Marc Hansen - Our Friend
"It's the groove, the pocket we're looking for"
Marc died in a car accident 14 February 2012.
Native San Franciscan, Marc Hansen, was born in 1952. His dad was a college professor, Mom hosted a teenage dance TV show, "Dottie Hansen's Hi-Time." Guest artists were influential in Marc's early life, Louie Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Johnny Mathis, Billie Holiday, Dave Brubeck, Jack Teagarden, Harry Bellafonte, Count Bassie, Mel Torme, Nat King Cole and many more.
Marc Hansen began performing as a singer & guitarist at sock hops and school dances in Jr. high school in Napa, Ca. After moving to New England in the late 60's he became involved in the fiddle music/contra dance scene. There he recorded with Dudley Laufman's Canterbury Country Dance Orchestra on upright bass. During this period he formed an acoustic vocal duo with David Raitt and performed all over New England at college campuses and coffee houses. Blues-lady Rory Block's father, Alan Block would often hire Marc on guitar and David on bass to accompany his vocal and fiddle performances.
In the early 70's, The Hansen and Raitt Band formed in Northern California and became a Mendocino County favorite. During this era Marc performed on stage with Bonnie Raitt, and she also sat in with his band on occasion.
During his career, Marc Hansen's stage has been graced by: Ford Brothers- Robben, Mark and Pat, Paul McCandless (Oregon), Jimmy Hodder (Steeley Dan), Mike Osborn and Kenny Baker (John Lee Hooker), Luther Tucker, Mona Gnader (Sammy Hagar) and Gene Parsons (The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers).
In 1984 Marc traveled to L.A. to produce a recording titled "Rock & Roll is After You," featuring internationally known guitarist Robben Ford, Grammy award winner Jimmy Haslip (The Yellow Jackets) on bass and legendary Vinnie Caliouta on drums. Bonnie Raitt and Michelle McCord contributed background vocals to this recording. In 1988 Marc co-wrote and co-produced a record titled "Little World", a response to the imminent threat of offshore oil drilling.
In the early '90's Marc spent three years in San Diego honing his solo act in the coffee house/pub scene. There he also founded Lime in the Harp which performed traditional instrumental folk music from the British Isles. Lime in the Harp played regularly for contra dances in San Diego.
Besides solo and duo performances, Marc Hansen's bands were The Hansen and Raitt Band and The Marc Hansen Band. Marc's latest focus was swing music as singer and guitarist. In the early 90's Marc played rhythm guitar and sang lead for a swing band named Kat Jazz in San Francisco and many points North.
