Mark Sanders is a professional drummer who works across jazz, free improvisation, pop, avant-rock, modern classical, dance, new complexity, dub and folk. His playing connects the techniques and experience of these different areas, and he is known for bringing that range into improvised music.

Work in free improvisation

He works widely within free improvisation and has played with many major figures in the field. These include Evan Parker, Peter Brötzmann, Derek Bailey, Myra Melford, Paul Rogers, Henry Grimes, Roswell Rudd, Okkyung Lee, Barry Guy, Tim Berne, Otomo Yoshihide, Luc Ex, Ken Vandermark, Sidsel Endresen and Jean Francois Pauvrois.

Sanders also performs in duo and quartet settings with Wadada Leo Smith, and in trios with Charles Gayle alongside Sirone and William Parker.

Collaborations and projects

His collaborative work includes the Riverloam Trio with Mikolaj Trzaska and Olie Brice, Asunder with Hasse Poulsen and Paul Dunmall, duos with John Butcher and DJ Sniff, Statics with Georg Graewe and John Butcher, and a trio with Rachel Musson and Liam Noble.

He also plays as part of a rhythm section with John Edwards in a number of groups, including the Trevor Watts Quartet, Foils with Frank Paul Schubert and Matthius Muller, and Matthew Shipp’s London Quartet. He performs with Fred Frith, Wadada Leo Smith and Shabaka Hutchings in that wider context as well.

Other regular work includes Christian Marclay’s Everyday project, which features Christian Marclay, Steve Beresford, John Butcher and Alan Tomlinson, as well as projects led by Mikolaj Trzaska, Gail Brand, Paul Dunmall, Peter Jaquemyn and Simon H Fell.