Modern jazz composer and bassist Mark Wade is open to appreciating and co-creating great music in all its forms. Like Keith Jarrett, Wynton Marsalis and Esperanza Spaulding, he’s not limited by genre. His fourth album shows the breadth of his musicality and inventive compositional style. Called “a living work of modern art” by Downbeat Magazine, the original tracks found on his 2022 album True Stories were inspired by a wide range of influences, drawing on themes from composers such as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Igor Stravinsky. The result is a unique expression of jazz linking past to present. 

​Wade’s critical successes have led to him being named one of the top bassists of the year for five of the last six years in the Downbeat Magazine Reader’s Poll. He gained international recognition for his trio with the 2015 recording Event Horizon on Edition 46 Records and the 2018 follow up Moving Day on AMP Music & Records. In 2020 he launched a unique solo project – a visual album. Debuted online from the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music in Durban, South Africa, Songs from Isolation was released worldwide on AMP Music & Records.

As well as having reviewed a number of Mark’s album releases, I have also had the pleasure of hearing play live and can attest to how good a player and composer he is. I am delighted to hear that Mark will be appearing in the UK during the month of February at the following venues:

20th February he is in concert at Benslow Music, Hitchin

on the 21st and 22nd of February he will giving a master class also at Benslow Music, Hitchin

The 23rd of February sees him at Pizza Express in Dean Street, London

The final UK date is the 24th of February when he will be appearing at The Fisher Theatre in Bungay.

For the dates at The Fisher Theatre and Pizza Express Mark will be joined by tour de force pianist Marco Marconi and drummer Joel Barford, both fixtures of the London jazz scene. The Benslow Music event will be a duo performance with Marco Marconi.