In the Summer of 1995 at an event in his hometown of Alameda, Ca, Mark was invited on stage to sit in with local hotshots the Alameda All Stars. As a respected band in the Bay Area they hosted a revolving door of respected players and their reputation was strong and notorious. Occasional jams led to Mark filling in on shows and the fill-in gigs quickly morphed into a new, consistent line-up. With keyboardist Tommy Thompson, bassist Tommy Miller and drummer Preston Thrall the quartet performed frequently and the vibe was fresh and lively. Their blend of blues, rock, funk and extended jams was a different style for Mark to explore and together they harnessed a very strong chemistry. And while he didn't see this as a long term situation, the easy going nature of the band facilitated a welcomed, relaxed platform following the not stop grind of the previous decade in the Metal scene.

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For a few years the All Stars had been working with Southern Rock icon Gregg Allman and when a guitar slot became available, Mark was quickly invited to audition. He secured the slot and performed his debut show in on Dec 26th, 1995 in San Francisco, CA. As lead guitarist for  Gregg Allman & Friends, he held the position for ten years from 1995-2004 and again in 2007.

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Mark was always an original music artist, and he'd expressed his desire to write original songs with the All Stars for a full length album, but his excitement, interest and commitment to the idea was never fully reciprocated. To have captured the immense talent and chemistry brewing between them, would have truly resulted in a most special musical outing that would've documented the incredible energy of the band. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be.

 

The All Stars were often involved in community based events and causes, donating their talents and time. They were also called upon relentlessly for large scale events to backup artists such as Leslie West, Denny Laine (Moody Blues, Wings), David and Linda LaFlamme (It's A Beautiful Day) and Brian Auger to name a few.

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By summer of 2019 with some AAS members departing and returning, the band activities slowed and Mark's opportunities with his longtime original band Luvplanet were growing and demanding more attention. And then due to a minimal scheduling request, Mark was asked to choose between his commitments with his band and the All Stars. This came as quite a shock considering his 24 years of loyalty to the All Stars. Needless to say, without a second thought Mark wished them all well and moved on to focus all his energies on his own music and mission!​​