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Mark Haynes – Wiki Page Introduction Mark Haynes (Born ) is an American musician, bass player, arranger and composer. He is known internationally through his tenure as a songwriter and session musician at Flyte Tyme Studios under hit-makers Jimmy “Jam” Harris and Terry Lewis. Mark has recorded on two platinum and three gold albums with Janet Jackson, Patti Labelle and Gladys Knight as well as soundtracks for Hollywood motion pictures, “Money Train” and “Mo’ Money” for which he co-wrote a track. Mark is a member of the Grammy Award-winning ensemble, Sounds of Blackness. Early Life Mark Haynes was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He began learning to play music at the age of five after discovering an old acoustic guitar in his elder brother’s closet. Mark received formal music education in elementary school and chose to play bass while in junior high; around the age of fifteen Mark joined a band called “Kritical Mass”, playing covers at local venues around the Twin Cities. Also in his mid-teens Mark joined the group, “Steel Xperience” led by Trinidadian steel drum musician, Cliff Alexis, a family friend and mentor. Under Cliff’s tutelage Mark learned about reggae, calypso and Latin music and spent hours jamming with his childhood friends, Stokley Williams, Lawrence Waddell and O’Dell (Mint Condition); together they formed a band called “Rampart”, named for the birthplace of jazz. At that time, the Black community in Saint Paul was small and close knit which meant that Mark frequently crossed paths with local gospel and soul artists at music events. At one such event Mark was introduced to Terry Lewis of Flyte Tyme Productions, who soon became his mentor, often giving him bass instructions and advice. Mark’s first professional performance came at the age of sixteen when he began accompanying renowned soul singer and fellow Saint Paul native, Jearlyn Steele which then led to backing Jearlyn’s sister, Academy Award-nominated singer, Jevetta Steele. During that time Mark also began performing with the prestigious Penumbra Theatre Company. Mark eventually joined a band called “Kalahari” which was managed by Micah McFarland. Kalahari opened for Hugh Masekela, George Wallace, Daniel Lanois, Del Jones and Cassandra Wilson; during an opening stint Mark met famed bass player, Lonnie Plaxico, who subsequently became a mentor and friend.

Music Career In 1991, at the age of twenty-one, Mark was hired to record live bass with the popular new-wave group, King’s English; the album was to be produced by Terry Lewis Jimmy and Jam at Flyte Tyme Studios. The recording was eventually shelved; however, Mark was retained by Flyte Tyme Productions as a songwriter and session musician. At Flyte Tyme Mark was taught the ins-and-outs of studio production by Terry Lewis, Jimmy Jam and Grammy-winning engineers, Steve Hodge and Brad Yost. At that time Terry and Jimmy were producing the soundtrack for the Hollywood motion picture, “Mo’ Money” starring the Wayans Brothers, and Terry asked Mark to come up with a rock song for the soundtrack; Mark co-wrote “Brother Will” with Jimmy, Terry and Frank Stribling (aka Binky Griptite of the Dap-Kings) who was also Mark’s roommate at the time. The song was released under the band name, “Harlem Yacht Club”. After “Mo’ Money”, Harlem Yacht Club became popular, playing several shows and even recording an album, which was never released. In 1993, Mark was introduced to Janet Jackson who was at Flyte Tyme recording her fifth album, “Janet”, and she asked him to record on the album with her. Mark, programmed the drums and arranged and recorded the bass for the song, “What’ll I Do”, which featured members of Sounds of Blackness, well as Mark’s friends and collaborators, Jellybean Johnson and Stokley Williams. The album went multi-platinum worldwide, shooting up to number four on the U.S. Billboard. It was nominated for two Grammys, eventually winning in the category of “Best R&B Song”; In 2007 it was listed at number eighty-six in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “The Definitive 200: 200 Top Albums of All-Time”. After that, Mark continued session work at Flyte Tyme Productions, recording with several well-known artists including: Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, Ann Nesby, Karyn White, Caron Wheeler (Soul II Soul), Chuck D (Public Enemy), Babyface, Raja-Nee, Stokley Williams (Mint Condition), Mike Scott (Justin Timberlake), Salt n Pepa, Martha Wash, Ralph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, and with Yoko Ono and Sounds of Blackness, on a John Lennon tribute album which was never released. He also recorded with 4.0 on the soundtrack for the film “Money Train” starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. In 1994 Mark recorded on the Marvin Gaye tribute album, “Inner City Blues” along with Sounds of Blackness. A few months later the group’s director asked him to join the group on their 1995 world tour. Mark soon became a member of the ensemble which led to several international tours including a performance with Stevie Wonder at the Free Jazz Festival in Brazil; Mark remains a member of the group to this day. In 1997 Mark relocated to New York City where he worked for EMI Publishing and later for Motown as a session musician. During that time he continued to tour and back many of the artists he had recorded with, performing at prestigious venues and events such as: Hammersmith Apollo, Royal Albert Hall, the 1996 Olympics, the Montreux Jazz, the Lincoln Center and the North Sea Jazz Festival. Mark has also collaborated with artists such as Joe Bataán and multiple Latin Grammy nominee, Viviana Pintado, with whom he formed a trio. In 1996 performed with Ashford and Simpson at Motown Café for the ASCAP Award Ceremony in which they received a Founder’s Award. Some of his recent tours include a week-long residency with Sounds of Blackness hosted by Mica Paris on BBC Radio 1 Jazz Café in London, England; and the Blues Caravan tour backing Sue Foley, Deborah Coleman and Roxanne Potvin, both in 2007. Discography http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/artist/Mark+Haynes/a/albums.htm Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Jam_and_Terry_Lewis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jevetta_Steele

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penumbra_Theatre_Company

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Jackson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mo%27_Money_%28soundtrack%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Money_Train_%28soundtrack%29

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dap-kings

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sounds_of_Blackness

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Plaxico