​Saxophonist and flutist Mark Lewis was born into a musical family in Tacoma, Washington on January 26, 1958, and was raised on a farm near Gig Harbor. As a youth, Mark spent much of his time investigating his family’s record collection and continued his interest in music studying flute, piano, composition and electronic music at Western Washington University in Bellingham and at Cornish College in Seattle.

In the mid-1970s Lewis began gigging in Seattle at Norm Bobrow’s Jazz at the Cirque Showcase along with the likes of Buddy Catlett and Dee Daniels. One of Lewis’ mentors, drummer Otis Finch, encouraged him to play his music in places other than just his hometown and “in 1978 the 20-year-old saxophonist flew to Europe with a one-way ticket and his alto sax, $500 in his pocket, and virtually no contacts.” Mark Lewis ended up in Rotterdam where he worked regularly with American expatriate musicians and European jazz musicians until the early 1990s. During the 1980s he returned frequently to the United States, though, and was a regular in San Francisco area jazz clubs. When in America, Lewis could be heard playing with Randy Brecker and Bobby Hutcherson and sometimes subbing for Stan Getz.

Today, Mark Lewis lives in Bremerton, Washington to be near his family and keeps a busy schedule teaching, touring and recording. A master improvisor, Lewis has recorded more than 30 albums and has composed a mindboggling catalog of tunes - the number exceeds 1700 titles. He has said “I try to approach each composition, each performance, with knowledge and technique from studying the masters who came before and also the innocence of a child. I hope it keeps the music authentic and genuine.”

Here is a link to a video of Mark Lewis performing one of his compositions live with fellow Pacific Northwest musicians Bill Anschell, Clipper Anderson and Mark Ivester:

"SWAMI'S SONG"