In 1985 Mark was invited, by Mark Nightingale, to join the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. During the subsequent decade he played with Loose Tubes, Brotherhood of Breath, Mike Westbrook, Stan Tracey and John Dankworth and Cleo Laine.

His playing covers many styles from swing to bop, as well as more contemporary fields. Musical associations include Julian Arguelles, Alan Barnes, Liane Carroll, Mike Gibbs, Charlotte Glasson, Nikki Iles, Billy Jenkins and the BBC Big Band, Lemke-Nendza-Hillmann Trio, Daphna Sadeh, Terry Seabrook, Stan Sulzmann, Clark Tracey, Kenny Wheeler and Denis Colin. He has recorded widely with many people and released two albums under his own name: Mark Bassey’s Telling Stories and Bassey Plays Basie.