Biography
Though Marc Wagnon's abilities on percussion stood out right away, his path to prominence stemmed primarily from a string of lucky meetings with equally gifted musicians. Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, he first gravitated toward progressive rock acts such as King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Yes and Genesis, while also responding strongly to the fusion explorations of Miles Davis and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. A Gary Burton performance ultimately sharpened his focus on a musical career, as he admired the vibraphonist's command, inventiveness and adaptability. Shortly afterward he enrolled at the Geneva Conservatory, where he spent five years training in classical percussion and adopted the vibraphone as his main instrument.
Wagnon's studies there were complemented by a year at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. Although brief, that period yielded lasting connections, among them an encounter with Dave Douglas whose spontaneous approach proved inspiring, and another with Dave Kikowski, who would remain a steady partner in later work.
Following Berklee, Wagnon settled in New York City and launched various endeavors that allowed his personal voice to emerge. Alongside Kikowski he assembled Dr. Nerve, whose raw, abrasive aesthetic he characterized as "Schoenberg meets the Sex Pistols." While active with that group he pursued parallel efforts, among them the 1993 Tunnels project With Percy Jones, recorded with bassist Percy Jones and Brand X drummer Frank Katz and leaning toward a more direct jazz-fusion style that highlighted his vibraphone work. These sidelines never diminished his dedication to Dr. Nerve, which issued seven albums on the Cuneiform label before disbanding in 1997.
That same year Wagnon completed two additional side projects. With the Swiss collective No No Diet Bang he recorded the album Profan for the Bambrus label, and he inaugurated his Buckyball music-service venture with vocalist Sarah Pillow, a co-founder of the company, on the jazz-standards collection Paper Cuts. Buckyball would go on to issue further Wagnon recordings, including a reissue of the late-'80s endeavor Shadowlines. A subsequent Tunnels release, Painted Rock, and another Pillow collaboration, An Afterthought, moved him deeper into experimental jazz while underscoring his steadily advancing technical command.
Wagnon's studies there were complemented by a year at the Berklee School of Music in Boston. Although brief, that period yielded lasting connections, among them an encounter with Dave Douglas whose spontaneous approach proved inspiring, and another with Dave Kikowski, who would remain a steady partner in later work.
Following Berklee, Wagnon settled in New York City and launched various endeavors that allowed his personal voice to emerge. Alongside Kikowski he assembled Dr. Nerve, whose raw, abrasive aesthetic he characterized as "Schoenberg meets the Sex Pistols." While active with that group he pursued parallel efforts, among them the 1993 Tunnels project With Percy Jones, recorded with bassist Percy Jones and Brand X drummer Frank Katz and leaning toward a more direct jazz-fusion style that highlighted his vibraphone work. These sidelines never diminished his dedication to Dr. Nerve, which issued seven albums on the Cuneiform label before disbanding in 1997.
That same year Wagnon completed two additional side projects. With the Swiss collective No No Diet Bang he recorded the album Profan for the Bambrus label, and he inaugurated his Buckyball music-service venture with vocalist Sarah Pillow, a co-founder of the company, on the jazz-standards collection Paper Cuts. Buckyball would go on to issue further Wagnon recordings, including a reissue of the late-'80s endeavor Shadowlines. A subsequent Tunnels release, Painted Rock, and another Pillow collaboration, An Afterthought, moved him deeper into experimental jazz while underscoring his steadily advancing technical command.
Albums
