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Mark
Cally
Mark Cally is from Melbourne Australia, where he studied with local guitarist Bruce Clarke, and cut his teeth in the business playing with The Australian Show Band and The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
In 1992, Mark moved to New York where he studied at various times with Jim Hall, Bucky Pizzarelli, Billy Bauer, Peter Leitch and Rodney Jones. With the band The Flying Neutrinos, Mark wrote one of the big swing hits of the late nineties, “Mr. Zoot Suit.” The song was featured in the movies "Blast From The Past" with Brendan Fraser and Alicia Silverstone and "Three To Tango" with Matthew Perry and Neve Campbell, as well as the hit TV show "Sex and the City."
In his time in New York, Mark also performed with likes of Doc Cheatham, Eric Alexander, Vincent Herring and Brian Blade. He also started his own band with singer Greg Mangus called "Set 'Em Up Joe" and toured the East Coast with their self-titled first CD release. Among many stellar gigs, the band had the opportunity to open for the great Tony Bennett.
Since 2001, Mark has made Los Angeles his home. Shortly after arriving, he joined the band Royal Crown Revue. With RCR, he’s had the opportunity to be onstage with such icons as Barry Manilow, Michael Feinstein, Jack Jones, Jon Hendricks, Bernadette Peters and Keeley Smith. The band has also opened for Sugar Ray, Chris Isaac and Brian Setzer. Royal Crown Revue appeared on three episodes of "Family Jewels," the reality show centered on KISS bassist Gene Simmons, where the band was filmed rehearsing and playing a show with Gene in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Casino. The band has toured throughout the US, Europe, and Australia.
Mark has recorded three CD's with Royal Crown Revue--"Greetings From Hollywood," "El Toro," and “Don’t Be A Grinch This Year.” The Mark Cally Trio released the CD "Somewhereville” in 2007. The CD features Mark’s straight ahead jazz chops and compositions. In 2016 Mark released his second album, “Watermark.”
In 2009, Mark was the artist in residence for the Spokane Jazz Guitar Society (in Washington State) where he gave clinics, private lessons and a trio gig for many of the members. In 2016 Mark gave a lecture at CalArts on How to Become a Professional Musician highlighting his own career and experience.
Mark has taught at the prestigious Musician’s Institute in Hollywood from 2013 to the present, teaching music theory and guitar to the many students enrolled on campus.
Mark also works with Tim Davies, a much sought after Los Angeles based composer and orchestrator, and has been his side man for many years putting together music for movies—titles include the films "When A Stranger Calls" and "Daddy Day Camp" for Sony, "Pathfinder" for Fox, "First Flight" for Dreamworks; the TV shows "Invasion," "Pushing Daisies," ”The Event,” "Battlestar Galactica," "Caprica," "Sarah Connor Chronicles" and "Eureka;" and the videogames "SOCOM 2," "SOCOM 3," "GI Joe," "Dark Void," "God of War II," "God Of War III," “Batman, Arkham City,” “Resistance 3” and “Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare 7.”
Mark has also worked with the legendary Wayne Shorter on his orchestral pieces as well as pianist Bill Cunliffe on his many orchestral projects.
