By Ed Enright | Published November 2025
A hard-working multi-instrumentalist and master of a wide range of jazz styles, Mark Sherman has long ranked among the top vibraphonists in the world. After releasing a series of four well-received albums that showcased his previously unrevealed virtuosity on the piano, Sherman returns to the vibraphone on Bop Contest, featuring an all-star lineup of bassist Ron Carter, pianist Donald Vega, drummer Carl Allen and guest trumpeter Joe Magnarelli. The project has its origins in Sherman’s personal connection to the 88-year-old Carter, a colleague on the faculty of the Juilliard School who happens to be the most recorded bassist in jazz history. Bop Contest marks the first time Sherman has enlisted Carter to play on one of his 22 recordings as a leader — and it gets its name from the title of Sherman’s first effort at writing a bebop tune. Recorded at Van Gelder Studios, it’s an homage to the fundamental jazz style so formative to these five musicians’ voices. In addition to being a longtime member of Carter’s Golden Striker Trio, Vega takes inspiration from two of Sherman’s favorite pianists: Kenny Barron, with whom the vibraphonist recorded the duet album Interplay in 2015, and the late Cedar Walton, two of whose compositions are included in Bop Contest. Allen and Carter have crossed paths over the years, while the drummer has worked frequently with Sherman, including on his debut as a pianist, 2019’s My Other Voice. Magnarelli, a longtime friend and collaborator of Sherman’s, was called upon to add his trumpet and flugelhorn mastery to a pair of Sherman originals. The title track is a bebop burner in the classic mold, with a serpentine vibes-trumpet unison melody sparking vigorous solos and culminating in a round-robin exchange that epitomizes an elite-level bop cutting contest. Sherman’s second original for the session is the lilting jazz waltz “Love Always Always Love.” The album opener, “111-44” by Oliver Nelson, was originally recorded on the saxophonist/arranger’s 1961 album Straight Ahead with Eric Dolphy and Roy Haynes. The Cedar Walton pieces are “Bremond’s Blues” (from the 1987 release Cedar Walton Plays, which also featured Carter on bass) and “Martha’s Prize,” from Walton’s 1996 album Composer. Sherman’s take on the standard “My One And Only Love” transforms the ballad into a bossa nova with tasty, bebop-informed reharmonizations. The album closes with Sherman playing an eloquent duet with himself on Hoagy Carmichael’s “Skylark,” revealing his signature lyrical approach and melodic sense on both vibes and piano. With Bop Contest, Sherman and his fellow modern masters have crafted a true winner.
