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 at

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

from 1971 to 1974, then at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

's School of Music from 1974 to 1976. He teaches at

Sarah Lawrence College Sarah Lawrence College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Yonkers, New York. The college models its approach to education after the Supervision system, Oxford/Cambridge system of one-on-one student-faculty tutorials. Sara ...

The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

, and SIM (School for Improvised Music). 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. Helias has also performed with members of

Ornette Coleman Randolph Denard Ornette Coleman (March 9, 1930 – June 11, 2015) was an American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer known as a principal founder of the free jazz genre, a term derived from his 1960 album '' Free Jazz: A Colle ...

's band, Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, and

Ed Blackwell Edward Joseph Blackwell (October 10, 1929 – October 7, 1992) was an American jazz drummer born in New Orleans, Louisiana, known for his extensive, influential work with Ornette Coleman. Biography Blackwell's early career began in New Orleans ...

, and with musicians affiliated with the 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 Ellery Eskelin (born August 16, 1959) is an American tenor saxophonist raised in Baltimore, Maryland and residing in New York City. His parents, Rodd Keith and Bobbie Lee, were both professional musicians. Rodd Keith died in 1974 in Los Angeles, ...

, then

Tony Malaby Tony Malaby (born January 12, 1964) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Malaby was born in Tucson, Arizona. He moved to New York City in 1995 and played with several notable jazz groups, including Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, ...

on tenor saxophone and

Tom Rainey Tom Rainey (born 1957) is an American jazz drummer. Career After attending Berklee College of Music he moved to New York in 1979. He has played with Tim Berne, Nels Cline, Drew Gress, Mark Helias, Fred Hersch, Tony Malaby, Simon Nabatov, T ...

on drums.

Recognition/Awards

*2010 -

American Composers Orchestra The American Composers Orchestra (ACO) is an American orchestra administratively based in New York City, specialising in contemporary American music. The ACO gives concerts at various concert venues in New York City, including: * Zankel Hall at ...

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 Enja Records is a German jazz record company and label based in Munich which was founded by jazz enthusiasts Matthias Winckelmann and Horst Weber in 1971. The label's first release was by Mal Waldron, and early releases included European and Ja ...

, 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 Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret (name), Margaret. Notable Marges include: People *Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist *Marge Anderson (1932� ...

, 2011) * ''Strange Unison'' (Radio Legs, 2008) * ''Atomic Clock'' (Radio Legs, 2006) * ''Verbs of Will'' (Radio Legs, 2004) * ''New School'' (Enja, 2001)

replaces Eskelin * ''Come Ahead Back...'' ( E1/Koch Jazz, 1998) with

and

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 Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism. Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ' ...

, Alex Maguire, and Han Bennink *''White Widow'' (Ramboy, 2001) With Mark Dresser *''The Marks Brothers'' (

De Werf De Werf was an arts center and jazz record label (W.E.R.F.) in Bruges, Belgium. In 2002, the label released an eleven-CD box set titled ''The Finest of Belgian Jazz'', with music by Greetings from Mercury, Aka Moon, Brussels Jazz Orchestra, and ...

, 2000) With Daniele D'Agaro and U.T. Gandhi *''Gentle Ben'' (Nota, 1999) With

Christy Doran Christy Doran (born 1949) is a jazz guitarist born in Dublin, Ireland, and raised in Lucerne, Switzerland. Doran founded OM with Fredy Studer, Urs Leimgruber, and Bobby Burri in the 1970s; this ensemble recorded for ECM. He and Studer also wo ...

, 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 Clean may refer to: * Cleaning, the process of removing unwanted substances, such as dirt, infectious agents, and other impurities, from an object or environment * Cleanliness, the state of being clean and free from dirt Arts and media Music A ...

, 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 Ralph Alessi (born March 5, 1963) is an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and ECM recording artist. Alessi is known as a virtuosic performer whose critically-acclaimed projects include his Baida Quartet, with Jason Moran, Drew Gress, and Nashee ...

and Modular Theatre *''Open Season'' (RKM Music, 2008) With Barry Altschul *''Irina'' (

Soul Note Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History Black S ...

