Mark Stanley (born November 7, 1968) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer based in

Maryland, USA Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to it ...

. A multi-instrumentalist,

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

and producer, his primary instrument is guitar, on which he touches a wide mix of styles, including jazz, psychedelia, post-punk, art rock, avant-pop, and avant progressive rock. Stanley has been working with members of The Muffins since his first recording, "Disconcerto" by Chainsaw Jazz (1993). He has performed live with The Muffins, 9353, Chainsaw Jazz, Clutch, Kristeen Young,

Spookey Ruben Spookey Ruben (born Alan Deil) is a Canadian musician, producer, songwriter, composer, and filmmaker. Best known for his song and music video "These Days Are Old", Spookey's songwriting and eccentric production techniques often contrast high and ...

, and Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age, Perfect Circle, Failure). Stanley was a founding member of the band

Handsome (band) Handsome was an American rock supergroup formed in 1995. The group's lineup was singer Jeremy Chatelain, guitarists Peter Mengede (formerly of Helmet), Tom Capone (formerly of Quicksand), bassist Eddie Nappi, and drummer Pete Hines (formerly ...

with Peter Mengede (Helmet). He is the songwriter, vocalist and guitarist for the band Spy Machines (Jean Paul Gaster, Mike Dillon, and Hank Upton) and co-fronts the band Farquhar with Mark Smoot. He has recorded under the pseudonyms Johnny Foodstamps, Pig Manikin, and Levitating Pam.

Education

Stanley studied at

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

before graduating from

NYU New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-United States Secretary of the Treasu ...

with a degree in Jazz Studies. His private teachers include

Wayne Krantz Wayne Krantz is an American guitarist and composer. He has performed and recorded with Steely Dan, Michael Brecker, Donald Fagen, Billy Cobham, Chris Potter, David Binney, and Carla Bley. Since the early 1990s, Krantz has focused primarily ...

Hal Galper Harold Galper (born April 18, 1938) is an American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, bandleader, educator, and writer. Biography He was born in Salem, Massachusetts, United States. Galper studied classical piano as a boy, but switched to jazz wh ...

, Bruce Arnold,

Charlie Banacos Charlie Banacos (August 11, 1946 – December 8, 2009) was an American pianist, composer, author and educator, concentrating on jazz. Banacos created over 100 courses of study for improvisation and composition. His concepts of teaching and his cour ...

and

Paul Bollenback Paul Norris Bollenback (born June 6, 1959) is a jazz guitarist who has appeared on ''Entertainment Tonight'', ''The Tonight Show'', ''The Today Show'', ''Joan Rivers'', and ''Good Morning America''. He has performed with Scott Ambush, Charlie B ...

Family

Mark Stanley is the 1st cousin once removed of

Owsley Stanley Augustus Owsley Stanley III (January 19, 1935 – March 12, 2011) was an American-Australian audio engineer and clandestine chemist. He was a key figure in the San Francisco Bay Area hippie movement during the 1960s and played a pivotal role ...

, the great grandson of Augustus Owsley Stanley, great great-grandson of

Pierce Crosby Peirce Crosby (January 16, 1824 – June 15, 1899) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, whose active duty career included service in the Mexican–American War and the Civil War. Early life and career Born in Upper Chichester Township ...

, and

Otto Hilgard Tittmann Otto Hilgard Tittmann (August 20, 1850 – August 21, 1938) was an American geodesist, geographer, and astronomer of German descent. Biography Tittmann was born in 1850, in Belleville, Illinois to revolutionary parents fleeing the aftermath of th ...

and is the great great-grandnephew of William Owsley.

Discography

Stanley has released eighteen recordings as a bandleader: *"Pig Street" (1994) *"Look, Honey" (1996) *"Weird Horizon" (1998) *"Living Machine" (2000) *"Insect Warriors" (2002) featuring

Dennis Chambers Dennis Milton Chambers (born May 9, 1959) is an American drummer. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2001. Early life Chambers was born on May 9, 1959. He began drumming at the age of four years, and was gigging in Bal ...

, Mark Egan and

Sean Rickman Sean Rickman is an American musician from Washington, D.C. He has worked with Shawn Lane, Garaj Mahal, Dapp Theory, Steve Coleman, Maxwell, Meshell Ndegeocello, Blacksheep, Phil Upchurch, David Fiucynski & Screaming Headless Torsos, Kai Ec ...

*"Blueberry Submarines" (2002) *"Humans" (2004) *"9 Volt" (2004) * "Gift Ideas For The Universe" (2005) *"Taste The Magic" (2006) *"Oceanic Fields" (2013) * "Dark Brain" (2014) featuring

Oz Noy oz. is a common abbreviation for ounce, referring to several units of measure. Oz or OZ may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * Land of Oz, the setting for many of L. Frank Baum's novels Fictional characters and entities * Oz (''Buffy the ...

, Jean-Paul Gaster (Clutch),

Peter Fraize Peter Fraize is a saxophonist and George Washington University professor best known for his freestyle jazz and for performing as a part of the Peter Fraize Quintet. Biography Raised in northern Virginia, Fraize attended the New England Conserva ...

and

Scott Ambush Scott Antel Ambush is an American musician, best known as the bass player of jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra. Biography He was born April 28, 1960 in Frederick, Maryland to Webster and Jeanette Lofton Ambush. He attended Urbana Elementary School in ...

(Spyro Gyra), *"NYANDERTHAL" (2016) *"Double Dreaming" (2018) Mark Stanley with Carla Diratz *"WHAT?" (2020) Mark Stanley *"Speed Limits of Iceland" (2021) *"This Idiot's Dream" (2021) *"Trash Lawyer" (2021)

Farquhar

His band Farquhar has made three records distributed by Cuneiform Records *"Farquhar" (1999) *"Meadow Full Of Serpents" (2005) *"Dreamshit" (2012)

Love and Rockets

*"Lift" (1998)

Lift (Love and Rockets album) ''Lift'' is the seventh and final studio album by English alternative rock band Love and Rockets, released in 1998 on Red Ant Records. Background ''Lift'' overlooked the harder rock of '' Sweet F.A.'' in favor of '' Hot Trip to Heaven'' ...

Spookey Ruben

*"Bed and Breakfast" (2001)

Bed and Breakfast (album) ''Bed and Breakfast'' are two albums released by Spookey Ruben. Originally released as singular albums in 2001 and 2002, they were re-packaged to a two cd set for worldwide release in 2006. In 1997, Spookey delivered tapes of what was then two EP ...

Clutch

*"Pitchfork" (1991)

Pitchfork (album) ''Pitchfork'' is the debut EP by American rock band Clutch, released on vinyl 7" & 12" in October 1991 only in the US. Recording and release There was the standard black vinyl pressing of the album, in 7" & 12". It also had a gold and a clear ...

Spy Machines

*"Spy Machines" (2020)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stanley, Mark Psychedelic musicians Progressive rock musicians Jazz-rock guitarists American jazz guitarists 1968 births Experimental composers Cuneiform Records artists Living people 20th-century American guitarists