Marquis W. Howell II

Born in Redlands, California in 1980, Marquis grew up in a melodious way. Raised to appreciate hand-me-downs, secondhand goods & older influences, he started imitating Chuck Berry riffs on air guitar in elementary school to impress the girls. Having little to no luck with the invisible instrument & with many promises & persuasions, his parents bought him his first guitar which became more appendage like every year. As often as possible, Marquis would practice. 4 or more hours a day, chores be damned. The opportunity came through school to perform for small concerts and the like as the years progressed. Marquis first started collecting records at the age of 15, initially starting with the family copy of the Disneyland Haunted Mansion. His first job was at an antique store with a section of records that set off the retro-active chain of events that would change his life, more or less. It started with a Johnny Cash record, Live At Fulsom Prison. Pre-war Jazz & many other musical paths soon followed suit. The Howling Hobo DJ was born on a Thursday night behind an old vaudeville theater and has made discerning ears dance & cheer with revelry ever since. In 2002, Marquis' band, Hobo Jazz, was formed with no big bravado but a lot of eager charm. Culling it's selections from all sides with an emphasis on early country, blues & jazz along with originals in a decidedly vagabond vein. He traded his acoustic guitar for an upright bass in 2004 to fill the spot of an absentee hobo. Teaching himself how to play by listening to early Willie Dixon records & studying the techniques of Pops Foster, Bill Johnson, and the tuba lines off many early jazz recordings. He has since joined forces with many great internationally known acts including Janet Klein, Jim Kweskin, Wanda Jackson, Rosie Flores, & Deke Dickerson and has played alongside many well known west coast jazz age, swing era, & roots rhythm & blues styled bands such as Jonathan Stout's Campus 5, Dave Stuckey's Hot House Gang, Ginger Pauley's Hoosier Daddies, The Barrel House Boys, The Peculiar Pretzelmen, Richard Halpern Blue Serenaders, and many others. When not composing or recording he can often be found playing music for thousands of happy folks a day as part of the Five & Dime 1920's themed band in Disneyland California Adventure. Marquis brings all of these elements into his compositions & selections with a DJ's sense of detail. Finding the right music to speak up where the dialog doesn't. Creating music where music is required. After a few local commercial soundtracks for a vintage shop in Riverside his first Hollywood job was recording a version of the 1921 hit song, 'Ain't We Got Fun', for the horror anthology The Theatre Bizarre (2011) after being discovered by Director Jeremy Kasten.