Mark Egan

American Mark Egan is one of the premier contemporary jazz bassists. His electric fretless bass, often played as a lead instrument, offers a sound that's airy, edgeless, and intensely melodic. A founding member of the Pat Metheny Group from 1977 to 1981, he and PMG drummer Danny Gottlieb formed Elements after leaving. Their eponymous debut appeared in 1982. Egan released Mosaic, his leader debut, in 1985. Elements released three bestselling albums -- Illumination, Liberal Arts, and Spirit River -- for RCA's Novus between 1988 and 1991 and split after 1996's Untold Stories. The bassist's Freedom Town appeared in 2001 and was followed by 2006's As We Speak. The star-studded Truth Be Told appeared in 2010, and in 2013, he led a power trio for Unit 1. 2018's Dreaming Spirits, a collaboration with drummer Arjun Bruggeman, also featured guitarist Shane Theriot. Two years later, Egan and Gottlieb released the duo effort Electric Blue. In 2024, Egan, guitarist Theriot, and Saturday Night Live drummer Shawn Pelton released the groove jazz collaboration Cross Currents. Further, Egan has done much soundtrack work. His playing has appeared in the soundtracks and scores of close to a dozen movies, including Two Moon Junction, The Color of Money, and A Chorus Line. Egan was born in Brockton, Massachusetts. Under influence from his father, he began studying trumpet and guitar at age ten. He picked up a bass at age 15 and added it to his arsenal. He studied trumpet formally and played in school bands and orchestras until high school graduation. He enrolled in the University of Miami's Frost School of Music, initially as a trumpet student, studying jazz. He switched from trumpet to bass partway through the program. While in Miami, he also became friends and performed with Ira Sullivan, Pat Metheny, Danny Gottlieb, and Clifford Carter. His teachers included Jaco Pastorius, Dave Holland, and Andy LaVerne. While in school, he formed a band with fellow U of M students Carter, Hiram Bullock, Billy Bowker, and Phyllis Hyman. They traveled to New York in 1976. Though the band didn't accomplish much, its individuals did, and Egan got work touring with the Pointer Sisters and Deodato. In 1977, Egan played on recordings by David Matthews (the iconic fusion set Dune), Walter Bishop Jr. (Soul Village), and David Sanborn (Promise Me The Moon). He famously joined former schoolmate Gottlieb, UM keyboardist Lyle Mays, and Berklee College of Music graduate Metheny in the Pat Metheny Group. They released two bestselling ECM studio efforts: the eponymous album in 1978 and American Garage in 1979. That year, Egan also played on recordings by Jackie Mclean, David Matthews, Steve Grossman, and Sonny Fortune. After leaving the Metheny band in 1981, Egan played sessions by Gil Goldstein, Mark Murphy, and Michael Franks. In 1982, he and Gottlieb formed Elements and issued an eponymous debut album for Philo. In 1983, they followed with the 12" single "Starward" for Antilles. The following year, he joined saxophonist Bill Evans on his Musician debut, Living in the Crest of a Wave, and appeared on both volumes of Gil Evans & Monday Night Orchestra's Live at Sweet Basil. Most importantly, however, Egan and Gottlieb released Forward Motion, Elements' Antilles debut. The duo were accompanied by Evans and Carter. Following a short tour, Egan returned to session work in 1985, famously playing on Franks' Skin Dive and releasing his first solo album, Mosaic, on Hip Pocket Records via A&M. His band on the session included Carter, Gottlieb, Manolo Badrena, and Mitchel Forman. He also appeared on So Red the Rose by Arcadia, Hanalei Bay by Lew Soloff, and Three Way Mirror by Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, and Joe Farrell. In 1986, Egan joined guitarist Mike Stern on Upside Downside. Elements (Egan, Gottlieb, Evans, Carter, and guitarist Joe Cano) recorded an original score and soundtrack for director Stephen Hopkins' Blown Away, starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones. The following year, Egan played on Gottlieb's leader debut, Aquamarine, Sting's Nothing Like the Sun, and saxophonist David Liebman's Homage to John Coltrane. In 1987, Elements signed to RCA's Novus and the following year released Illumination, arguably their finest and bestselling album. In addition to the quartet, veteran guitarists