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.'

2020

 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.'

2020

 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.'

2020

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.'

2020

MEDIUM (2018)

'From the painfully introspective “Something Of A Romance,” to “The Quarter's" playfully lighthearted, ode to New Orleans’ Second Line, Wade’s personalized tracks moved me, sometimes to smile, sometimes to tears. Moving Day represents the best of jazz: thoughtful, skilled, and full of heart.' 

 JAZZ DA GAMA (2018)

'One is immediately struck by his magnificent – even magisterial – tonal color, and his articulation is informed by a dark elegance that is easy to be seduced by...All in all this is an album where an almost heroic world of bass styling is evoked while also sculpting the trio sound with enormous skill and telling effect.'

CADENCE MAGAZINE (2018)

'Wade frames this music carefully for all 3 instruments and they are presented with a serious joy. These are not sketches but substantial efforts that make for meaty listening. Wade has an attractive woody sound to his (at times) cello-like bass. Harrison and Neumann are equally featured in the framework, a nice change from the usual piano trios. Wade has written some terrific originals. A subtle stunner.'

NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD (2018)

'This is Mark Wade's second outing and confirms expectations set by his debut, a step forward in terms of cohesion of the trio and the music contained therein. This is largely due to Wade's facility as a composer; each tune is built on introductions, different themes that at times take the form of proper movements, frequent meter changes and apt codas...one of the most interesting piano trio recordings of the year.'

NOTES ON JAZZ (2018)

'Wade's articulation is so strong, clear, and uplifting that even at its most boisterous you are carried away with its authenticity of feeling...To have a voice that is all your own is important, but just as important is that indefinable quality that allows you to magically make a connection with your audience. Wade seems to have found that happy medium.'

MIDWEST RECORDS (2018)

'Playing with the kind of telepathy that made Windham Hill and ECM records so hard to classify, this set is right in the spirit of those early NAC records. Modern jazz played with the kind of discipline that makes it real music as opposed to creativity for the sake of creativity, any set of solid adult ears will recognize this for the gem it is. Tasty stuff throughout.' 

ALL ABOUT JAZZ (2018)

'Mark Wade, pianist Tim Harrison, and drummer Scott Neumann always make clear what they mean to say and where they've chosen to go...Wade's work manages to connect on an emotional level while remaining true to its principles...The resultant music speaks to artistic sympathies, subtleties, and strength.'

LUCID CULTURE (2018)

'Majestic, Cinematic..."Another Night in Tunisia" is the familiar favorite chugging along over a series of rhythmic shifts: having just heard Dave Douglas completely radicalize the song, it’s impressive to hear how well this holds it own alongside it...Needless to say, compositions and a band this good would resonate with the crowds at Smalls and Jazz at Lincoln Center.'

 JAZZ TRAIL (2018)

'With an impressive command of his instrument, Wade takes his tightly-knit acoustic trio beyond stereotyped formulas or just simplistic reinterpretations of known songs. Moving Day is a dazzling testament to his evolving artistry, where inventiveness is on full display.'

NOUVEAUFLUX (2018)

'Mark Wade and his esteemed friends paint an attractive tapestry of eloquent pieces masterfully played and underscored with thoughtful precision and understanding of the language of jazz...I can appreciate the opportunity to submerge myself into the synergy, warmth, depth, and simplicity encompassed in the body of this unsurpassed palette of music.'

 THE JAZZ OWL (2018)

'It has to be said, I was hooked from the start and had to fight the impulse to just hit repeat over and over...The album, the trio, Mark Wade, none of them disappoint. In an album that started with bright hope, Moving Day leaves you with satisfied fulfillment and great, great joy.'

 JAZZ VIEWS (2018)

'Moving Day is another scintillating chapter added to the Mark Wade Trio’s oeuvre.  The Mark Wade Trio proves once more over the course of nine tunes that it is a special entity, and in the crowded landscape of New York jazz that it deserves to be in the upper pantheon of the scene with striking writing, and a trio that embodies the qualities of subtlety, inner dialogue, and oneness.'

