Mark Helias
A versatile bassist with a particular flair for the avant-garde, Mark Helias is also an underappreciated composer, and no slouch with a funk groove either. Helias was born in Brunswick, N.J., in 1950, and didn't begin playing bass until age 20; however, he wound up studying music at Yale, graduating in 1976. In 1977, he formed BassDrumBone with trombonist Ray Anderson and drummer Gerry Hemingway, and began appearing as a sideman on albums by the likes of Anthony Braxton, Dewey Redman, Barry Altschul, and Anthony Davis. In 1981, Helias co-founded the free funk ensemble Slickaphonics with Anderson, and contributed a significant number of compositions to the group's repertoire. Helias' first album as a leader came for Enja in 1984 with Split Image. In 1985, he co-founded the world-fusion group Nu, along with Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell, Carlos Ward, and Nana Vasconcelos. The group split in 1987 and Helias recorded his second album, The Current Set; it was followed by Desert Blue two years later. In addition, Helias performed as a sideman with (among others) Cecil Taylor, Muhal Richard Abrams, Oliver Lake, and Mose Allison, not to mention the J.B. Horns. In 1992, Helias recorded the quartet/quintet album Attack the Future and had his composition "Upside the Downside" premiered by the String Trio of New York. 1994 brought Loopin' the Cool, his last major studio project for several years. During the late '90s, Helias formed a trio called Open Loose, which initially featured drummer Tom Rainey and Ellery Eskelin on tenor; they debuted on 1998's Come Ahead Back, his first album not released by Enja. In 1999, Tony Malaby replaced Eskelin (captured on the 2000 live recording New School), and Gerald Cleaver began taking Rainey's place at times. In addition, Helias also performed in a duo with fellow bassist Mark Dresser.
© Steve Huey /TiVo
Diskografie
18 Album, -en • Geordnet nach Bestseller
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No Idea of Time
Franco D'Andrea, Barry Altschul, Mark Helias, Tino Tracanna
Jazz - Erschienen bei Red records am 01.01.1983
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
No Difference
Jazz - Erschienen bei Songlines am 08.10.2013
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Fictionary (Live)
Jazz - Erschienen bei GM Recordings am 01.01.1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Recoder
François Houle 4, Gordon Grdina, Mark Helias, Gerry Hemingway
Jazz - Erschienen bei Songlines am 21.08.2020
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Courtepointe (Live at the Sunside)
Sophia Domancich, Mark Helias, Andrew Cyrille
Jazz - Erschienen bei Futura Marge - Atypeek Music am 15.07.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Skin and Bones
Matthew Shipp, Mark Helias, Gordon Grdina
Free Jazz & Avantgarde - Erschienen bei NotTwo am 27.01.2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Current Set
Jazz - Erschienen bei ENJA RECORDS Matthias Winckelmann am 01.01.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Signal Maker
Mark Helias Open Loose, Mark Helias, Tony Malaby, Tom Rainey
Jazz - Erschienen bei Intakt Records am 02.03.2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blessed
Modern Jazz - Erschienen bei Origin Records am 16.07.2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Explicit
Mark Helias, Tony Malaby, Tom Rainey
Jazz - Erschienen bei Futura Marge - Atypeek Music am 11.04.2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Loopin' the Cool
Jazz - Erschienen bei ENJA RECORDS Matthias Winckelmann am 02.01.1999
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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It Takes All Kinds
Jon Irabagon, Mark Helias, Barry Altschul
Modern Jazz - Erschienen bei Jazzwerkstatt am 01.12.1987
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Desert Blue
Jazz - Erschienen bei ENJA RECORDS Matthias Winckelmann am 01.01.1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ancient And Future Airs
Paul Dunmall, Tony Malaby, Kevin Norton, Mark Helias
Jazz - Erschienen bei Clean Feed am 26.02.2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Canyamel [single]
François Houle 4, Gordon Grdina, Mark Helias, Gerry Hemingway
Jazz - Erschienen bei Songlines am 31.07.2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Drop Dogs
Rodrigo Dominguez, Mark Helias, Hernan Hecht
Jazz - Erschienen bei S-Music am 13.11.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo