By Ed Enright | Published March 2026
A distinctive instrumentalist and inventive composer whose profile has been on the rise since the 2015 release of his first trio album, Event Horizon, New York-based bassist Mark Wade tries to take inspiration wherever he can find it. In composing the original jazz pieces for his trio’s upcoming release New Stages, he found that inspiration in his experience performing classical masterworks with the Key West Symphony, as well as the orchestras of Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall and the S.E.M./Janáček Philharmonic in the Czech Republic. Consisting of three dynamic suites, 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. It’s an expansive exploration of catchy melodies, subtle yet essential countermelodies, Westward-facing harmony, swinging rhythms and advanced improvisational techniques, a truly collaborative effort among Wade and longtime bandmates Scott Neumann (drums) and Tim Harrison (piano) that defies easy classification and delights the ear. While listening for the familiar and not-so-familiar themes that dwell at the core of each of the 15 tracks on New Stages, be sure not to miss out on Wade’s bear-hugging bass tone, Neumann’s nimble cymbal-play and Harrison’s superfluid keyboard mastery. Upcoming performances by the Mark Wade Trio include gigs at London’s Pizza Express Dean Street (March 25); Hidden Rooms in Cambridge, U.K. (March 26); The Cowshed Jazz Club in Hertz, U.K. (March 27); Shanghai Jazz in Madison, New Jersey (April 9); and Culture Club in Long Island, New York (April 17).