ICON MAGAZINE (2018)

'Wade has an assertive style on acoustic bass—rippling and sinewy as befitting Buster Williams and Mike Richmond.  The surging “Wide Open” is an insistent somewhat modal-sounding piece...Wade’s rapid, dexterous solo practically dances in your head.  “Midnight in the Cathedral” is something of a game-changer — dense, ominous, and ruminating, it evokes the open-ended, questing character of Chick Corea’s acoustic trio work.  Watch this fellow and his trio.'

THE JAZZ PAGE (2018)

'Mark Wade’s Moving Day is the perfect blend of exploration, exposition and pure joy of playing. Whether its his own originals, which comprise the bulk of this effort, or a re-working of the couple of classic tunes on the effort, its fun listening to the inventiveness and artistry. The fluid ease of performance by the players reflects the overall feeling of the recording as whole. A fantastic production.'

L.A. JAZZ SCENE (2018)

'Even with the excellent bass playing, it is for Wade’s composing that Moving Day will probably be best remembered...the music tends to be episodic, evolves as it progresses, is full of subtle creativity, and features close interplay by the trio...Moving Day is the type of softly inventive jazz that grows in interest with each listen.'

 JAZZ WEEKLY (2018)

'Bassist Mark Wade teams with Tim Harrison/p and Scott Neuman/dr, using his instrument as a pulsating lead for this collection of originals and covers. The strings snap on the lithe title track, bop with delight on a swinging and creative take of “Another Night in Tunisia” and dance with Neuman’s cymbals on “Autumn Leaves.”  They show with each song reflective and holistic approach to interpretation and delivery. Creative currents.'

STACCATOFY (2018)

'...the heart and soul of the band is graceful and delivers a pulse that is agreeable and captivating. The three have a joy and ease of playing together, each of them brings their own unique playing style to create a unified sound over the course of nine tracks. The music is full of fascinating harmonies, melodies, and compositional techniques, but beauty is the theme here.'

 JERSEY JAZZ (2018)

'This trio functions as an organic entity, with each player contributing to the shifting colors and shadings implicit in their approaches to the tunes...Wade’s musical imagination seems to have no limits, and the results are a equally likely to challenge the listener’s imagination.  Moving Day is indeed a moving aural experience.'

ALL ABOUT JAZZ (2015)

"With his impressive debut release, bassist/composer Mark Wade and his trio create a soundscape of musical expression, using their chemistry with one another and their mastery of their instruments to create an intimate interplay of ideas and jazz repartee...each musician has a chance to shine as a soloist, and are exceptional as they establish an air-tight timing sensibility as a unit...each musician pushes boundries as they create a unique musical vision"

DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE (2015)

Veteran journalist John Ephland says the album "...lingers in realms more akin to mystery and invention...Event Horizon is as interested in form as it is with pure expression, the nooks and crannies evidence that a real group-mind is at work...'Apogee' is another showcase for Wade, the song's lyrical bent helping to frame the bassist's labyrinthine solo, its rubato ruminations appealing, altogether fitting for such a melody."

 JAZZ STATION (2015)

Voted in the top 10 in the categories of Best Acoustic Bass, Best Composer, Best Instrumental Group, and #16 for Best Album of the Year of 2015 by Arnaldo DeSouteiro, founder of Jazz Station Records and NARAS-GRAMMY voting member.

NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD (2015)

"Group interplay and individual resourcefulness are in the open and bassist Mark Wade has met this challenge with aplomb on his new recording...Wade's sense of balladry is sublime in "Cold Spring", a bittersweet affair with his brief but telling solo creating the mood...Wade combines elements both to tell a story and find the best way to highlight the talents of the players. And that's the mark of a classic piano trio."

THE JAZZ READER (2015)

 "Combining the best ingredients of what makes a jazz trio great, Event Horizon, the debut recording of the Mark Wade Trio, is an event worthy of considerable praise and recognition...although the history of the jazz trio remains dominated by imaginative minds like Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Chick Corea and others, the Mark Wade Trio has left an indelible mark in that timeline with a recording that boasts strong compositions, memorable solos, and three remarkable musicians that met the stringent demands of what it takes to lead a jazz trio to greatness."

