George Mraz



George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; 9 September 1944 – 16 September 2021) 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.

As leader/co-leader

 * 1977: Alone Together with Masaru Imada (Three Blind Mice)
 * 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

With the New York Jazz Quartet
 * The New York Jazz Quartet In Concert In Japan (Salvation (Japan), 1975)
 * 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)
 * Manhattan David Hazeltine - George Mraz Trio (Chesky Records) 2006
 * Your StoryGeorge Mraz / David Hazeltine Trio (Cube - Metier) 2012

As sideman
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 With Kenny Barron With Richie Beirach With Dee Dee Bridgewater With Bob Brookmeyer With Kenny Burrell With George Cables With Benny Carter With Arnett Cobb With Larry Coryell With Kenny Drew With Yelena Eckemoff featuring Mark Turner, Joe Locke & Billy Hart With Jon Faddis With Art Farmer With Tommy Flanagan
 * Studio Trieste (CTI, 1982) with Jim Hall and Hubert Laws
 * Minor Blues (Venus, 2009)
 * Elm (ECM, 1979)
 * Afro Blue (Trio, 1974)
 * Back Again (Sonet, 1978)
 * Ellington Is Forever Volume Two (Fantasy, 1975)
 * Senorita de Aranjuez (Meldec Jazz, 2001)
 * In the Mood for Swing (MusicMasters, 1988)
 * My Man Benny, My Man Phil (MusicMasters, 1990)
 * Arnett Cobb Is Back (Progressive, 1978)
 * Comin' Home (Muse, 1984)
 * Lite Flite (SteepleChase, 1977)
 * A Touch of Radiance (L&H, 2014)
 * Jon & Billy (Trio, 1974) with Billy Harper
 * Youngblood (Pablo, 1976)
 * Crawl Space (CTI, 1977)
 * 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 With Jim Hall With Sir Roland Hanna With Jaroslav Jakubovič
 * The Fox (CTI, 1976)
 * Jim Hall & Basses (Telarc, 2001)
 * 1 X 1 (Toho (Japan), 1974)
 * Porgy & Bess (Trio (Japan), 1976)
 * 24 Preludes Book 1 (Salvation (Japan), 1976)
 * Time for the Dancers (Progressive, 1977)
 * Sir Elf Plus 1 (Choice, 1977)
 * Glove (Trio (Japan), 1977)
 * 24 Preludes Book 2 (Salvation (Japan), 1977)
 * This Must Be Love (Progressive 1978)
 * Rolandscape (Progressive, 1978)
 * Roland Hanna and George Mraz Play for Monk (Musical Heritage Society, 1978)
 * Sunrise, Sunset (LOB, 1979)
 * Romanesque (Trio (Japan), 1982)
 * This Must Be Love (Audiophile, 1983)
 * Milano, Paris, New York: Finding John Lewis (Venus, 2002)
 * Coincidence (VMM, 2009)

With Scott Hamilton With Elvin Jones
 * The Grand Appearance (Progressive, 1979)
 * Earth Jones (Palo Alto, 1982)
 * Youngblood (Enja, 1992)

With Fred Lipsius
 * Dreaming of Your Love, (mja Records, 1995)

With Keystone Trio With Jimmy Knepper With Steve Kuhn With Andy LaVerne and Al Foster With John Lewis
 * Heart Beats (1995)
 * Newklear Music (1997)
 * Cunningbird (SteepleChase, 1976)
 * I Dream Too Much (Soul Note, 1984)
 * Dream Dancing (Criss Cross, 1986)
 * Steve Kuhn Live in New York (Cobblestone, 1972)
 * Time Well Spent (1994)
 * Evolution II (Atlantic, 2001)

With Joe Lovano With Warne Marsh With Greg Marvin
 * 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)
 * Star Highs (Criss Cross Jazz, 1982)
 * Posthumous (Interplay, 1985 [1987])
 * 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 Carmen McRae
 * Carmen Sings Monk (Bluebird, 1988)

With Charles Mingus With Mark Murphy
 * 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)


 * The Artistry of Mark Murphy (Muse, 1982)

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 With Michel Petrucciani & Stephane Grappelli With Quest With Jimmy Raney With John Scofield With Zoot Sims
 * 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])
 * Flamingo (Dreyfus, 1996)
 * Quest (Trio/Palo Alto, 1981)
 * Wisteria (Criss Cross, 1985) with Tommy Flanagan
 * But Beautiful (Criss Cross, 1991)
 * John Scofield Live (Enja, 1977)
 * Zoot Sims and the Gershwin Brothers (Pablo, 1975)
 * Soprano Sax (Pablo, 1976)
 * If I'm Lucky (Pablo, 1977) with Jimmy Rowles
 * For Lady Day (Pablo, 1978 [1991])
 * Warm Tenor (Pablo, 1979) with Jimmy Rowles
 * The Sweetest Sounds (Pablo Today, 1979) with Rune Gustafsson

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 With Mal Waldron With Larry Willis
 * McCoy Tyner Plays John Coltrane: Live at the Village Vanguard (Impulse!, 1997)
 * Mal 81 (Progressive, 1981)
 * My Funny Valentine (Jazz City, 1988)