Mark Davis

Mark Davis is an accomplished pianist and influential educator who has worked with some of the world's most respected jazz luminaries, including Gary Bartz, Peter Bernstein, Richard Davis, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, Tom Harrell, Jimmy Heath, Brian Lynch, Charles McPherson, Frank Morgan, and Phil Woods.

He began piano studies at age eight and soon took to improvising and composing. His teachers included Adelaide Banaszynski and David Hazeltine. Mark later studied with jazz legend Barry Harris, who remains one of his primary inspirations as a player and educator.

He is the co-founder and artistic director of the Milwaukee Jazz Institute, where he is also an instructor and leads their resident ensemble, We Six. In addition, he is the jazz piano professor at Northern Illinois University, a faculty member at Alverno College, and teaches online students around the globe. Many of his former students have gone on to successful music careers, most notably Dan Nimmer, pianist with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Mark is the author of two top-selling books, Hal Leonard Jazz Piano Method Book 1 and Hal Leonard Jazz Piano Method Book 2. Available in English, Dutch, French, and German, these books have sold over 30,000 copies worldwide.