About Us
The NIROMI Company was founded in 1989 with the vision to inspire hope in children, to spark their creative spirit, and transform their lives through the power of artistic expression. A significant portion of the revenue from this album supports this vision. Don Mark's Fire Escape is Don Mark on saxophones, Dawoud Said on keyboards, Jesse Powers on bass, and Johnny Jones on drums. Guest performing are Larry Griffin on percussion, Greg Boyer on trombone (Soul Serenade), Michael Mark (Jubilation), and Roy Smith (Better Days Ahead) on guitars.
Don Mark
Don’s passion for music improvisation was ignited by his dad’s extensive jazz record collection, which he listened to after school in his early teens. Don played his sax along with Trane, Bird, Duke, Monk, Basie, and others as if a member of their great bands. After “jamming” with these jazz greats, there was no other profession possible for him other than a career devoted to music. “In A New Light” is Don Mark’s fourth album, following three solo projects, "Silver & Gold", "Songs In The Key Of Light", and "New Jerusalem", all released on the NIROMI Record Company label. Don has performed in the United States, China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Africa, Botswana, Germany, Moscow, The Ukraine, Romania, and many other countries, performing for heads of state, presidents, ambassadors, and world leaders. Don even performed in East Germany on the night the Berlin Wall was torn down!
“In A New Light” is Don Mark’s newest and most creative jazz project. His inspired musical spontaneity and dramatic playing style is complimented by Dawoud Said’s keyboards, Jesse Powers’ bass, and Johnny Jones’ drums.
Jesse L. Powers Jr. In addition to playing bass, Jesse is also a composer and arranger. Jesse joined the U. S. Army band as a professional euphonium and trombone player in 1971. He taught himself how to play the electric bass in 1973 and started playing professionally in 1974. He graduated from the U.S. Naval School of Music. In 1986, Jesse won an audition as bass player/vocalist, for the Volunteers of the prestigious United States Army Field Band, from Washington, D.C., and later in 1994, became the Director of The Volunteers. Jesse served in U.S. Army Bands’ for 34 consecutive years. He has performed in all 50 states and toured abroad to Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Canada, Germany, Guantanomo Bay, Mexico, Nicaragua, Portugal, and South Korea.
Sean Terrance Powell
Sean Terrance Powell lives and breathes music. Since age 5 he has studied genres ranging from classical, jazz, r&b, rock, hip hop, and gospel. Having trained privately with classical pianists during his 6 years living in Atlanta and 17 years in his hometown, Baltimore MD, he gained a strong technical foundation which enabled him to later approach and excel at other styles and instruments on his own. It wasn't until he was introduced to great musicians like Art Tatum, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner and several others that he discovered his true love, which was speaking the language of Jazz! From Jazz, came exposure to Hip Hop, R&B, Rock, and Gospel until it all started to mesh together creating the unique and colorful sound that you hear coming from his limbs. Music has always been a full time job for Sean so each day he nurtures his musical speaking ability by surrounding himself with great musicians, composing, teaching, producing, and engineering out of his own studio in Baltimore. Musicians such as Joshua Redman, Robert Glasper, Kenny Garrett, Ace Elijah, Themba Mkhatchwa, Chris Dave, Freedom Imani, and Chick Corea have established a faith in Sean that "Great music is inevitable, with great people, speaking the same great language, telling a great story!"
Johnny Jones was born in Montclair, New Jersey. He began playing the drums at the early age of 5 years. Johnny studied at the School of Performing Arts in Montclair, The New York School of Music and The School of Jazz in Harlem, New York where he enhanced his drumming techniques under the studies of Charlie Persip, Freddy Waitts, and Carl Wolf. He has performed with the Afro Ballet Ensemble Dance Troop. Johnny is also an accomplished trombonist. Johnny Jones has performed with Dizzie Gelespie, Jimmie Magriff, Roy Ayers, Charlie Mason, Leo Johnson, and Ronnie Laws, to name a few. He has recorded and performed in the United States, Iceland, England, Germany, France, and Holland.Larry Griffin
Larry Griffin resides in Annapolis MD, and graduated from Annapolis High School. At 9 years old he followed the family tradition and fell in love with music. Self taught, he started playing percussion in 1970. He has played with Mama Jama, a World Beat Band founded by himself, John Gladstone and Betsy Melvin, the XPD's, Pepper, a R&B band, and Day Light, a country rock n roll band who opened up for Tina Turner at the Wax Musem in Washington, DC and Little Feat at the Warner Theater. Larry has played at Memorial Stadium with Eric Clampton, has opened up for George Clinton & the Original Funkadelics, played with Art Sherrod Jr., Bob Baldwin, Gary Taylor, Shemika More, Carlos Santana, Marian Meadows and other national artists. Now Larry is performing with Don Mark's Fire Escape, assaulting with great skill all things percussion including cymbals, bells, drums, congas, bongos, timbales, toms, claves, rain sticks, cowbells, gourds, blocks, and tambourines to keep the rhythm patterns original and so exciting. He never fails to fascinate the audience with his incredible solos and always has a smile for his fans.
