George Mraz

Born Sept 9, 1944 in Czechoslovakia

George Mraz has been a greatly in-demand bassist for straight-ahead dates ever since he emigrated to the United States in 1968. After a brief time playing violin and alto, Mraz studied bass at the Prague Conservatory and gigged at a club in Munich for a year. In 1968, he attended Berklee and he soon toured with Oscar Peterson (1970-1972). After moving to New York, Mraz became a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (1973-1976), worked with Stan Getz (1974-1975), and has since played with most of the top jazz players, including Walter Norris, Pepper Adams, Roland Hanna, Zoot Sims, Tommy Flanagan, John Abercrombie, Carmen McRae, Jimmy Rowles, Stephane Grappelli, and countless others. Other than an obscure duo date with Roland Hanna for Trio in 1976, George Mraz surprisingly did not have an opportunity to lead his own sessions until the mid-'90s when he signed with Milestone. His album roster includes Jazz (1995), Bottom Lines (1997), Duke's Place (1999), and Morava (2001).