Mark is one of the most original and distinctive electric guitarists today. His improvising is always compelling, continually inventive and melodically uplifting. His guitar playing is steeped in the language of jazz, with influences such as John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett and Jan Garbarek as well as rock players such as Jimi Hendrix.
Other often eclectic influences such as Indian, Japanese and African music also feature strongly in Mark’s playing. These influences are fused with jazz and western classical music, and seamlessly integrated into a unique and highly distinctive musical voice. On his CD Fallen Cities, he collaborated with Lebanese singer Samia Afra, and continued his interest in non-western forms, working and performing with Turkish musicians such as Gökhan Özyavuz in Istanbul as well as Zambian musician KT Lumpa.
Mark’s interest in music technology came to the fore when he was asked to join ResRocket, a band made upof respected musicians from around the world who, using ground breaking software, played together live over the internet. As a core member of ResRocket Mark played with such lumaniries as Peter Gabriel, Tricky, Matt Black, Dave Stuart and Todd Rundgren. As well as recording an album, the band toured playing London, Paris, LA, Oslo and elsewhere. During concerts some of the members were on stage while others played live over the internet projected on giant screens on stage. Almost every aspect of this band was a “world first”, truly ground breaking on every level.
As a jazz guitarist Mark has played widely in Europe and has just released his fifth CD, Guitar Encryptions on the Dark Energy Muisc label (Also available for download on iTunes, Napster and Rhapsody).
Composition
His compositions were recently the subject of a lecture at Goldsmiths College London to mark the opening of its new Contemporary Music Department and have also been featured in lectures and workshops at Trinity College of Music London and Dartington College of Arts music department.
The growing interest in his work has led to commissions for the BMIC’s Cutting Edge Series, SPNM’s Sound Source, the European Commission funded Waterways Celebration, Jane Chapman, Elaine Funaro, Geoffrey Burgess, McFall’s Chamber and others. Mark is quickly establishing himself as a new and unique composing voice in the U.K.
Teaching
Mark has been teaching for over 10 years both privately (as one of the foremost electric guitar teachers in the East of England) and in workshops with both small and large groups of students.
Mark recently gave a workshop at the prestigious Trinity College of Music in London, has co-written a lecture for Goldsmiths College London to mark the opening of its new Contemporary Music Department and plans to give a workshop at Dartington College of Arts music department next year.
History
Mark grew up in America, playing in bands from an early age in Boston. He then moved to England, playing in bands in Bristol and London. His developing jazz interests soon took him to Europe where he gained considerable experience as composer and performer with jazz group SMQ. Playing around Europe with his band Scapetrace, Mark also spent time studying western and non-western classical forms, developing further a long standing interest in Indian, African and Japanese music. Mark now splits his time between playing in Europe with Scapetrace, working as a contemporary composer in the U.K. and his two projects with Jane Chapman and René von Grünig.
Mark has received accolades from:
Aric Rubin (writer from Guitar Player Magazine’s Master Series).
Jon Finn (Senior guitar instructor at Berklee School of Music Boston U.S.)
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