Mark Johnson got a humble start on his dad’s cocktail drum. One who began to notice was Art Blakey, who prodded the young Mark. “He told me that I could play the drums in any small city, but that people wouldn’t get to know me,” says Mark. “To really learn the drums, and the music, he said I would have to come to New York. I visited in 1978 and immediately began to work with everybody, starting with Walter Davis Jr. Others include Abbey Lincoln, Geri Allen, Stanley Turrentine, Cassandra Wilson, David Murray, and Ray Spiegal.