One of the more recent and more dexterous voices on guitar to enter the jazz scene has been Mark Whitfield. For this edition of Billy Taylor's Jazz at the Kennedy Center, Dr. Taylor and his trio are joined by the clean, soulful, and articulate jazz guitar of Mark Whitfield. The guitar is an instrument with a long history in jazz -- as the successor to the role of the banjo in early jazz bands, as a chordal instrument that has often occupied a similar place in the jazz band to that of the piano, and as a potent instrument for solo expression. A native of the New York area, Whitfield was raised on Long Island. He matriculated at Berklee School of Music and has quickly joined the legion of young jazz musicians who have arrived on the scene since the late 1980's.

As a youngster, Whitfield was fortunate to grow up in a household, which valued the sound of music. As a child, his parents took him to the opera and jazz concerts featuring greats like Count Basie at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. These childhood experiences he enthusiastically recounts to Dr. Taylor during the show, saying that ".... even as a kid I had a great appreciation for jazz music." Though the experience clearly broadened his youthful musical palette, Whitfield actually began his music education on the bass. He was later drawn to the instrument that would totally capture his imagination -- the guitar, drawing laughter from the audience as he contends that the girls liked guitar players.

Legions of soulful, bluesy jazz guitarists have paid their dues in bands either led by or featuring Hammond B-3 organ players, and Whitfield was no exception. Whitfield's most memorable early professional gig was with the great organist Jack McDuff, at the recommendation of Mark's mentor and fellow guitarist George Benson. The audience chuckles as he recounts how a seemingly indifferent McDuff hired him, and how the elder's early admonishment to "Stop playing those banjo chords...." helped shape his approach to the guitar.

Whitfield joins Dr. Taylor's trio in playing a variety of standards including such chestnuts as "The Way You Look Tonight", "My One and Only Love", and "We'll Be Together Again," Milt Jackson's "SKJ", and "Invitation." This is not to suggest that Whitfield, is not composing his own music, a point he makes with Dr. Taylor by, saying "It's part of developing my own voice as a jazz musician. To illustrate what inspires him as a composer, Whitfield deftly demonstrates a Wayne Shorter tune, listing Shorter as a particular inspiration to his composing.

The audience Q&A section of the program yields an interesting question from a budding guitar player who wanted to know if Whitfield approaches the guitar as a vocal instrument. In response, Whitfield launches into a fascinating anecdote about breathing techniques. The questions end with a discussion of Whitfield's practice and work regimen.