13/12/2025
Copenhagen 12. december 2025
The Danish percussionist, composer, and bandleader Marilyn Mazur passed away today after a period of illness. This was announced by her family. She was 70 years old.
Internationally, she was perhaps best known for her time in Miles Davis’ band from 1985 to 1988—interrupted by a world tour with Wayne Shorter’s project in 1987.
From 1989 and onwards, she was once again active on the Danish and European music scenes with her own projects. She founded the band Marilyn Mazur’s FUTURE SONG which toured across Europe for 20 years.
At the same time she was a permanent member of the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek’s group from 1991 to 2004. Together, they toured extensively all over the world.
As a composer, she wrote music ranging from solo projects to works for symphony orchestras. She collaborated with several big bands, including Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, the DR Big Band, and the NDR and WDR Big Bands in Germany.
Her many ensembles performed her music—music that ranged from the primitive, naïve melody to the complex and dangerously spiced chords—perhaps more inspired by classical music than by jazz in the traditional sense.
Marilyn had a special focus on women in music. She formed the all-female ensemble Primi Band in the late 1970s, and in 2015 the women’s band Marilyn Mazur’s Shamania.
Marilyn Mazur combined her extensive percussion setup with the drum kit in a unique and original playing style. She was a sublime master of timbre and rhythm, able to sprinkle stardust over the music with her ideas—an improviser of the very highest order.
She has been a great inspiration to countless people—not least to female musicians.
Kind regards,
Her husband
Klavs Hovman, bassist/musician
Our son
Fabian Mazur, music producer
