About

Hannah Marks is a bassist, composer, and educator living in New York City. She currently leads a risk-taking acoustic jazz quartet that features NYC’s most in-demand sidemen, and has showcased her musical projects at festivals like the Detroit Jazz Festival, Hyde Park Jazz Festival, 80-35 Music Festival, Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, Iowa City Jazz Festival and Indy Jazz Festival. Produced by Jason Moran, her second album, Feed the Fire, will be released in June 2026 on Endectomorph.

Marks’ debut album, Outsider, Outlier, is an explosive rendering of her search for belonging and empowerment. A nod to her love for punk, noise and free improvisation, Outsider, Outlier released on Out Of Your Head Records on October 20, 2023. Citizen Jazz called Outsider, Outlier “…a very mature record from a young artist with very strong ideas who does not hold back anything.”

As a side-woman, Marks has been described as having “a fresh, modern, and original approach to playing the bass” by Marcus Printup. Marks tours internationally with NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater's project “We Exist!”, and has performed with Geoffrey Keezer, Nasheet Waits, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anna Webber, Miles Okazaki, Ingrid Jensen, Kalia Vandever, Matt Wilson, Ted Nash, Morgan Guerin, Marcus Printup, and Sasha Berliner. Marks’ discography includes playing on Geoffrey Keezer’s Grammy award winning composition “Refuge”, Amanda Ekery's Grammy nominated Arabé, Kristen Lee Sergeant’s Falling with saxophonist Ted Nash, and Heartland Trio’s debut album Year One.

Marks is passionate about jazz education, serving on faculty at Fordham University during the academic year, and at Interlochen Arts Camp, Stanford Jazz Workshop, and Jazz Camp West during the summer. She has also presented masterclasses at universities across the country (Brown University, Indiana University, and University of Denver) and adjudicated at the Reno Jazz Festival, Clark College Jazz Festival, and Simpson College Jazz Festival. 

“One to watch.” NEA Jazz Master and vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater

“In her short time in New York, it's already obvious that she {Marks} is laying the foundation for a long and successful career in music." Saxophonist Walter Smith III