Mars McCracken
Tunafish Jones is a creative concoction created by lead singer , keyboard player and songwriter, (Marvelous) Mars McCracken . Influenced early on by jazz elite Ella Fitzgerald, Della Reese, Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, composer Leonard Bernstein, and funk master James Brown, Mars envisioned a band that could mesh together the free for all hilarity of a night at a juke joint with the profundity of a symphonic odyssey.
She comes from a family of musical genius, a great grandmother who played harp and taught music, a grandfather who set the household on fire playing boogie-woogie on an old upright piano, a mother who played jazz standards by ear on the piano, singing along with a beautiful, deep haunting voice, and last but not least, an uncle, a child prodigy, who was an outstanding piano player as well as jazz drummer .
Mars played piano and clarinet but preferred to stand on the corner and sing.
Her first introduction to the stage was in New York, when she was barely five years old. She knew immediately that’s where she belonged. She inherited the voice from her mother, the rhythm from her uncle and from her father (a legendary long distant runner from Istanbul Turkey) she received the endurance to sing and dance up a storm.
Amazon Prime Video has recently released "Stanley Stanton" a feature film written, directed and edited by Mars. Along with Tunafish Jones guitartist/keyboard player, Bruce McCracken, she composed, and performed the soundtrack. Mars also produced and edited the Tunafish Jones' music videos, No More Radio, Took It To The Limit, If I Could Fly Away, Your Body Rocks, Lullaby From Mars, Waiting In Time, Silhouettes of Angels, Christmas Carousel, Moonblues, and A Lasting Dream.
Bruce McCracken
Bruce McCracken is the guitar player, keyboard player and vocalist for the band Tunafish Jones. McCracken's intense interest in music was apparent by age three. At five he was enrolled in piano and organ lessons which continued until he was eighteen. By the time he was eight he was jammin' with legendary blues pianist Jay McShann, a friend of his parents. When on tour in the area McShann, after the gig, would move the party to the McCracken living room. Bruce would wake up and join in, playing the organ which was setup opposite the piano.
He also has a life long love of playing the guitar and was introduced to R&B by McShann's guitarist, a former James Brown player. McCracken's professional choice of instruments was a Les Paul goldtop, Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes, and Hohner Clavinet.
When Weather Report, Chic Corea, Herbie Hancock and the great Tomita came on the scene, Bruce became interested in synthesizers.
McCracken's musical expertise is evident in the "Stanley Stanton" soundtrack, which he co-wrote and co-produced. Along with performing the music, he also played the lead role, Stanley Stanton.
GUEST MUSICIANS
DARREN JOHNSON
DARREN JOHNSON
DARREN JOHNSON
TRUMPET
DEAN HAIST
DARREN JOHNSON
DARREN JOHNSON
TRUMPET
NOAH NIELSEN
DARREN JOHNSON
NOAH NIELSEN
DRUMS PERCUSSION
STEVE RALL
FRANK LIGHTELL
NOAH NIELSEN
BASS GUITAR
FRANK LIGHTELL
FRANK LIGHTELL
FRANK LIGHTELL
SAXOPHONE, FLUTE