Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. He started playing the double bass at the age of 20, and studied with

Homer Mensch Homer Mensch (November 14, 1914 in Sussex, New Jersey – December 9, 2005 in Manhattan, New York) was a prominent classical bassist who was a former member of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the New York Pops, and the NBC ...

at Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then at Yale University's School of Music from 1974 to 1976. He teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, The New School, and SIM (School for Improvised Music). Helias has performed with a wide variety of musicians, first and foremost with trombonist Ray Anderson (musician), Ray Anderson, with whom he led the ironic 1980s Jazz-funk, avant-funk band Slickaphonics, and a trio with Gerry Hemingway on drums, formed in the late 1970s, later named BassDrumBone. Helias has also performed with members of Ornette Coleman's band, Don Cherry (jazz), Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, and Ed Blackwell, and with musicians affiliated with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, AACM, such as Anthony Braxton and Muhal Richard Abrams. 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. The group comprises Helias on bass, first Ellery Eskelin, then Tony Malaby on tenor saxophone and Tom Rainey on drums.

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 - New York Foundation for the Arts, 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 Records, 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 Records, Intakt, 2015) * ''Explicit – Live at the Sunset'' (Marge Records, 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 Music, 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 *''Transcendental Numbers'' (NoBusiness, 2011) With Michael Moore (saxophonist and clarinetist), 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 *''Gentle Ben'' (Nota, 1999) With Christy Doran, Bobby Previte, Gary Thomas (musician), Gary Thomas *''Corporate Art'' (JMT Records, 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 (musician), 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 Records, 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 *''Irina'' (Soul Note Records, Soul Note, 1983) *''Brahma'' (Sackville Records, Sackville, 1980) *''Somewhere Else (Barry Altschul album), Somewhere Else'' (Moers Music, 1979) With Ray Anderson (musician), Ray Anderson *''Wishbone'' (Justin Time Records, Justin Time, 1991) *''Right Down Your Alley'' (Soul Note, 1984) With the Ed Blackwell Project *''What It Is? Ed Blackwell Project Vol. 1'' (Enja, 1993) *''What It Be Like? Ed Blackwell Project Vol. 2'' (Enja, 1994) With Jane Ira Bloom *''Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickenson'' (Outline, 2017) *''Early Americans'' (Outline, 2016) *''Wingwalker (album), Wingwalker'' (Outline, 2011) *''Mental Weather'' (Outline, 2008) With Anthony Braxton *''Six Compositions: Quartet'' (Antilles Records, Antilles, 1982) *''Quintet (Basel) 1977'' (Hathut Records, hatOLOGY, 2001) With Don Cherry (trumpeter), Don Cherry *''Live at the Bracknell Jazz Festival, 1986'' (BBC, 2002) With Marilyn Crispell *''Storyteller (Marilyn Crispell album), Storyteller'' (ECM Records, ECM, 2003) With Franco D'Andrea *''Sei brani inediti'' (Red Records, Red, 1991) *''No Idea of Time'' (Red, 1984) *''My One and Only Love'' (Red, 1983) With Anthony Davis (composer), Anthony Davis *''Song for the Old World'' (India Navigation, 1978) 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 Records, Tzadik, 1999) *Dark Woods Ensemble – ''Live Wood'' (Music & Arts, 1997) *Dark Woods Ensemble – ''Just Before the Dawn'' (New World Records, 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 *''Algorithms'' (Minor, 1986) 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 Records, Enemy, 1991) With Joe Lovano *''Rush Hour (Joe Lovano album), Rush Hour'' (Blue Note Records, Blue Note, 1994) With Michael Moore (saxophonist and clarinetist), Michael Moore *''Bering'' (Ramboy, 1998) *''Chicoutimi'' (Ramboy, 1994) *''Home Game'' (Ramboy, 1992) With Simon Nabatov *''The Master and Margarita'' (Leo Records, Leo, 2001) *''Tough Customer'' (Enja, 1993) With Operazone (Bill Laswell-Alan Douglas (record producer), Alan Douglas-Karl Berger-Project) *''The Redesign'' (Knitting Factory, 2000) With Jim Pepper *''Comin' and Goin''' (Europa, 1983) With Bobby Previte *''Music of the Moscow Circus'' (Gramavision Records, Gramavision, 1991) With Enrico Rava *''Flat Fleet'' (Philology, 2005) With Dewey Redman *''The Struggle Continues (Dewey Redman album), The Struggle Continues'' (ECM, 1982) *''Musics (album), Musics'' (Galaxy Records, Galaxy, 1978) *''Soundsigns'' (Galaxy, 1978) With Joe Rosenberg *''Do What We Must Do'' (CIMP, 2002) With Roswell Rudd and Heather Masse * ''August Love Song'' (Red House Records, Red House, 2016) With Samo Šalamon *''Government Cheese'' (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2007; rec. 2004) *''Two Hours'' (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2006; rec. 2004) With David Schnitter, Dave Schnitter *''Glowing'' (Muse Records, Muse, 1981)

References

External links

Mark Helias official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Helias, Mark 1950 births Living people Musicians from New Brunswick, New Jersey American jazz double-bassists Male double-bassists American jazz composers American male jazz composers Sarah Lawrence College faculty Rutgers University alumni CIMP artists Enja Records artists Yale University alumni 21st-century double-bassists 21st-century American male musicians Intakt Records artists MNRK Music Group artists NoBusiness Records artists