Marshall Bowden is a freelance writer, editor, and web designer who lives in Chicago, Illinois. He runs the independent jazz webzine Jazzitude at www.jazzitude.com. In addition, Mr. Bowden has contributed to PopMatters, where he writes reviews and a jazz column, All About Jazz, where he writes the "Late Night Thoughts on Jazz" column, Chicago Jazz Magazine, and transistornet, where he discusses rock, pop, techno, and world music.

Marshall has studied music for much of his life, studying classical piano from the age of eight and taking up alto sax at age ten. He quickly became interested in jazz and played keyboards, alto and baritone sax in jazz bands and ensembles throughout high school. Along the way he played bassoon and clarinet in school orchestra and studied arranging. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, later transferring to Washington University in St. Louis where he majored in English Literature. He has spent a number of years working in the publishing industry and recently earned an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago.

Mr. Bowden likes listening to jazz of all styles and eras. Some of his favorite performers include Jelly Roll Morton, Illinois Jacquet, Lester Young, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans.