MK BIO

Since 1998, Mark has been performing with the extended Grateful Dead family (The Other Ones, Mickey Hart's Planet Drum, and Bob Weir & RatDog). He has anchored the lead guitar slot in RatDog for the last eleven years, touring the US year-round. Before crossing over into the land of the Dead, Mark worked his guitar and vocal voodoo for the likes of Dave Mason, Delaney Bramlett, the Rembrandts, Paul Carrack, Huey Lewis, Jesse Colin Young and Sophie B. Hawkins.

In recent years, Mark has also performed with The Allman Brothers, Trey Anastasio, Joan Baez, Dickey Betts, Delaney Bramlett, Larry Campbell, Clarence Clemons, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Galactic, Gov’t Mule, Jackie Greene, Sammy Hagar, Levon Helm, Bill Kirchen, Chuck Leavell, Little Feat, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Phil Lesh & Friends, John Popper, String Cheese Incident, Derek Trucks, Narada Michael Walden and others.

Mark has toured internationally, and rocked the Montreaux Jazz Festival, the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival and the Fuji Rock Festival. He has made TV appearances on Austin City Limits, VH1 Classic's All Star Jams, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Late Late Night with Craig Kilborn, Today Show and Regis & Kathy Lee. Mark has played on and/or produced numerous artists’ albums, recorded and composed music for film, television, and sound libraries, and is in demand as a studio musician.

Mark also tours with his band, “Jemimah Puddleduck”, with John Molo on drums, JT Thomas on keys, and Bob Gross on bass. Mark offers his soulful blues-based vocal stylings and inspired guitar work with a remarkably tight rhythm section in a passionate delivery of the sounds of Americana. JP is where rock meets R&B and country, with the soul of New Orleans, reggae, and funk, flashes of psychedelia, and whatever else the muse offers in the moment. In addition to his originals like "Time Will Tell" and “Leave a Light On”, as well as those of songwriter friends, Mark also covers a range of eclectic songs like Johnny "Guitar" Watson's "You Can Stay (But the Noize Must Go)", Peter Tosh's "Don't Look Back", and the Kinks’ “Lazin’ on a Sunny Afternoon”- his unique choices in music are the hallmark of the rare JP shows.

Mark’s debut album, “Walk Through the Fire” will be released by Quacktone Records on June 30, 2009, and available in stores, on Itunes, Amazon.com, and his website markkaran.com. The album features special guests Delaney Bramlett, The Persuasions, Billy Payne, The Rowan Brothers, Mike Finnigan, and Pete Sears. Other recordings featuring Mark on guitar include RatDog's "Live At Roseland” and "Evening Moods", and The Other Ones' "Only The Strange Remain" – all on Grateful Dead Records (gdstore.com).