At the core of the late night sound revolution is bassist Mark Kelley. Whether providing driving bass for the theme song, laying down slippery tones behind lyricist Black Thought during a commercial break, or morphing seamlessly into background music for the latest musical satire, Mark holds the late night bass chair with an undeniable and completely appropriate swagger.
 
While the Roots have been together for over two decades, Mark joined in 2011 after former bassist Owen Biddle left to pursue other projects. While easy to see now, bringing Kelley into the Roots crew was the perfect move for bandleader Questlove to make. When the call came to Mark, he had a musical history that already included an education at Berklee College of Music and time on stage with Mos Def, John Scofield, and many others. In addition, Mark spent an extended tenure in Meshell Ndegeocello’s band that was, as he puts it, “the best experience in music that I’ve ever had.”
 
When the call came in 2011 to join the Roots, Mark’s life changed completely. The Roots had already started their transformation of late night music as the house band for Fallon’s previous gig, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Mark was thrust into the spotlight of network television and also jumped into the Roots’ demanding schedule of touring and recording. Mark’s contributions can be heard on the Roots’ release that year, titled Undun. In 2013, Mark laid down deep, dark grooves for the Roots’ collaboration with Elvis Costello, Wise Up Ghost. [Bass Musician]
 
Mark Kelley on Twitter