Mark Pender
Trumpet player of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien in Los Angeles
Kansas City
Mark Pender first picked up the trumpet in Kansas City, Missouri. With its rich roots in jazz and blues, Kansas City has been a great influence on Mark’s style.
Jazz and Soul
He played with the Inner City Orchestra of Kansas City from 1977-79. The orchestra gave Mark a chance to work with noted jazz and soul greats like Jay McShann, Ella Fitzgerald, and Gladys Knight and the Pips. While fronting the band on trumpet and vocals for only a few numbers, the Kansas City Star noted, “the audience clapped and cheered when Mark Pender played a seemingly unending trumpet solo.”
NYC
Mark’s experiences in Kansas City were unparalleled, but adventure called. He headed to New York City with jazz organist Charles Earland.
Touring and Recording
It was in New York that his years of touring and recording began. From 1981-82, Mark toured with Diana Ross. In 1982, he played with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul (Men Without Women). He also played with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes (Trash It Up, 1983; In the Heat, 1984; At Least We’ve Got Shoes, 1985; Better Days, 1991), Bruce Springsteen (Live Anthology, 1985; Chimes of Freedom, 1988; Tracks, 1998), Shannon (Do You Wanna Get Away, 1985), and Power Station (Some Like it Hot, 1985). Other musicians that Mark has played with include David Bowie (Tonight, 1984; Changesbowie, 1990), Joe Cocker (One Night of Sin, 1988), Bon Jovi (These Days, 1995), They Might Be Giants (Dr. Worm, 1998), and Robert Cray (A Shame and a Sin, 1993).
NBC
In 1993, Mark started playing on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” and has been in all of the over 1700 tapings. Recent recordings include Bruce Springsteen, the rising, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes , going to Jukesville,The Bogmen, Son Seals, Cissy Houston, Joe Pesci, Ricky Martin, and others. Other credits includes the video from Seville Spain Guitar Legends.
Mark Pender Band
As a band leader, singer and songwriter, Mark has been performing in New York area clubs with an R&B and jazz laced funk band, The Mark Pender Band. Mark leads the band on vocals and trumpet. The band also features Richie “La Bamba” Rosenberg on trombone and vocals, Glenn Alexander on guitar and vocals and Mo Roberts on drums. Tim Cappello on sax and Paul Frazier on bass.
B&S
Mark Pender plays B&S Challenger Elaboration trumpets.
Musican
Instruments
