"The Most Fun I've Ever Had with my Clothes On", is what Mark Rivera says about the time he spent working with Peter Gabriel. He also calls Billy Joel the "Greatest Writing Talent" he's worked with, Ringo Star "the Nicest Man in the World," Elton John "Flamboyant but Engaging" and Paul Simon "the Greatest Lyricist of our Time." Yes, Rivera has met and worked with some of the biggest names in music and if you never heard of him you most certainly have seen him performing or heard him on one of the many recordings he has contributed to. In addition to the performers mentioned, Rivera has toured with and/or recorded with the likes of John Lennon, Hall and Oates, the Who's John Entwhistle, Billy Preston, Billy Ocean, and The Eagle's guitarist Joe Walsh. On Gabriel's album 'So', Rivera played and arranged the horns for "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time", two songs so fun and exuberant that it is truly difficult to not dance when hearing them, clothed or not.

And when it comes to clothes, Rivera is a long time fan of Jhane Barnes for his wardrobe both on and off stage. He calls her work "a marriage of design and function" with exquisite fit and tailoring highlighted by rich colors and textures. "I love the way it makes me feel...the way it moves with me," he noted. He appreciates the way Jhane combines unique fabrics, commanding silhouettes and cutting edge details similar to the way a good musician creates rich arrangements from a combination of chords, melodies and rhythms. Rivera calls Jhane a "fashion star". And he should know, given the artists he has worked with.

A graduate of the High School of Music & Performing Arts in Manhattan, Rivera plays soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones and his talents also encompass vocals, guitar, percussion and keyboards. Mark's primary association over the years has been Billy Joel with whom he has worked since the early eighties and has contributed to every tour and many of his records since 1982. As Joel was once quoted as saying "I never leave home (to tour) without MarkÉhe's a crown jewel of my band." And Mark Rivera, who is on the road constantly, never leaves home without his Jhane Barnes wardrobe.

Mark began his relationship with Jhane Barnes 24 years ago when he saw a multi-colored jacket of hers in a shop in SoHo. He tried it on, loved it, bought it and has been wearing Jhane ever since. About 10 years ago he was introduced to Jhane by a mutual friend who was also a big Jhane fan. "Jhane is grateful and unassuming and all about the work and creativity," says Rivera. "She is a true artist." "Her clothes can be very bold and I like it," he adds. "They look good on stage."

Learn more about Mark by visiting his web page at http://markrivera.com.

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Past articles
Larry Bedini
Marc Kaiser
Seth Shostak