American double bassist and composer
Mark Helias |
---|
Helias at Cornelia street cafe, July 2, 2010 |
|
Born | (1950-10-01) October 1, 1950 (age 73)
New Brunswick,
New Jersey, United States |
---|
Genres |
Jazz,
Avant-garde jazz,
Free jazz,
Free improvisation |
---|
Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, educator |
---|
Instrument(s) | Double bass |
---|
Labels |
Enja, Radio Legs,
Koch,
Marge, GM |
---|
|
Website |
MarkHelias.com/ |
---|
Musical artist
Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in
New Brunswick,
New Jersey.
[1]
He started playing the double bass at the age of 20,
[2] and studied with
Homer Mensch at
Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then at Yale School of Music from 1974 to 1976.
[1] He teaches at
Sarah Lawrence College,
The New School, and SIM (School for Improvised Music).
[3]
Helias has performed with a wide variety of musicians, first and foremost with trombonist
Ray Anderson, with whom he led the ironic 1980s
avant-funk band Slickaphonics, and a trio with
Gerry Hemingway on drums, formed in the late 1970s, later named BassDrumBone.
[1]
[2] Helias has also performed with members of
Ornette Coleman's band,
Don Cherry,
Dewey Redman, and
Ed Blackwell, and with musicians affiliated with the
AACM, such as
Anthony Braxton and
Muhal Richard Abrams.
[2]
[3]
Since 1984 Mark Helias has released twelve recordings under his own name and further albums leading the archetypal improvising trio Open Loose since the late 1990s.
[4]
[2] The group comprises Helias on bass, first
Ellery Eskelin, then
Tony Malaby on tenor saxophone and
Tom Rainey on drums.
[2]
Recognition/Awards
- 2010 -
American Composers Orchestra Reading Commission,
- 2007 - Chamber Music America Grant for New Works,
- 2006 - Distinguished Alumnus Award
Livingston College,
- 1991 - Meet the Composer/
Reader's Digest Commission,
- 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2000 - Arts International Travel Grant,
- 1988, 1994 -
NYFA Grant in Music Composition,
- 1984, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995 - NEA Grant in Jazz Performance,
- 1981 - CAPS Grant in Music Composition,
Discography
As leader
- Music For Big Band (Radio Legs, 2020)
- Roof Rights (Radio Legs, 2020)
- Available Light (Radio Legs, 2020)
- Fictionary (GM Recordings, 1998)
- Loopin' the Cool (
Enja, 1995)
- Attack the Future (Enja, 1992)
- Desert Blue (Enja, 1989)
- The Current Set (Enja, 1987)
- Split Image (Enja, 1984)
With Open Loose
- The Third Proposition (
Radio Legs, 2020)
- The Signal Maker (
Intakt, 2015)
- Explicit – Live at the Sunset (
Marge, 2011)
- Strange Unison (Radio Legs, 2008)
- Atomic Clock (Radio Legs, 2006)
- Verbs of Will (Radio Legs, 2004)
- New School (Enja, 2001)
Tony Malaby replaces Eskelin
- Come Ahead Back... (
E1/Koch Jazz, 1998) with
Ellery Eskelin and
Tom Rainey
Collaborations
Duo with Jane Ira Bloom
- Some Kind of Tomorrow (Radiolegs Music, 2020)
With Sophia Domancich and
Andrew Cyrille
- Courtepointe - Live at the Sunside (Marge, 2012)
With Terrence McManus and
Gerry Hemingway
With
Michael Moore, Alex Maguire, and
Han Bennink
- White Widow (Ramboy, 2001)
With
Mark Dresser
- The Marks Brothers (
De Werf, 2000)
With Daniele D'Agaro and U.T. Gandhi
With
Christy Doran,
Bobby Previte,
Gary Thomas
- Corporate Art (
JMT, 1991)
With
Slickaphonics
- Live (Teldec, 1988)
- Check Your Head at the Door (
Teldec, 1986)
- Humatomic Energy (Blue Heron, 1985)
- Modern Life (Enja, 1984)
- Wow Bag (Enja, 1982)
With
Ray Anderson and
Gerry Hemingway a.k.a. BassDrumBone
- The Long Road - BassDrumBone with Jason Moran and Joe Lovano (Auricle, 2017)
- The Other Parade (
Clean Feed, 2011)
- The Line Up (Clean Feed, 2006)
- March of Dimes (Data, 2002)
- (Hence the Reason) (Enja, 1997)
- Wooferlo (Soul Note, 1989) first album as BassDrumBone
- Cooked to Perfection (Auricle, 1999; Compilation of rec. from 1986, 1987, and 1996)
- You Be (Minor Music, 1986)
- Oahspe (Auricle, 1979)
As sideman
With
Ralph Alessi and Modular Theatre
- Open Season (RKM Music, 2008)
With
Barry Altschul
With
Ray Anderson
- Wishbone (
Justin Time, 1991)
- Right Down Your Alley (Soul Note, 1984)
With the
Ed Blackwell Project
With
Jane Ira Bloom
With
Anthony Braxton
With
Don Cherry
With
Marilyn Crispell
With
Franco D'Andrea
- Sei brani inediti (
Red, 1991)
- No Idea of Time (Red, 1984)
- My One and Only Love (Red, 1983)
With
Anthony Davis
With
Benoît Delbecq Unit
- Benoît Delbecq and
Fred Hersch Double Trio - Fun House (Songlines, 2013)
- Phonetics (Songlines, 2005)
With
Paul Dunmall Sun Quartet
- Ancient and Future Airs (Clean Feed, 2009)
With
Marty Ehrlich
- The Long View (Enja, 2002)
- Dark Woods Ensemble – Sojourn (
Tzadik, 1999)
- Dark Woods Ensemble – Live Wood (
Music & Arts, 1997)
- Dark Woods Ensemble – Just Before the Dawn (
New World, 1995)
With Ricardo Gallo's Tierra de Nadie
- The Great Fine Line (Clean Feed, 2011)
With
Dennis González NY Quartet
- Dance of the Soothsayer's Tongue (Live at Tonic) (Clean Feed, 2007)
- NY Midnight Suite (Clean Feed, 2004)
With
Jerome Harris
With
Gerry Hemingway
- The Whimbler (Clean Feed, 2005)
- Outerbridge Crossing (Sound Aspects, 1989)
- Kwambe (Auricle, 1978)
With Peter Herborn
- Traces of Trane (JMT, 1992)
With David Lopato
- Inside Outside (
Enemy, 1991)
With
Joe Lovano
With
Michael Moore
- Bering (Ramboy, 1998)
- Chicoutimi (Ramboy, 1994)
- Home Game (Ramboy, 1992)
With
Simon Nabatov
- The Master and Margarita (
Leo, 2001)
- Tough Customer (Enja, 1993)
With Operazone (
Bill Laswell-
Alan Douglas-
Karl Berger-Project)
With
Jim Pepper
With
Bobby Previte
With
Enrico Rava
- Flat Fleet (Philology, 2005)
With
Dewey Redman
With Joe Rosenberg
- Do What We Must Do (
CIMP, 2002)
With
Roswell Rudd and
Heather Masse
With
Samo Šalamon
- Government Cheese (
Fresh Sound New Talent, 2007; rec. 2004)
- Two Hours (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2006; rec. 2004)
With
Dave Schnitter
References
External links
|
---|
International | |
---|
National | |
---|
Artists | |
---|
Other | |
---|