Whether on stage or in the classroom, Mark Wade’s influence continues to expand and shape the sound and stories of contemporary jazz.
Mark Wade’s 2026 release New Stages (Dot Time Records) marks both a new album and a turning point in the creative evolution of the Michigan-born bassist and composer, whose musical journey began at the age of fourteen. Wade is a five-time finalist for DownBeat Magazine’s Bassist of the Year, and has earned acclaim as one of modern jazz’s most distinctive and forward-looking musicians.
The New York City-based artist blends technical mastery with emotional depth, and his virtuosic command of acoustic and electric bass bridges influences in jazz, classical, and contemporary music.
New Stages captures that ongoing evolution with a bold step forward that reimagines the architecture of classical compositions through the lens of a modern jazz trio. Drawing from a wide range of works across the classical spectrum, it is an expansive exploration of sound, composition, and collaboration.
Wade first gained international recognition with his album Event Horizon (2015) and continued with Moving Day (2018), Songs from Isolation (2020), and True Stories (2022), which was hailed by DownBeat as “a living work of modern art.”
Wade has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland, and The Blue Note in New York and tours internationally every year. He has collaborated with icons such as Gary Bartz, Eddie Palmieri, and Jimmy Heath. Beyond performance, he directs New Music Horizons, supporting emerging composers, and teaches jazz at Lehigh University.
