Mark Cally

"I had a chance to have a couple of lessons with Mark. Not only is he a great player, but also a very perceptive and articulate teacher. For me, he could tell immediately where i was at, and what I needed to work on to take the next step. I would love to be able to study with Mark for a season, because I know I would make the kind of progress I want. Mark's clinic was also very informative, and entertaining. He can drop the wry one-liner with the best of them, all the while phrasing it in the king's best English. And then there was the concert. Mark played with energy and inventiveness and he laid out the pocket so well that the drummer and bass player jumped in with glee as if taking a ride on a lovely carousel"

Mark has played with many luminaries in the industry including Doc Cheatham, Eric Alexander, Vincent Herring and Brian Blade. Mark has opened for Tony Bennett, Sugar Ray and Chris Isaak and played behind a stellar group of singers including Barry Manilow, Michael Feinstein, Jack Jones, Jon Hendricks, Bernadette Peters and Keeley Smith.

Mark wrote the song "Mr. Zoot Suit", recorded by The Flying Neutrinos, which appeared in the movie "Blast From The Past" with Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone, and became a popular song during the swing revival in the late 90's.

Mark was born in Australia, where he took up guitar and first came into contact with Jazz. He studied with Melbourne Guitarist Bruce Clarke. In 1992 Mark moved to New York City. There he studied with Rodney Jones, Jim Hall, Bucky Pizzarelli , Billy Bauer and Peter Leitch.

The guitarists that have inspired Mark most in his life would be Jim Hall, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Rodney Jones, Bruce Clarke, Herb Ellis, Pat Metheny and Tal Farlow.

Mark plays a Gibson Super V through a Fender Hot Rod DeVille. The Super V is a hybrid Gibson made with an L5 body and a Super 400 neck. He's had it for 22 years now, and couldn't imagine life without it.

Jazz Guitar Society of Spokane
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Past Artists- Mark Cally ( June, 2009) What our members had to say ! "I had a chance to have a couple of lessons with Mark. Not only is he a great player, but also a very perceptive and articulate teacher. For me, he could tell immediately where i was at, and what I needed to work on to take the next step. I would love to be able to study with Mark for a season, because I know I would make the kind of progress I want. Mark's clinic was also very informative, and entertaining. He can drop the wry one-liner with the best of them, all the while phrasing it in the king's best English. And then there was the concert. Mark played with energy and inventiveness and he laid out the pocket so well that the drummer and bass player jumped in with glee as if taking a ride on a lovely carousel" Mark Cally Clinic June, 2009 Clinic: “Inversions, Arpeggios and 8 note scales” Mark has played with many luminaries in the industry including Doc Cheatham, Eric Alexander, Vincent Herring and Brian Blade. Mark has opened for Tony Bennett, Sugar Ray and Chris Isaak and played behind a stellar group of singers including Barry Manilow, Michael Feinstein, Jack Jones, Jon Hendricks, Bernadette Peters and Keeley Smith. Mark wrote the song "Mr. Zoot Suit", recorded by The Flying Neutrinos, which appeared in the movie "Blast From The Past" with Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone, and became a popular song during the swing revival in the late 90's. Mark was born in Australia, where he took up guitar and first came into contact with Jazz. He studied with Melbourne Guitarist Bruce Clarke. In 1992 Mark moved to New York City. There he studied with Rodney Jones, Jim Hall, Bucky Pizzarelli , Billy Bauer and Peter Leitch. The guitarists that have inspired Mark most in his life would be Jim Hall, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Rodney Jones, Bruce Clarke, Herb Ellis, Pat Metheny and Tal Farlow. Mark plays a Gibson Super V through a Fender Hot Rod DeVille. The Super V is a hybrid Gibson made with an L5 body and a Super 400 neck. He's had it for 22 years now, and couldn't imagine life without it.
JGSS © 2008

Past Artists- Mark Cally ( June, 2009)

Mark Cally Clinic