Mark Belanger Bio
Mark Belanger has been writing and recording original songs and music for a number of years. He is the bandleader of "The Rhythm Party" original music (funk, jazz, folk, rock, etc.) that has played throughout New England. They released 2 EP's "Breakfast with Kafka" & "Lunch with Satre" which feature vocal and instrumental original music.
He taught nd played guitar professionally in a number of cover, dance, reggae, top 40 and tribute bands (Blue Suede Shoes -- Steve Connolly's Elvis show band) previously.
He has produced a number a cable access shows focusing on local performances and has done a number of performance and scripted videos which are available on YouTube and Facebook.
He is currently doing solo performances of his original songs, along with curated offbeat cover songs ranging from Jellyroll Morton to Duke Ellington, to T-Rex to Steely Dan to the Motels, etc. His music ranges from original funk/fusion to Leo Kottke style fingerpicking. His original music can be found on all the major streaming sites and videos of performances can be found on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc.
The Rhythm Party
The Rhythm Party was born at the Worcester Artist Group in the mid 1990's. It was formed by Mark (Dr. Funk) and Paul (Too Much Love) as an offshoot from a previous project.
The Rhythm Party has performed extensively around the Boston/Worcester area including the Boston Museum of Art School, Ralph's Chadwick Square Diner and Sir Morgan's Cove (now called the Lucky Dog) in Worcester, the original LocalPalooza, AS220 in Providence, RI, and of course the Wocester Artist Group many, many times.
Originally, the band was a combination of MIDI bass and drums and live perussion, sax and guitar. Then we added two dancers (Cathy and Kristen) to bring some more visual interest and fill up the stage. With this, we also added shadow dancing and projected light shows. We attracted a number of videographers to our performances due to the multi-media aspect of our stage show. The photos you see on our page are mostly frame grabs from our live performance videos.
The band was later filled out with the addition of a live drummer and bass player, and various other horn and percussion players over the years.
The current rhythm section of Vic and Mark have been with us for 8 years. We've recently added Bill on trumpet and Scott on alto sax. Cathy occasionally performs with us too.
Currently, The Rhythm Party has 3 music videos (see them on this page or YouTube.com), and a CD (Breakfast with Kafka) available. Additionally, we have set list of around 30 original songs, written in various styles, from Funk to Jazz to Reggae to Death Metal to C&W, etc.
The Gang De Deux (a side project of the Rhythm Party) has been getting their act back together as a duo project. This features Mark on acoustic guitar and vocals, and Paul on clarinet and tenor sax doing original songs, ragtime-blues, off-beat Randy Newman songs and classic 30's jazz, etc.
They used to perform this act at the Above Club and the Coffee Kingdom in Worcester and various venues (including AS 220 in Providence, RI and the Worcester Artist Group) and are bringing the act back for your listening pleasure. You may see them at a few open mics Block 5 Bistro in Worcester on Mondays and Firefly's in Framingham in Wednesdays or Borders Bookstore on Fridays in Shrewsbury.
The Gang De Deux is the project that first debuted If I Only Had A Life which featured large cue cards to lead the low-tech, old-school karaoke sing-along. The cue cards have been recreated, and they are ready to rock again.
Get your very own Official Membership Card at any gig (just ask).
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The Rhythm Party Wants You!
If you play drums, bass, alto, tenor, trumpet, keys or other instrument (or dance), are a good music reader, and don't suck, you too can be added to The List. The Rhythm Party is a project band, and all our players are pro's and in at least 2 other bands, causing scheduling conflicts. If you'd like to be on The List, send an email to the address below, and we'll give you access to our Members Only section of our website. With a Member login, you can get detailed charts (bass, concert, Bb, Eb), demo versions of the songs, and live recordings of the band. You too can become a virtual member of the band, and do gigs with us if we have scheduling conflicts. |
Email: info@TheRhythmParty.com
Music Videos on YouTube.com:
She Said - Music Video
Give It A Try - Music Video
It Ain't Enough - Music Video
Rhythmically Correct Production Videos on YouTube.com:
(Videos originally aired on the WCCA, Worcester Persona show)
For Lease - Bogus PSA Video
First Stone Society - Bogus PSA Video
The Conqueror Worm, by Edgar Allen Poe - Read by George Sampson with shadow dancing