Mark Wade Music Reviews

PRESS & REVIEWS

Here is a list of album reviews from the US press. Click on each one to read the full review. There is also a list of international reviews available. A selection of features and interviews can be found here.

REVIEWS FOR NEW STAGES (2026)

DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

4.5 star review, Editor's Pick: 'The album draws from a variety of classical sources, spanning the baroque to the contemporary, and incorporates Wade’s own compositional ideas and personal perspectives — resulting in something completely new and utterly satisfying.'

PARIS MOVE

'Mark Wade reimagines the Double Bass in a luminous, genre-defying jazz statement...What ultimately defines the album is its commitment to beauty over artifice, to substance over display. Wade’s writing is guided by intention at every turn. His compositions serve not just the instrument, but the music as a whole: its narrative, its atmosphere, its emotional core.'

SOMETHING ELSE (US)

'The trio has a chemistry developed since 2013 that’s evident

throughout. The performances feel spontaneous yet carefully shaped, balancing composed structure with improvisational freedom. New Stages succeeds because it treats classical music not as a museum piece but as raw material for jazz creativity.'

SKOPE MAGAZINE

'By distilling centuries of musical thought into the fluid immediacy of the trio format, Mark Wade has crafted a work that feels both reverent and refreshingly original.'

REVIEWS FOR TRUE STORIES (2022)

DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE

'Mark Wade has advanced the art of jazz composition...Wade finds a new way forward with True Stories, a living work of modern art.'

MIDWEST RECORDS

'A stand up bass player that's Christian McBride good, Eldee Young good, serves up his forth record by serving up a straight ahead session that just plain slams it out of the park...Killer stuff throughout.'

THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

'The Mark Wade Trio will undoubtedly be major players on the jazz scene for some time.'

JAZZ WEEKLY

'Such is the brilliance of bassist/composer Mark Wade, who brings his team of pianist Tim Harrison and drummer Scott Neumann to weave together thoughts from musical giants with his own to form a Raphaelesque tapestry of musical charms.'

CAROL BANKS WEBER

'Jazz never sounded so consciously, ennobly inspired'

SOMETHING ELSE

'..an album which is equally bold in concept and execution..I could listen to this one all day.'

LA JAZZ SCENE

'Throughout the set, the close interplay by the trio (Wade is well worth listening to even during the piano solos) and the subtle surprises uplift True Stories above the level of most trio sessions.'

ALTERED JAZZ EXPERIMENT

'...novice and enthusiasts alike are likely to agree with each listen will recognize the substance, maturity, and ascension of bassist-composer Mark Wade’s rousing voice.'

JAZZ2LOVE

'Wade exhibits a frolicking nature along the recording, continuously shifting the dynamics, moving effortlessly from being somber like in "Song with Orange and Other Things" to jovial like in "I Feel More Like I Do;" from being sedate and reflective like in "Falling Delores" to uplifting and vaunting like in "At the Sunside;" from being intense and introspective like in "The Soldier and the Fiddle" to laid-back and aplomb like in "A Simple Song."'

Songs From Isolation

REVIEWS FOR SONGS FROM ISOLATION (2020)

All ABOUT JAZZ

'Songs From Isolation isn't under any form of lockdown. Wade's solo work is out there in the wider world now, lending more strength to his reputation as a first-class bassist.'

SOMETHING ELSE REVIEWS

'Forgoing the trio format, Wade includes five selections performed solely by him on electric or acoustic bass. A New York City resident, Wade put isolation in his residence to good use. What resulted was a fascinating blend of compositions which are as impressive as they are inspiring.'

FESTIVAL PEAK

'Wade plays electric and acoustic bass, including bowing to give off that trademark melancholy, a poetry of emotional motion…the musical equivalent of dreams come true.'

NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD

'This is a fun project with Wade's versatile bass playing always holding one's interest.'

NOUVEAUFLUX

'What I found interesting about Songs From Isolation is that Mark is utilizing the familiar tools for producing music spun by a rejuvenated vision, thoughtfulness, and purpose-driven by the spirit of creativity to comprise, compose, arrange, perform and produce fresh heartfelt musical ideas to break new ground.'

Moving Day Domestic Reviews