Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He started playing the double bass at the age of 20, and studied with Homer Mensch at Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then at Yale School of Music from 1974 to 1976. He teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, The New School, and SIM (School for Improvised Music). Helias has performed with a wide variety of musicians, first and foremost with trombonist Ray Anderson, with whom he led the ironic 1980s avant-funk band Slickaphonics, and a trio with Gerry Hemingway on drums, formed in the late 1970s, later named BassDrumBone. Helias has also performed with members of Ornette Coleman's band, Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, and Ed Blackwell, and with musicians affiliated with the AACM, such as Anthony Braxton and Muhal Richard Abrams. Since 1984 Mark Helias has released twelve recordings under his own name and further albums leading the archetypal improvising trio Open Loose since the late 1990s. The group comprises Helias on bass, first Ellery Eskelin, then Tony Malaby on tenor saxophone and Tom Rainey on drums.

Recognition/Awards

Discography

As leader

With Open Loose

Collaborations

Duo with Jane Ira Bloom With Sophia Domancich and Andrew Cyrille With Terrence McManus and Gerry Hemingway With Michael Moore, Alex Maguire, and Han Bennink With Mark Dresser With Daniele D'Agaro and U.T. Gandhi With Christy Doran, Bobby Previte, Gary Thomas With Slickaphonics With Ray Anderson and Gerry Hemingway a.k.a. BassDrumBone

As sideman

With Ralph Alessi and Modular Theatre With Barry Altschul With Ray Anderson With the Ed Blackwell Project With Jane Ira Bloom With Anthony Braxton With Don Cherry With Marilyn Crispell With Franco D'Andrea With Anthony Davis With Benoît Delbecq Unit With Paul Dunmall Sun Quartet With Marty Ehrlich With Ricardo Gallo's Tierra de Nadie With Dennis González NY Quartet With Jerome Harris With Gerry Hemingway With Peter Herborn With David Lopato With Joe Lovano With Michael Moore With Simon Nabatov With Operazone (Bill Laswell-Alan Douglas-Karl Berger-Project) With Jim Pepper With Bobby Previte With Enrico Rava With Dewey Redman With Joe Rosenberg With Roswell Rudd and Heather Masse With Samo Šalamon With Dave Schnitter