Whoever composed the title to this CD was having a bit of fun. First is the playfulness of the rhyming “Marks/Sparks.” There may also be some punning in the title: “Sparks” could allude to what one finds in the tracks on this CD, supplied by Marks and his cohorts, and possibly to the other musicians themselves (“young lads”) with him; but in the UK the pairing “Marks and Sparks” will also bring to mind a second association—to the store chain named Marks and Spencer, fondly called “Marks & Sparks” in the UK. This chain of stores stocks an assortment of items—clothing, home furnishings, beauty products, food, wine, flowers, and gifts—something like Target, Walmart, etc. in the US. M & S was founded in the UK, but now has outlets all over the world. In the US, however, like Amazon it is only available on-line; so chances are that allusion will escape many Americans.
Like the variety of products to be found in the M & S stores, the miscellany of tracks compiled on this CD were recorded at different times and in different places over some 28 years. As a glance at the tune list on this CD will reveal, several are usually found in the playlists of bands categorized as “mainstream,” tunes such as “Crazy Rhythm,” “Oh! Lady be Good,” “Caravan,” to name a few. Others titles are of more recent vintage, such as Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas
