In 1987, after returning to Kansas City,
he began playing professionally in a rhythm and
blues band-The Main Street Rhythm Devils, which
included Kansas City’s finest shuffle drummer,
Freddy Holmes. It was during this time
that he met Kansas City’s legendary harmonica
man, Little Hatch. Mark played bass for
Hatch in 1988 and 1989 at Davey’s Uptown’s
Tuesday jam session and filled in for Hatch’s
regular bass men, Joe Wittfeld and Paul
Hartfield, on gigs around town for the next few
years. Mark comments, “Playing for
Little Hatch was a challenge because, God love
him and rest his soul, he couldn’t keep
regular time! Everyone in the band cued
off the bass man, who had to jump gracefully to
the place where he landed in the sequence.
Everybody had to be on their toes all the time.
I learned how to play with my ears wide open!”
