Marcus Joseph was classically trained on the clarinet from age seven, taking his ABRSM grades up to Grade 8 in school and has played in various Leicestershire Arts county bands and orchestras. A brief stint in a hip-hop group as a DJ and MC resulted in airplay on BBC Radio 1Xtra, but after attending a jazz workshop in London Marcus was inspired to pick up the saxophone full-time and studied in Leeds, London and New Orleans.
Marcus’ childhood experience as the only African-Caribbean boy playing a classical instrument in ensembles, later developed a passion for working with youth to cultivate interest in live music and musicianship.
Since the release of his debut E.P ‘Real Talk’ in October 2015 his career as a full-time musician and a spoken word artist has surged, leading to many achievements both personally and professionally. Marcus performed alongside internationally renowned vocalist Emily Saunders and award-winning singer/ songwriter Angie Brown at the London Jazz Festival 2018. Last autumn he performed an intimate set at Sofar Sounds in his hometown Leicester, as well as performing alongside American artist Steffani Jamison for her collaborative exhibition ‘Recitatif: Never say anything at all’ at Nottingham Contemporary.
Marcus became a finalist at Yamaha Music London’s ‘Funk It Up Thursdays’ with his newly formed band, Major Ruse, competing for a gig on stage at Love Supreme Jazz Festival 2018. The band have since released an E.P and played support for Blue Lab Beats, Oscar Jerome & Cykada.
Paradigm Rhymes: Beyond The Dome has been one of Marcus’ most pivotal projects. A fast moving performance of spoken word narration by Sophia Thakur, live jazz music written by Marcus and projected comic book digital imagery. The production was performed at the Curve Theatre, as part of Inside Out Festival 2017.
In 2018 he was selected as a New Voice for the Sound and Music's major Composer Development programme, lasting 18 months with an annual intake. He will use this time and opportunity to create and release his debut album, scheduled for release in September 2019.
Marcus continues to teach, compose and develop his own unique sound: a warm fusion of Jazz, reggae, hip-hop and contemporary music.
Marcus’ childhood experience as the only African-Caribbean boy playing a classical instrument in ensembles, later developed a passion for working with youth to cultivate interest in live music and musicianship.
Since the release of his debut E.P ‘Real Talk’ in October 2015 his career as a full-time musician and a spoken word artist has surged, leading to many achievements both personally and professionally. Marcus performed alongside internationally renowned vocalist Emily Saunders and award-winning singer/ songwriter Angie Brown at the London Jazz Festival 2018. Last autumn he performed an intimate set at Sofar Sounds in his hometown Leicester, as well as performing alongside American artist Steffani Jamison for her collaborative exhibition ‘Recitatif: Never say anything at all’ at Nottingham Contemporary.
Marcus became a finalist at Yamaha Music London’s ‘Funk It Up Thursdays’ with his newly formed band, Major Ruse, competing for a gig on stage at Love Supreme Jazz Festival 2018. The band have since released an E.P and played support for Blue Lab Beats, Oscar Jerome & Cykada.
Paradigm Rhymes: Beyond The Dome has been one of Marcus’ most pivotal projects. A fast moving performance of spoken word narration by Sophia Thakur, live jazz music written by Marcus and projected comic book digital imagery. The production was performed at the Curve Theatre, as part of Inside Out Festival 2017.
In 2018 he was selected as a New Voice for the Sound and Music's major Composer Development programme, lasting 18 months with an annual intake. He will use this time and opportunity to create and release his debut album, scheduled for release in September 2019.
Marcus continues to teach, compose and develop his own unique sound: a warm fusion of Jazz, reggae, hip-hop and contemporary music.
