[3] Helias has performed with a wide variety of musicians, first and foremost with trombonist Ray Anderson, with whom he led the ironic 1980s avant-funk band Slickaphonics, and a trio with Gerry Hemingway on drums, formed in the late 1970s, later named BassDrumBone.

[1][2] Helias has also performed with members of Ornette Coleman's band, Don Cherry, Dewey Redman, and Ed Blackwell, and with musicians affiliated with the AACM, such as Anthony Braxton and Muhal Richard Abrams.

[2][3] Since 1984 Mark Helias has released twelve recordings under his own name and further albums leading the archetypal improvising trio Open Loose since the late 1990s.

[2] With Open Loose Duo with Jane Ira Bloom With Sophia Domancich and Andrew Cyrille With Terrence McManus and Gerry Hemingway With Michael Moore, Alex Maguire, and Han Bennink With Mark Dresser With Daniele D'Agaro and U.T.

BassDrumBone With Ralph Alessi and Modular Theatre With Barry Altschul With Ray Anderson With the Ed Blackwell Project With Jane Ira Bloom With Anthony Braxton With Don Cherry With Marilyn Crispell With Franco D'Andrea With Anthony Davis With Benoît Delbecq Unit With Paul Dunmall Sun Quartet With Marty Ehrlich With Ricardo Gallo's Tierra de Nadie With Dennis González NY Quartet With Jerome Harris With Gerry Hemingway With Peter Herborn With David Lopato With Joe Lovano With Michael Moore With Simon Nabatov With Operazone (Bill Laswell-Alan Douglas-Karl Berger-Project) With Jim Pepper With Bobby Previte With Enrico Rava With Dewey Redman With Joe Rosenberg With Roswell Rudd and Heather Masse With Samo Šalamon With Dave Schnitter