, 1983) *''Brahma'' ( Sackville, 1980) *'' Somewhere Else'' (

Moers Music Moers Music is a German jazz record label that was founded by Burkhard Hennen in Moers, Germany. The label started in 1974 under the name Ring but was changed three years later due to a conflict with a Canadian record label that had the same name. ...

, 1979) With Ray Anderson *''Wishbone'' ( Justin Time, 1991) *''Right Down Your Alley'' (Soul Note, 1984) With the

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 Jane Ira Bloom (born January 12, 1955) is an American jazz soprano saxophonist and composer. Early years Bloom was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Joel and Evelyn Bloom. She began as a pianist and drummer, later switching to the alto saxophon ...

*'' Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickenson'' (Outline, 2017) *''

Early Americans ''Early Americans'' is a studio album by American jazz saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom. The album was released on May 13, 2016, by Outline Records label. This is her 16th album as a band leader. The album received the Grammy Award for Best Immersive A ...

'' (Outline, 2016) *'' Wingwalker'' (Outline, 2011) *''

Mental Weather ''Mental Weather'' is a studio album by american jazz saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom. The album was released on January 30, 2008 by Outline Records label. Reception Mike Shanley of ''JazzTimes'' commented, "Mental Weather begins and ends delicately, ...

'' (Outline, 2008) With Anthony Braxton *'' Six Compositions: Quartet'' (

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

, 1982) *''

Quintet (Basel) 1977 ''Quintet (Basel) 1977'' is an album by the American composer and saxophonist Anthony Braxton, recorded in Switzerland in 1977 but not released on the Hathut Records, hatOLOGY label until 2000.

'' (

hatOLOGY Hathut Records is a Swiss record company and label founded by Werner Xavier Uehlinger in 1974 that specializes in jazz and classical music. The name of the label comes from the artwork of Klaus Baumgartner. Hathut encompasses the labels hat ART, ...

, 2001) With Don Cherry *'' Live at the Bracknell Jazz Festival, 1986'' (BBC, 2002) With

Marilyn Crispell Marilyn Crispell (born March 30, 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Scott Yanow described her as "a powerful player... who has her own way of using space... She is near the top of her field." Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrot ...

*'' Storyteller'' (

ECM ECM may refer to: Economics and commerce * Engineering change management * Equity capital markets * Error correction model, an econometric model * European Common Market Mathematics * Elliptic curve method * European Congress of Mathematics ...

, 2003) With

Franco D'Andrea Francesco "Franco" D'Andrea (born 8 March 1941 in Merano, Italy) is an Italian jazz pianist and composer. Life D'Andrea is considered one of the most famous jazz musicians from Italy and has recorded some 200 albums. He developed his style in ...

*''Sei brani inediti'' (

Red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

, 1991) *''No Idea of Time'' (Red, 1984) *''My One and Only Love'' (Red, 1983) With

Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis is an eight-time NB ...

*''

Song for the Old World ''Song for the Old World'' is an album by pianist and composer Anthony Davis recorded in 1978 for the India Navigation label.Fitzgerald, M. & Ziegler, F.India Navigation Records List accessed November 2, 2015 Reception Allmusic awarded the albu ...

'' (

India Navigation India Navigation was an American record company and independent record label that specialized in avant-garde jazz in the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded by Bob Cummins, a corporate lawyer who helped jazz musicians with legal matters. Its catalogu ...

, 1978) With

Benoît Delbecq Benoît Delbecq (born 6 June 1966) is a French pianist and composer. Early life Benoît Delbecq was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and raised in a musical environment. He started studying piano in Bougival at the age of seven with Nicolle Moll ...

Unit *Benoît Delbecq and

Fred Hersch Fred Hersch (born October 21, 1955) is an American jazz pianist, educator and HIV/AIDS activist. He was the first person to play weeklong engagements as a solo pianist at the Village Vanguard in New York City. He has recorded more than 70 of his ...

Double Trio - ''Fun House'' (Songlines, 2013) *''Phonetics'' (Songlines, 2005) With

Paul Dunmall Paul Dunmall (born 6 May 1953) is a British jazz musician who plays tenor and soprano saxophone, as well as the baritone and the more exotic saxello and the Northumbrian smallpipes. He has played with Keith Tippett and Barry Guy. In the early ...