Steve Khan and Stan Samole alternated on several tunes. Its single "Himalayas" charted simultaneously on smooth jazz and new age radio. Though the group toured, Egan was frequently back in studio playing on recordings by everyone from Joe Beck and Tania Maria to Terumasa Hino and Sting. Egan released Touch of Light for GRP in 1988, backed by Gil Goldstein and his Elements bandmates. Speaking of the latter, Elements released Liberal Arts for Novus in 1989, with Goldstein and all three guitarists who'd worked with them previously: Canon, Khan, and Samole. The album went Top Ten on the smooth jazz charts. Egan was working quite hard as a session player, too. In 1989 alone, in addition to Elements, he appeared on Gottlieb's Whirlwind, Laurie Anderson's Strange Angels, Airto's Struck By Lightning, David Van Tieghem's Strange Cargo, Toninho Horta's Moonstone, and Rory Block's Turning Point. After dozens of sessions and working several tours, Egan released Beyond Words, his second solo album, in 1991 for Bluemoon. The core quartet -- Egan, Evans, Gottlieb, and Carter -- was supported by percussionists Badrena, Don Alias, and Gordon Gottlieb, with Horta and Khan on guitars. He toured on his own and with Elements in 1992 and played on albums by Sophie B. Hawkins, Jim Hall, and Maureen McGovern. The following year, he joined Airto's all-star Gods of Jazz to issue the late fusion classic Killer Bees. Elements, as a quartet with saxophonist Mann and keyboardist Goldstein, released two live albums on Egan's Wavetone label, titled Far East, Vol. 1 and Far East, Vol. 2. Following 1996's Untold Stories, the final Elements studio album, Egan returned to session work. In 2000, Egan recorded Without a Doubt as part of an equi-billed quartet with flutist Frank Wess, guitarist Frank Vignola, and drummer Joe Ascione. The bassist issued his own Freedom Town on Wavetone in 2002. His all-star band included the Elements group, trumpeter Soloff, and acoustic guitarist Jeff Ciampa. Intensely lyrical and atmospheric, the set charted in contemporary jazz. In 2003, he and Gottlieb joined pianist Jeff Laibson on the trio recording Thelonious Bach's Lunch. Egan worked stages and studios with many musicians over the next several years. In 2006, he returned with As We Speak, a glorious blowing session of original compositions with Gottlieb and guitarist John Abercrombie. He didn't issue another recording under his own name until 2010's charting Truth Be Told with Forman, Evans, and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. After working on Michael Franks' Time Together in 2011, the bassist toured with him and, upon returning, traveled to Europe to record Magic Brewery as part of the Wolfgang Lackerschmid Connection, led by the German vibraphonist with drummer Karl Latham. Later that year, Egan recruited the drummer and guitarist John Hart for the power trio session Unit 1. He also played on Melody Magic in trio with guitarists Vignola and Vinny Raniolo. In 2014, Egan played on records by Krishna Das and Latham and released About Now, a funky fusion date with Gottlieb and Forman. The following year, Egan and the same trio released Direction Home, and in 2016, he, with Latham and Vic Juris, issued Living Standards. Further, he toured with the Jane Getter Premonition and appeared on their 2017 live album, On Tour. In 2018, he joined veteran keyboardist/composer Adam Holzman (Getter's spouse) on the latter's Truth Decay. Egan and drummer Arjun Bruggeman released the scorching world fusion trio date Dreaming Spirits, with guitarist Shane Theriot. Following a tour and session work, Egan and Gottlieb released Electric Blue in 2020, their first duo outing in decades; it became one of the most critically acclaimed albums by either man. Given the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, they were unable to support it by touring. In 2021, Egan returned to work with the Jane Getter Premontion on the studio album Anomalia. He joined Steve Cole's studio ensemble for Smoke And Mirrors, and in 2023, was part of the enormous studio group that recorded Luiz Milian's beloved Brazilian Match. In March 2024, Egan released Cross Currents on Wavetone, a studio collaboration with Potent Trio with veteran Saturday Night Live drummer Shawn Pelton and veteran New Orleans guitarist Theriot (Neville Brothers, Dr. John, etc.).
© Thom Jurek /TiVo