Mark Wade
Biography Mark Wade
Mark Wade
Voted one of the top bassists of 2016, 2018, and 2019 by the prestigious Downbeat Magazine Reader's Poll, Mark Wade has been an active bassist in the New York City area for over 20 years. His 2015 debut album Event Horizon and 2018 follow up Moving Day were released to international acclaim. The albums received great critical reviews from a host of domestic and international publications such as Downbeat Magazine, Jazz In Europe, Cadence Magazine, Something Else Reviews, The New York City Jazz Record, All About Jazz, Jazz Life (Japan), and several others. Wade has received several features and interviews about his recordings and was commissioned by Downbeat Magazine to write a master class article for its July 2015 and August 2018 issues. Noted UK jazz journalist and author Sammy Stein featured Wade in her 2017 book All That's Jazz. Wade has been signed by Edition 46 Records (Berlin).
From May 2013 to May 2014, Wade served as an Artist In Residence at Flushing Town Hall where his ensemble, the Mark Wade Trio, was presented in concert on a number of occasions. In 2012, Wade performed with jazz great Jimmy Heath as part of his “Four Black Immortals” East Coast tour. He has played with other notable jazz artists such as James Spaulding, Eddie Palmieri, Conrad Herwig, Harry Whitaker, Pete McGuinness, Peter Eldridge, Don Byron, and he appeared on The Today Show with Stacey Kent. He also performs regularly with the New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra led by trumpeter Bill Warfield. In 2006 and 2007, Wade was a featured jazz artist at the Natchez Music Festival. Wade has performed in several notable New York City venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, The Iridium, and from 1997 to 1999 he appeared weekly at Birdland.
As an orchestral player, Wade performed with the Key West Symphony for the 2000-2001 season that included concerts with Grammy Award winners Sharon Isbin and Robert McDuffie. In 2012, Wade played in the “Beyond Cage” festival with the Orchestra of the S.E.M. and the Janacek Philharmonic (Czech Republic) at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. Other classical credits include the Orchestra of the Bronx, Bronx Opera, DiCapo Opera, the Antara Ensemble, Light Opera of New York, and several others.
Wade is a faculty member of the jazz program at Lehigh University. He is also a New York Pops Teaching Artist.
Mark Wade is the founder and director of New Music Horizons, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the work of emerging jazz and classical composers.
