Mark Ware Isham (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician and composer. A trumpeter and keyboardist, Isham works in a variety of genres, including jazz and electronic. He is also a prolific and acclaimed composer of film scores,[1][2] and has scored over 200 film and television productions since his debut in 1983.
Mark Isham | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Mark Ware Isham |
| Born | September 7, 1951 New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, electronic, new age |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, keyboards, trumpet |
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | ECM, Windham Hill, Columbia, Virgin |
| Website | isham |
Isham is a nine-time Grammy Award nominee, winning Best New Age Album for his 1990 self-titled album. He was nominated for an Academy Award for A River Runs Through It (1992), and a Golden Globe Award for Nell (1994). He has also been nominated for six Primetime Emmy Awards, winning Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music for EZ Streets.
| External image | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Mark Isham[3]. |
Early life
editIsham was born in New York City,[4] the son of Patricia (née Hammond), a violinist, and Howard Fuller Isham, a professor of humanities.[5] He studied trumpet from a very young age, and made his professional debut at the age of 12. When he was a teenager, Isham and his family moved to the San Francisco bay area, where he played with the Oakland East Bay Symphony.
Career
editHis discography is extensive and varied, including participation with artists including David Sylvian, Group 87, Art Lande, Pharoah Sanders, Van Morrison, David Torn, and sessions with people like Brian Wilson, Joni Mitchell, Terry Bozzio, Bill Bruford, XTC,[4] and Siouxsie Sioux.[6] His musical styles include crossover jazz, post-bop, ambient, progressive electronic, chamber jazz, and new age.[7]
Film and television scores
editHe is also a film composer, having worked on numerous films and television series, including The Hitcher, Point Break, A River Runs Through It, Of Mice and Men, Warrior, Nell, Blade, Crash, The Black Dahlia, The Lucky One, October Sky, and Once Upon a Time.
Isham acted as well in Made in Heaven by Alan Rudolph (1987) and directed The Cowboy and the Ballerina in 1998.
Personal life
editIsham is married to Donna Isham.[8] He is a Scientologist.[9][8]
Discography
edit
Studio albums and compilationsedit
Rabbit Ears Storybook Classicsedit
Otheredit
|
As memberedit
As sidemanedit
|
Contributions to soundtracks
editFilms
editTelevision series
edit| Year | Title | Episode(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Chicago Hope | "Pilot" | |
| 1996 | EZ Streets | 2 | |
| 1997 | Michael Hayes | "Prequel" | |
| 1997 | Nothing Sacred | TV series theme | |
| 1998 | From the Earth to the Moon | 2 | |
| 1999 | Family Law | 18 | |
| 2007 | The Black Donnellys | 18 | |
| 2008–2009 | Crash | 26 | |
| 2011–2018 | Once Upon a Time | 147 | |
| 2012 | Beauty and the Beast | "Pilot" | |
| 2013–2014 | Once Upon a Time in Wonderland | 7 | |
| 2015 | Blood & Oil | 10 | |
| 2015 | American Crime | 21 | |
| 2017 | Black Mirror | "Arkangel" | |
| 2018–2019 | Marvel's Cloak & Dagger | 20 | |
| 2019 | Godfather of Harlem | 10 | |
| 2020 | Little Fires Everywhere | 8 | |
| 2020 | Amazing Stories | "The Rift" | |
| 2021 | The Nevers | ||
| 2021 | Sex/Life | 8 | |
| 2022 | The Cleaning Lady | ||
| 2023 | Justified: City Primeval |
Documentaries and shorts
edit| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | The Times of Harvey Milk | Rob Epstein | |
| 1985 | Portraits of Anorexia | ||
| 1985 | Rabbit Ears: The Steadfast Tin Soldier | ||
| 1990 | Tibet | ||
| 1993 | Hawaii: Born in Paradise | Robert Hillmann | |
| 1993 | Hidden Hawaii | Robert Hillmann | |
| 1998 | The Blood Tide | ||
| 1999 | Galapagos | ||
| 2001 | From the Ground Up | Laura Nix | |
| 2011 | "Morning" | Dror Soref | |
| 2017 | Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982–1992 | John Ridley |
Filmography
editAs director
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Cowboy and the Ballerina | Mark Isham | — |
As screenwriter
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Cowboy and the Ballerina | Mark Isham | — |
As actor
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Made in Heaven | Alan Rudolph | — |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Huey, Steve. "Mark Isham Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
- ^ "Movies". The New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ Source : official bio.
- ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 649/50. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
- ^ "Mark Isham Biography (1951-)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
- ^ Siouxsie on Hector Zazou's 'Songs from the Cold Seas' - CD Columbia, Columbia CD, 1995,
liner notes for Siouxsie's song "The Lighthouse", featuring Mark Isham on trumpet, recorded in Paris, in February 1994
- ^ Artist Biography by Steve Huey on Allmusic.com.
- ^ a b Wright, Lawrence (February 14, 2011). "The Apostate: Paul Haggis vs. the Church of Scientology". The New Yorker. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
- ^ Richardson, John M. (September 11, 1993). "The Scientology Church of Hollywood". The Globe and Mail. Bell Globemedia Publishing Inc.
- ^ Nickerson, Thomas (November 9, 2006). "The making of Army Strong". United States Army. Retrieved May 19, 2011.
External links
edit- Official website
- YouTube channel
- Artist Biography by Steve Huey at Allmusic.com
- Mark Isham at IMDb