 JAZZ WEEKLY (2015)

"Ah! This is why I love the jazz trio! Bassist Mark Wade brings together a lyrical set of (mostly) originals that focus on interplay, lyricism and symbiosis...Wade shows his debt to Scott La Faro on the gallant “The Prisoner” and the glowing “Valley And Stream.” He leads the charge on the exciting “Tossed” and takes the band through  a kind of peg-legged tango on the clever “Singsong.” All througout the session you get a feel of a wholeness to each piece...These guys are listening, and so should you!"

THE VERTICAL SPIN (2015)

"...this gem moans with and abundance of impressive yet subtle details to remind me why I’m drawn to this particular style of jazz - not merely because it is ear candy but because it embellishes an immeasurable quality I long for as a music lover...the elements of improvisation through their capable voices ascend sonically into a new dimension."

THE JAZZ PAGE (2015)

"Bassist Mark Wade demonstrates his strengths as musician, bandleader, arranger, and composer on his debut recording...Wade composed all but one track on the recording and his gifts as a writer really shine through. Each song is a musically engaging work of exposition that allows for great interplay which pulls the listener into the conversation. This effort is an outstanding debut that is not to be missed."

BOP-N-JAZZ (2015)

 "A stellar effort...More than a trio, this is a collective with each member contributing to Wade's lyrical vision. Comparisons to other bassists fall short...simply a master class in how to swing."

IMPROVIJAZZATION (2016)

"..a most pleasant session that will help you understand just why the trio format can be such a good one for jazz! Songs like 'Tossed' will give you new faith in the power of the bass, though Tim's piano and Scott's drums are poignant in the mix as well..their playing on this one is absolutely ON for the entire length of the tune! It was the opening track, 'Jump For Joy', that got my vote for personal favorite track though..it's a slow build to sheer sonic wonderment. Most highly recommended." 

 JAZZ VIEWS WITH CJ SHEARN (2016)

"...the most apparent aspect through these nine originals, and lone cover of “If I Only Had A Brain” from “The Wizard of Oz”, is how intuitive the trio is and how fluid the interaction during the course of the album...Event Horizon is an inspired set of tunes from a trio that is in the traditional piano-bass-drums configuration, but they transcend the format with quicksilver interplay and really intriguing compositions. The future of this band is bright, and future directions will be very exciting to witness. "

 AXS (2016)

"...Wade plucks, bows, bumps, and rips on bass throughout this masterful debut album...Linking variation, dynamics, and harmonic interest over speed bumps, the Mark Wade Trio distinguishes itself from the rest of the tried-and-trio pack...the compositions are big and full, without form over function, necessary components to attracting and keeping the listener’s attention, whether he/she is a jazz novice or fan."

GAPPLEGATE (2015)

"This is in the best tradition of the modern piano trio a fully three-way affair. Everybody contributes fully to the very nice end result. The music encompasses the richly complex musical matrices of modern jazz trios from Evans through Tyner and beyond.

There's plenty of excellent bass playing here to satisfy the bass-minded, but everybody comes together for a trio date that has much to like about it."

 JERSEY JAZZ  (2016)

"The trio has an organic feeling, truly a unit, not just three musicins playing together. Wade has a nice gift for melody, making his original material feel familiar almost immediately. 'Singsong' is a particularly appealing track that has the kind of surprising shifts that are often found in a Monk piece. Each of the selections has a similar uniqueness keeping the listener engaged from start to finish. Wade is off to a great start as a leader."

 JAZZ SOCIETY OF OREGON (2015)

"Wade writes long lines that give all three players breathing room and opportunity to make attractive musical statements. I was particularly drawn to “Valley and Stream” with its classical feeling and a crystalline bowed solo from the leader...There’s a lot of beauty mixed with a little whimsy here. What a delightful debut!"