“Before I came to the age of reason, (seven for most of us, if I remember my catechism correctly) I was already intent on being the next Gene Kruppa or Buddy Rich. Though I vacated the drum bench some time ago, the drum sensibilities remain, in fact, haunt me every time I get ready to record or hit the road. Mark Kelso, the one who now most often sits at the rhythmic helm, usually no more than seven paces behind me on stage, has that certain quality of precision, passion and metric poetry, that can allow me the freedom to sing and lose myself in the music. And for the whole band’s counting entertainment, his art is so that it keeps us all bopping heads, tapping toes, and moving our lips, muttering one to four as discretely as possible, through a few fills. As important as his drumming skills, Mark also brings a sense of ethics, lightness of being and overall keen interest in life, that helps freshen the stale air between mates during long hours of travel to and from Dullsville.”
“They say that in these days of the predominance of the virtual programmable rhythm section, REAL drummers are hard to find. In choosing the likely players for my touring work on “Dust” (2002) I elected to take the advice of the noted Hugh Marsh ( my most respected electric violinist and recent cohort) as to how to approach putting a group of musicians together who would be able to interpret the often eclectic often middle eastern aspects of the Dust work alongside the need for a square- on top drummer ‘proper’ “Of course” I remarked to Hugh, “if I could afford him I’d take Manu Katche but beggars can’t be choosers”. Little did I know that Mark would turn out to be, as I instantly referred to him , as our “Manu Katche PLUS”. Mark brings a musical conversancy and astuteness to his playing without losing out on the pure feel of a musician that truly loves to do what he does. The word Jaded has no place in Mark’s vocabulary. Not only were the rehearsals a pleasure, (I actually looked forward to every day of going in) Mark finally blew me away at the first of the countless shows we gave on the Dust tour, when I really only then felt Mark’s pedigree. I vividly remember being very inspired by his truly powerful playing not to say the standard of which I have previously not performed with. ( Plus he has very nice dimples ) Please do not hire Mark until I have the opportunity to put him on a retainer and lock him away for myself.”
“Mark Kelso may have the best ears in the drumming world. When playing with musicians, his sensitive feel and dynamic grooves motivate the band to excel to new heights – not a common thing, these days. And Mark gives new meaning to world beat music by adding the most subtle fills I’ve heard in years !”
“I’ve used Mark Kelso on a number of my sessions from demos for Warner Chappell to my new recording on Blue Note/EMI. He’s a gifted player and understands colour and texture within the context of a groove. Mark comes up with great ideas and is wonderful to have on sessions.”
“From finesse to funk,live or studio, Mark Kelso is the singer’s drummer and how often can you say that?”
“I first heard Mark Kelso play when I was 12 years old. I was completely blown away. To this day he’s a major source of inspiration.”
“Mark sent me a clip of his new DVD, which I’ve watched several times. One overriding thought came to mind and that’s, “outside the box”, which is what you have to be if you want to do something that stands out from the rest. Here’s a great example of someone saying to himself, “How can I present what I am?” and then finding a way to do it. Very creative and cool. Excellent composition and performance…well presented.”
“I’ve been making music with Mark for over forty years, and I’ve never seen him close to stymied by anything I (or anyone else) have asked him to play. He’s the model musician: accurate, focused, creative, versatile, always improving. Unlike many drummers, he hears himself in the musician totality; he thinks like a composer or arranger. He’s damn near perfect, but don’t tell him I said so.”
“Mark Kelso has great depth and impeccable taste which he is able to maintain while simultaneously bringing his own thing to the table”
“Mark is such a musician. He has intuition, taste, drive, precision, superior musicianship not to mention a great human being. You get to the concert, walk on stage, start playing……you’re gone and everything seems so easy.”
“Mark Kelso is one of the most versatile and grooving players I know.”
“I have had the chance to witness Mark performing in action and was very impressed and inspired! He clarified and set a high standard in drum set performance and education! A powerful combination! Mark is making a positive difference in the drumming community, with his musicianship, teaching and new DVD…well needed and at the right time! And we know…timing is everything! Thanks Mark…”
“I love making music with Mark Kelso. He is an extremely charismatic musician who embodies the perfect combination of talent, musical knowledge, ability and sensibility making him one of the most in demand musicians we have in this country.”
“Mark Kelso has been hiding in plain sight up in Canada. Get this DVD. It’s one of my top 10 all-time favorite drum videos. Mark is the kind of drummer we should all aspire to be! He plays Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Funk, Straight ahead all with authenticity and great feel!”
“Mark Kelso is a dream to work with. He’s world class as a drummer and his enthusiasm as a team player is so refreshing. Great feel, great ideas and not hard to look at either!”
“Mark Kelso, a musician I have worked with for over 30 years is the definition of consistency in musicianship, character and artistic growth. Consistently evolving and adapting, but alway with the solid core of professionalism and respect for the music at hand. When producing records, I’m always asked the secret to great drum tracks and if there are any applications or plugins I use. I say yes, a simple one, it’s called a phone and Mark Kelso is usually the guy on the other end of that call.”
“Whether it’s the music of John Lennon, my Sicilian Project, or pieces I’ve written for larger groups, my projects demand that the drummer easily move between genres, from jazz to funk to reggae to all kinds of meters and grooves from around the world. The drummer has to be able to quietly back a singer, lay down some heavy funk, have a great swing feel, and play challenging odd-meter chamber music, sometimes in one concert. Mark Kelso is my go-to drummer because he does all of those things effortlessly, all while pushing the creativity of the music, and knowing the details of the music inside and out.”
“Mark is Canadian Jazz royalty. His deep, deep pocket is matched perfectly by his precision and exactitude. As a player, he is responsive, nimble, inventive, sharp, and perfectly present to everything going on around him; he’ll whip up something different every time, drop the most complex polyrhythms into a solo, and yet still sound supremely funky, fluid, bold and in control. Beyond his technical prowess, he has a unique sound that you immediately recognize to be him. He is also a fine composer and bandleader, a gifted singer, and tireless educator. In short, he is one of the best drummers and all-around musicians I’ve had the pleasure to play with. Mark does Canada proud.”
“Great time, feel, chops, and most importantly…taste. A world class musician and one of the best drummers on this planet.”