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Harvey Mason

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Harvey Mason is an American jazz drummer and producer, born on 22 February 1947 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. He started on drums at a young age, with the support of his father, who was a drummer in an army band. He studied for a time at Berklee and then at the New England Conservatory, where Vic Firth was one of his teachers. Later he received an honorary doctorate from Berklee.

Music and breakthrough

Mason was the first drummer of The Headhunters, the fusion band around Herbie Hancock, and played on the album Head Hunters. He then became a much-in-demand studio musician. He played on records by Bill Withers, George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Notorious B.I.G., among others, and produced the group Seawind. Together with Bob James, Lee Ritenour and bassist Nathan East he founded the jazz group Fourplay, and albums released under his own name include Marching in the Street from 1975, Funk in a Mason Jar from 1977 and Chameleon from 2014.

Influence

Mason's playing combines the swing of jazz with the tight groove of funk and soul. He names Art Blakey, Max Roach, Tony Williams and Steve Gadd as his models. His significance lies in the foundation: on many recordings where you would not immediately guess it, his drum pattern lies beneath the whole.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Chameleon by Herbie Hancock on Head Hunters. Notice the drum pattern beneath the bass riff: how steady the rhythm stays while the synthesizers above play freely.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists