George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; September 9, 1944–September 16, 2021) was a Czech-born American jazz musician who played the bass and the alto saxophone. He was part of Oscar Peterson’s musical group and performed with many famous musicians, including Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stéphane Grappelli, Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Raney, Chet Baker, Barry Harris, Joe Henderson, John Abercrombie, John Scofield, and Richie Beirach, among others.

In the 1970s, he was a member of the New York Jazz Quartet and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. During the 1980s, he was part of the group Quest. He also performed with Joe Lovano, Hank Jones, and Paul Motian on Lovano’s recordings I’m All For You and Joyous Encounter.

Mraz passed away on September 16, 2021, in Prague. The exact cause of his death was not revealed, though he had been fighting pancreatic cancer since 2016.

Discography

• 1977: Alone Together with Masaru Imada (Three Blind Mice)
• 1982: Classic Jazz Duets with Adam Makowicz
• 1992: Catching Up
• 1995: Jazz with Richie Beirach, Billy Hart, Larry Willis, Rich Perry
• 1995: My Foolish Heart with Richie Beirach, Billy Hart
• 1997: Bottom Lines with Cyrus Chestnut, Al Foster, Rich Perry
• 1999: Duke's Place with Renee Rosnes, Billy Drummond, Cyrus Chestnut
• 2002: Morava with Billy Hart, Emil Viklicky, Zuzana Lapčíková
• 2007: Moravian Gems with Iva Bittova, Emil Viklicky, Laco Tropp
• 2012: George Mraz quartet-Jazz na Hrade with David Hazeltine, Rich Perry, Joey Baron
• 2014: Together Again with Emil Viklický

The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra
• Suite for Pops (A&M, 1972)
• Potpourri (Philadelphia International, 1974)
• Live in Tokyo (Denon, 1974)
• Thad Jones/Mel Lewis and Manuel De Sica (Pausa, 1976)
• New Life (A&M, 1976)

The New York Jazz Quartet
• The New York Jazz Quartet In Concert In Japan (Salvation (Japan), 1975)
• Surge (Enja, 1977)
• Song of the Black Knight (Sonet, 1977)
• Blues for Sarka (Enja, 1978)
• New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago (Bee Hive, 1981)
• Oasis (Enja, 1981)
• Manhattan David Hazeltine – George Mraz Trio (Chesky, 2006)
• Your Story George Mraz / David Hazeltine Trio (Cube – Metier, 2012)

• Heart Beats (Milestone, 1995)
• Newklear Music (Milestone, 1997)

With John Abercrombie
• Arcade (ECM, 1978)
• Abercrombie Quartet (ECM, 1979)
• Straight Flight (JAM, 1979)
• M (ECM, 1980)
• Solar (1985)
• Farewell (Emarcy 9832649, 1993)

• Ephemeral (Milestone, 1998)
• Elegy (Milestone, 1999)

With Lorez Alexandria
• My One and Only Love (CBS/Sony, 1987)

With Chet Baker
• Studio Trieste (CTI, 1982) with Jim Hall and Hubert Laws

With Kenny Barron
• Minor Blues (Venus, 2009)

With Dee Dee Bridgewater
• Afro Blue (Trio, 1974)

With Bob Brookmeyer
• Back Again (Sonet, 1978)

With Kenny Burrell
• Ellington Is Forever Volume Two (Fantasy, 1975)

With George Cables
• Senorita de Aranjuez (Meldec Jazz, 2001)

With Arnett Cobb
• Arnett Cobb Is Back (Progressive, 1978)

With Larry Coryell
• Comin' Home (Muse, 1984)

With Kenny Drew
• Lite Flite (SteepleChase, 1977)

With Yelena Eckemoff
• A Touch of Radiance (L&H, 2014)

With Art Farmer
• Crawl Space (CTI, 1977)

With Urbie Green
• The Fox (CTI, 1976)

With Jim Hall
• Jim Hall & Basses (Telarc, 2001)

With Jaroslav Jakubovič
• Coincidence (VMM, 2009)

With Scott Hamilton
• The Grand Appearance (Progressive, 1979)

With Fred Lipsius
• Dreaming of Your Love (mja Records, 1995)

With Steve Kuhn
• Steve Kuhn Live in New York (Cobblestone, 1972)

With Andy LaVerne and Al Foster
• Time Well Spent (1994)

With John Lewis
• Evolution II (Atlantic, 2001)

With Kevin Mahogany
• An Evening of Ballads (Live) (Mahogany Jazz, 2024)

With Carmen McRae
• Carmen Sings Monk (Bluebird, 1988)

With Charles Mingus
• Three or Four Shades of Blues (Atlantic, 1977)

With Mark Murphy
• The Artistry of Mark Murphy (Muse, 1982)

With Mike Nock
• In Out and Around (featuring Mike Brecker and Al Foster) (1979)

With Michel Petrucciani & Stephane Grappelli
• Flamingo (Dreyfus, 1996)

With Quest
• Quest (Trio/Palo Alto, 1981)

With John Scofield
• John Scofield Live (Enja, 1977)

With McCoy Tyner
• McCoy Tyner Plays John Col