richie Beirach

• 
  Elm (ECM, 1979)

With Bob Brookmeyer

• 
  Back Again (Sonet, 1978)

With Kenny Burrell

• 
  Ellington Is Forever Volume Two (Fantasy, 1975)

With Benny Carter

• 
  In the Mood for Swing (MusicMasters, 1988)

With Arnett Cobb

• 
  Arnett Cobb Is Back (Progressive, 1978)

With Larry Coryell

• 
  Comin' Home (Muse, 1984)

With Kenny Drew

• 
  Lite Flite (SteepleChase, 1977)

With Yelena Eckemoff featuring Mark Turner, Joe Locke & Billy Hart

• 
  A Touch of Radiance (L&H, 2014)

With Jon Faddis and Billy Harper

• 
  Jon & Billy (Trio, 1974)

With Art Farmer

• 
  Crawl Space (CTI, 1977)

With Tommy Flanagan

• 
  Eclypso (Enja, 1977)


• 
  Ballads & Blues (Enja, 1978)


• 
  Confirmation (Enja, 1977–78 [1982])


• 
  The Magnificent Tommy Flanagan (Progressive, 1981)


• 
  Giant Steps (Enja, 1982)


• 
  Thelonica (Enja, 1982)


• 
  Nights at the Vanguard (Uptown, 1986)


• 
  Jazz Poet (1989)


• 
  Beyond the Blue Bird (1990)

With Stan Getz

• 
  Line for Lyons (Sonet, 1983) with Chet Baker
  


• 
  The Stockholm Concert (Sonet, 1983 [1989])


• 
  Voyage (Blackhawk 1986)


• 
  Bossas & Ballads – The Lost Sessions (Verve, 1989 [2003])

With Dizzy Gillespie

• 
  The Winter in Lisbon (Milan, 1990)


• 
  Bird Songs: The Final Recordings (Telarc, 1992)


• 
  To Bird with Love (Telarc, 1992)

With Urbie Green

• 
  The Fox (CTI, 1976)

With Jaroslav Jakubovič

• 
  Coincidence (VMM, 2009)

With Elvin Jones

• 
  Earth Jones (Palo Alto, 1982)


• 
  Youngblood (Enja, 1992)

With Keystone Trio

• 
  Heart Beats (1995)^[2]


• 
  Newklear Music (1997)^[3]

With Jimmy Knepper

• 
  Cunningbird (SteepleChase, 1976)


• 
  I Dream Too Much (Soul Note, 1984)


• 
  Dream Dancing (Criss Cross, 1986)

With Steve Kuhn

• 
  Steve Kuhn Live in New York (Cobblestone, 1972)

With Andy LaVerne and Al Foster

• 
  Time Well Spent (1994)

With John Lewis

• 
  Evolution II (Atlantic, 2001)

With Joe Lovano

• Grand Slam


• 
  Celebrating Sinatra (Blue Note, 1996)


• 
  I'm All For You (Blue Note, 2003)


• 
  Joyous Encounter (Blue Note, 2004)


• 
  Classic! Live at Newport (Blue Note, 2016)

With Warne Marsh

• 
  Star Highs (Criss Cross Jazz, 1982)


• 
  Posthumous (Interplay, 1985 [1987])

With Greg Marvin

• 
  The Greg Marvin Quartet (Hi Hat, Planet X, 1986)


• 
  I'll Get By (Planet X, 1987)


• 
  Workout! (Planet X, 1988)


• 
  Wake-up Call! (Planet X, 1996)


• 
  Special Edition (Planet X, 2001)

With Charles Mingus

• 
  Three or Four Shades of Blues (Atlantic, 1977)

With Tete Montoliu

• 
  Body & Soul (Enja, 1971 [1983])


• 
  I Wanna Talk About You (SteepleChase, 1980)


• 
  The Man from Barcelona (Timeless, 1990)

With Mike Nock

• 
  In Out and Around featuring Mike Brecker and Al Foster) (1979)

With Oscar Peterson

• 
  Another Day (MPS, 1970)


• 
  In Tune (MPS, 1971)


• 
  Walking the Line (MPS, 1971)

With Art Pepper

• 
  Thursday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1977 [1979])


• 
  Friday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1977 [1979])


• 
  Saturday Night at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1977 [1979])


• 
  More for Les at the Village Vanguard (Contemporary, 1977 [1985])

With Michel Petrucciani & Stephane Grappelli

• 
  Flamingo (Dreyfus, 1996)

With Quest

• 
  Quest (Trio/Palo Alto, 1981)

With Jimmy Raney

• 
  Wisteria (Criss Cross, 1985) with Tommy Flanagan
  


• 
  But Beautiful (Criss Cross, 1991)

With John Scofield

• 
  John Scofield Live (Enja, 1977)

With Zoot Sims

• 
  If I'm Lucky (Pablo, 1977) with Jimmy Rowles
  


• 
  Warm Tenor (Pablo, 1979)


• 
  Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers (Pablo, 1975)

With The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra

• 
  Suite for Pops (A&M, 1972)


• 
  Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica (Pausa, 1974)


• 
  Potpourri (Philadelphia International, 1974)


• 
  Live in Tokyo (Denon, 1974)


• 
  New Life (A&M, 1976)

With McCoy Tyner

• 
  McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane: Live at the Village Vanguard (Impulse!, 1997)

With Mal Waldron

• 
  Mal 81 (Progressive, 1981)

With Carmen McRae

• "Carmen Sings Monk" (Bluebird, 2001- recorded 1988)

With Dee Dee Bridgewater

• 
  Afro Blue (Trio, 1974)

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Conversation With George Mraz, 6/01/2009