Mark Helias 's biography |  United States

Biography

Bassist and composer Mark Helias was born in the United States in 1950. Having studied with Homer Mensch at the universities of Rutgers and Yale, he began his professional career in Antony Braxton Quartet in 1977. He has played with Edward Blackwell, Anthony Davis, Dewey Redman, Ray Anderson, Don Cherry and Gerry Hemingway. He has recorded eleven albums since 1984: Split Image, The Current Set (1987), Desert Blue (1989), Attack The Future (1992), Loopin’ the Cool (1995), Fictionary (1998), Come Ahead Back (1998) New School (2001), Verbs of Will (2004), Atomic Clock (2006) and Strange Unison (2009). He has also written music for two films, as well as chamber pieces and works for large ensembles and big bands. He has also produced many recordings for other artists, for he labels Gramavision, Enja, New World, Sound Aspects and Avant/DIW. His trio Open Loose, with Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey, has become a quintessential improvising ensemble on the New York scene. Currently, while still playing with Bassdrumbone, a three-decade long ensemble with Gerry Hemingway and Ray Anderson, Helias performs solo double-bass concerts and is part of The Marks Brothers, a double bass duo with his colleague Mark Dresser. At the same time, he works extensively as a teacher at Sarah Lawrence College, The New School and the School for Improvised Music.