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Mark Hunter and the sound of innovation

A black and white image of a man playing the upright bass.
Chase M. Munsey
/
Salish Current
As a young musician, bassist Mark Hunter found a nurturing environment in Bellingham’s jazz scene. He now tours internationally.

Over the past three years, the Aslan Depot in Bellingham has become a beacon for high-energy jazz. Every Tuesday night, the dimly lit bar pulses with life, drawing a cross-generational crowd. Some sit front and center, absorbed in the fast-paced rhythms, while others chat and sip drinks to the backdrop of swirling horns and lively percussion.

3 men playing different instruments on stage.
Chase M. Munsey
/
Salish current
Jazz players (from left) trumpeter Isaac Devange, keyboardist Blake Angelos (partially visible in back), saxophonist Thomas Harris and bassist Mark Hunter draw a crowd at the Aslan Depot.

At the heart of the action is bassist Mark Hunter, bookended by pianist Blake Angelos, tenor saxophonist Thomas Harris, trumpeter Isaac Devange and rotating drummers D’Vonne Lewis or Jerry Steinhilber. Hunter’s ability to carefully make setlists and find young aspiring musicians has earned him the position of “the de facto band leader,” according to Angelos.

When he’s not leading local jazz sessions, Hunter tours internationally with The Dip, a soul and funk band that’s earned widespread recognition after a decade-long commitment to the project. The Dip has brought Hunter’s talents to audiences across the U.S., Europe and Japan after being signed to Dualtone Records — a label known for working with acts like The Lumineers and June Carter Cash.

Although now a successful professional musician, Hunter began small. As a seventh grader, he was involved in the Bellingham Youth Jazz Band. His program was supported by The Jazz Project — a nonprofit organization dedicated to music education in Bellingham. “The Jazz Project was a huge part of my childhood,” Hunter said. “That’s where I realized that I loved jazz, that’s when I started playing nonstop and continued through college.”

A crowd of people inside a bar.
Chase M. Munsey
/
Salish Current
Tuesday night patrons crowd in for the show at the Aslan Depot.

Hunter remains deeply rooted in the community that shaped him, often inviting emerging musicians to share the stage. “It’s just a small community,” he explained. “I’ll go out and see bands at Oddfellows or other venues where Western [Washington University] bands play, and they’ll come out to our shows. So there’s this nice mixing of communities, and I feel like that’s rare in cities.”

The music at Aslan Jazz Night reflects an important side of Hunter’s approach to jazz: intentionality and fun. “It’s about making informal, relatable music,” he said. Audiences get to hear exciting renditions of jazz favorites like “All Blues” by Miles Davis or “Stella by Starlight,” often covered by the greats. “People who may not listen to jazz in their free time still find something to connect with here. I want to make the music feel alive and approachable.”

Stellar avant-garde sounds

While the Aslan Depot sessions capture a more familiar side of jazz, Hunter has created space for another facet of his musical approach at The Honeymoon’s Stellar Sounds Sessions: the avant-garde. “We’re trying to break all the rules of music, and that’s what makes it so exciting,” Hunter said.

A man stands playing a keyboard under a bright light.
Chase M. Munsey
/
Salish Current
Blake Angelos takes a turn in the spotlight.

Unlike the hustle and energy of The Depot’s Jazz Nights, Stellar Sound Sessions are intimate. The space at Honeymoon is small and quiet. The unexpected keys, tempos and musical structure keep audiences guessing at the next sound.

Musicians are invited to collaborate in real time and react to one another to create an entirely new piece of music. “It’s a completely open canvas,” said Hunter. “There are no limits, and that’s what makes it feel so fresh. Anything can happen.”

The performances include what Hunter called “extended techniques.” Musicians push the boundaries of their instruments —manipulating drum kits, using alternative bowing methods on strings, or even plucking on the insides of a piano.

Hunter recalls one particularly memorable session with Cat Toren, a professor at Western: “She had opened up the piano and was literally playing the strings of the piano with her hands instead of pressing the keys. It created a completely different sound. Hopefully, that effect then pushes somebody else to react to that. That’s what I love about these sessions — the unexpected, the unknown.”

A supportive network

Hunter said Bellingham’s jazz scene grows because of the access to local programs, audiences and businesses that support and provide opportunities for aspiring musicians.

“It’s not just about pushing boundaries in music,” Hunter noted. “It’s about the community that supports it.” The encouragement from businesses and nonprofits feels rare to musicians in larger cities, whereas Bellingham’s size and appreciation of the arts help musicians stay educated and inspired.

The scene is sparked by a community that embraces both the familiar and the unknown in no small part thanks to people like Hunter. Bellingham’s jazz community isn’t defined by its size but by the collective energy of a city that is as adventurous as it is welcoming — where the music becomes a conversation open to anyone willing to listen and explore.

The Salish Current is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, online local news organization serving Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties by reporting local news with independence and strict journalistic integrity, and by providing fact-based information and a forum for civil commentary.

Mickey Mann is a freelance writer, painter and photographer. They received a bachelor of Arts in women, gender, sexuality and colonial studies from Western Washington University, specializing in West African political philosophy and literature.