The Mark Austin Band is a seven-piece horn band somewhere between Steely Dan and early (pre-Cetera) Chicago that plays at O'Reilly's every Monday night, performing a one-hour set of original material, followed by a band jam that anyone who can play an instrument can participate in. Even though we hadn't heard of him, we were awfully impressed when Mark sent us his press kit. I mean this cat has a 14-album discography that goes back to 1990 (mostly working with other bands) and a 7-piece band with members who have played for everybody from Ella Fitzgerald to Cinderella. Mark himself has been playing for 25 years. And yet we'd never heard of him. "I'll admit that being a musician, I've never been much of a businessman," Mark confessed to me over a Jack and Coke just prior to beginning his set at O'Reilly's. "But I've decided to rectify that. We feel we have something special to offer, something that's not being done much today. And the time has come to spread the word." 
 

One would think with a band full of these kinds of experienced musicians the music would be boring, redundant and somewhat self-indulgent fare that audiences get drunk to and music critics yawn to. Well, the audience was mesmerized, and this music critic was so stunned he was wondering whether he was going to a show or getting a massage. Seriously folks, this music was so intoxicating that alcohol was completely unnecessary, especially for those sitting up front. This music immediately sedates you, gently leading you into a tranquil night world where daytime and financial worries are forgotten, where the heart suddenly becomes aroused to childlike, unaffected ecstasies and affections that hang like static in the air around you. The band use their skill and experience to move the audience in calculated ways, adding occasional interjections of polytonal improvisation that for the most part support rather than distract from the vibrant warmth and romantic intensity of the songs.
 
 

Mark owns a digital recording studio and apparently is in the process of recording a new CD for the band right now. My concern is that by recording it digital, he may lose the warmth that makes the music so effective. I would recommend the band either record and mix the CD the old-fashioned way 'in 24-track analog' or else do whatever they need to do to keep the music spontaneous-feeling and warm as a fireplace on a chilly night. Also, if there is a way to come up with album artwork that is not computer- generated I would suggest they do it. Every time I see a computer-generated cover I always think "yawn" and expect it to be banal. I fear that if Mark isn't careful, other reviewers and club owners will skip over him simply because of the name "Mark Austin Band" coupled with boring computer artwork. Add a cold CD and the result will be a heinous blasphemy to the name of Mark Austin.
 

And lastly, what is this band doing at O'Reilly's? This music needs to go immediately to a classier evening club like Sambuca. But don't let that stop you. Go see the Mark 
Austin Band at O'Reilly's; you don't regret it or forget it. O'Reilly's is at 8998 Forest Lane in Dallas (over by Texas Instruments) and the show starts at 9:30 pm every Monday.
 

David Gasten, dallasmusic.com

Thanks to Richard Nimz for the pics.