Sun Quartet *''Ancient and Future Airs'' (Clean Feed, 2009) With

Marty Ehrlich Marty Ehrlich (born May 31, 1955) is a multi-instrumentalist (saxophones, clarinets, flutes) and is considered one of the leading figures in avant-garde jazz. Biography Though born in St. Paul, Minnesota, the portion of Ehrlich's youth spent in ...

*''The Long View'' (Enja, 2002) *Dark Woods Ensemble – ''Sojourn'' (

Tzadik Tzadik ( he, צַדִּיק , "righteous ne, also ''zadik'', ''ṣaddîq'' or ''sadiq''; pl. ''tzadikim'' ''ṣadiqim'') is a title in Judaism given to people considered righteous, such as biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The ...

, 1999) *Dark Woods Ensemble – ''Live Wood'' (

Music & Arts Music & Arts is a classical and jazz record label founded in Berkeley, California by Frederick Maroth. It began in 1984 as a classical music label before adding jazz and world music. The catalog includes classical composers and musicians Milto ...

, 1997) *Dark Woods Ensemble – ''Just Before the Dawn'' (

New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...

, 1995) With Ricardo Gallo's Tierra de Nadie *''The Great Fine Line'' (Clean Feed, 2011) With

Dennis González Dennis González, often credited Dennis Gonzalez (August 15, 1954March 15, 2022), was an American jazz trumpeter, artist, and educator from Texas. He hosted ''Miles Out'' on KERA-FM for over twenty years. Early life González was born in Abilen ...

NY Quartet *''Dance of the Soothsayer's Tongue (Live at Tonic)'' (Clean Feed, 2007) *''NY Midnight Suite'' (Clean Feed, 2004) With

Jerome Harris Jerome Harris (born April 5, 1953) is an American jazz musician specializing in electric and acoustic bass guitar, electric guitar, voice, and occasionally lap steel and small percussion. He came to prominence in 1978 playing bass guitar and gui ...

*''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, 1991) With Joe Lovano *''

Rush Hour A rush hour (American English, British English) or peak hour (Australian English) is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice every weekday: on ...

'' ( Blue Note, 1994) With

*''Bering'' (Ramboy, 1998) *''Chicoutimi'' (Ramboy, 1994) *''Home Game'' (Ramboy, 1992) With

Simon Nabatov Simon Nabatov (born 11 January 1959) is a Russian-American jazz pianist. Early life Nabatov was born in Moscow on 11 January 1959. His parents were Leon, a professional pianist and choir conductor who was a native of Belarus, and Regina. Nabatov ...

*''The Master and Margarita'' ( Leo, 2001) *''Tough Customer'' (Enja, 1993) With Operazone ( Bill Laswell- Alan Douglas- Karl Berger-Project) *''The Redesign'' (

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United States. The Knitting Factory gave its audience poetry readings, perform ...

, 2000) With

Jim Pepper Jim Gilbert Pepper II (June 18, 1941 – February 10, 1992) was a jazz saxophonist, composer and singer of Kaw and Muscogee Creek Native American heritage. He moved to New York City in 1964, where he came to prominence in the late 1960s as a mem ...

*''

Comin' and Goin' ''Comin' and Goin is the second album led by Native Americans in the United States, Native American saxophonist and composer Jim Pepper recorded in 1983 and first released on the French Europa label.Bobby Previte *''Music of the Moscow Circus'' ( Gramavision, 1991) With Enrico Rava *''Flat Fleet'' (Philology, 2005) With Dewey Redman *'' The Struggle Continues'' (ECM, 1982) *'' Musics'' (

Galaxy A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...

, 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, 2016) With

Samo Šalamon Samo Šalamon (born October 9, 1978, in Maribor, Slovenia) is a Slovenian jazz composer, guitarist, and band leader. He has performed on over 35 releases and is credited with over 140 compositions. Biography Salamon started playing the guitar ...

*''Government Cheese'' ( Fresh Sound New Talent, 2007; rec. 2004) *''Two Hours'' (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2006; rec. 2004) With Dave Schnitter *''Glowing'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

, 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