Marlene Rosenberg is one of today’s most versatile and talented bass players. She has performed professionally in the United States, Europe and Latin America, as well as Japan with a variety of jazz legends such Kenny Barron and Frank Foster. Her style range includes everything from the traditional Big Band to small, intimate ensembles. Rosenberg was featured in the Ed Thigpen Quartet recording entitled “Easy Flight”. Thigpen believes that Marlene’s strength and deep understanding of music is what makes her special. She has managed to stand out in a sea of imitations, with her own sound and feeling… Her time feel is steady and she swings like mad. Rosenberg was born in Illinois and began clarinet lessons at age ten. She then took up electric bass in highschool, where she played in a jazz band. In college, she began playing acoustic basse at the University of Illinois. She was awarded the Smith Memorial Women’s Scholarship and the University of Illinois Bass-Violas Scholarship twice in a row. She was well-versed in jazz and classical aspects of her instrument and performed with the University’s main symphony orchestra. In June 1999, she received a Master of Music in Jazz Pedagogy degree from North Western University. Rosenberg was awarded a National Endownment Of The Arts Jazz fellowship grant in 1985. She used it to study privately with Hal Galper and Milk Richmond, as well as Ron Carter and Jim Mcneeley. Her teachers include Jeff Bradetich (Northwestern University), Warren Benfield (Chicago Symphony), Ed Krolick (University Of Illinois), John Gravey (University Of Illinois), Karl Fruh and John Gravey. She also studied for 9 months with Rob Kassinger, who was a member of the Chicago Symphony (2010). Rosenberg also counts Ray Brown, John Clayton, and Buster Williams as mentors. Rosenberg is a versatile bassist and has a keen interest in performing ethnic music. The Balkan Rhythm Band is a group that focuses on traditional music of Yugoslavia and Serbia. She has recorded and performed with them. She is passionate about West African drumming and dance, which has led her to study with master drummers from Ghana and join an African drumming group in Chicago. Rosenberg has performed with many modern dance groups, playing both the bass and percussion. Rosenberg’s Jazz music has a unique depth and range because of all this experience. Rosenberg is a dedicated teacher in Chicago. Rosenberg has also been a clinician at the Saskatchewan School of the Arts, Canada. She has given workshops in high school in the Chicago area. She was an active participant in the Ravinia Jazz Mentors program, which is based in Chicago. From 1994 to 2007, she was an Adjunct Professor at Northern Illinois University. From 2007 to 2010, Rosenberg was a full-time professor at Western Illinois University in Macomb, IL (Teaching bass, world music, and popular music).
