Harvey Mason

Harvey Mason
Background information
Birth name Harvey William Mason
Born (1947-02-22) February 22, 1947
Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Rock, Pop, R&B, Soul, Country, Classical, Latin
Occupation(s) Musician, Producer, Composer
Instruments Drums, percussion
Years active 1970–present
Labels Arista, Atlantic, Concord
Associated acts Headhunters, Fourplay, Chameleon Band
Website www.harveymason.net

Harvey William Mason (born February 22, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, record producer, and member of the band Fourplay. He has worked with many jazz and jazz fusion artists, including Bob James, Chick Corea, the Brecker Brothers, Chuck Loeb, Nathan East, Lee Ritenour, Herbie Hancock's Headhunters and almost all the Mizell Brothers productions with Donald Byrd, Johnny Hammond, Bobbi Humphrey, and Gary Bartz. He is featured on George Benson's multi-platinum-selling breakthrough jazz to pop crossover album of 1976, Breezin'. Mason is the father of Harvey Mason Jr.

Mason grew up in Atlantic City, New Jersey and attended Atlantic City High School.[1]

Career

Starting in 1975, Mason began recording albums as a leader, the first five for Arista Records, which he also produced hiring the cream of the crop of primarily West Coast-based musicians and singers from the jazz, rock, pop, R&B and recording session scenes. In 1979, he had a hit single in dance clubs with "Groovin' You," the title track of his fourth album. It was sampled by house music producer Gusto in his 1996 hit "Disco's Revenge".

Equipment

Mason endorses Canopus drums,[2] Murat Diril cymbals,[3] Remo drumheads, DW pedals, Vic Firth drumsticks[4] and Roc N Soc drum thrones.[5] Mason has his own Vic Firth Harvey Mason signature drumstick [4] and Vic Firth Harvey Mason Chameleon signature drumstick.[4] In the past, he has previously used Gretsch drums,[6] Premier drums,[7] Rogers Drums,[8] Tama drums,[9] Sabian cymbals, Zildjian cymbals,[8] Toca percussion[6] and Gibraltar Hardware.[6]

Discography

As leader

TitleReleasedLabel
Marching in the Street1976Arista
Earth Mover1977Arista
Funk in a Mason Jar1977Arista
Groovin' You1979Arista
M.V.P1981Arista
Stone Mason1982Atlantic
Ratamacue1996Atlantic
Trios2003Video Arts
With All My Heart2004RCA
Changing Partners2012Video Arts
Chameleon2014Concord

With Fourplay

TitleReleasedLabel
Fourplay1991Warner Bros.
Between the Sheets1993Warner Bros.
Elixir1995Warner Bros.
The Best of Fourplay1997Warner Bros.
41998Warner Bros.
Snowbound1999Warner Bros.
Yes, Please!2000Warner Bros.
Heartfelt2002Bluebird
Journey2004Bluebird
X2006Bluebird
Energy2008Heads Up
Let's Touch the Sky2010Heads Up
Esprit de Four2012Heads Up
Silver2015Heads Up

As sideman

With Larry Carlton

  • Deep into It (2001)
  • I Hear Angels Calling (2006)

With George Benson

With Donald Byrd

With Ron Carter

With Casiopea

With Herbie Hancock

With Gene Harris

With Bobbi Humphrey

With Bob James

  • One (1974)
  • Two (1975)
  • Three (1976)
  • BJ4 (1977)
  • Heads (1977)
  • Hi-Fi (2003)
  • Angels of Shanghai (2006)

With Lee Ritenour

With Stanley Turrentine

With Grover Washington Jr.

With Carole King

With Moacir Santos

With The Brothers Johnson

With Dee Dee Bridgewater

References

  1. ↑ Jackson, Vincent. "AC native Harvey Mason moves to the beat of his drum; Native son returns to Atlantic City Saturday to perform his own music", The Press of Atlantic City, June 23, 2015. Accessed August 8, 2018. "'It was a one-of-a-kind kind of situation, and unfortunately, it doesn't exist that way, but I was very, very fortunate,' said Mason, who began playing drums professionally during the 1960s while attending Atlantic City High School."
  2. ↑ "Harvey Mason Profile". Archived from the original on 2015-01-07. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Harvey Mason: Murat Diril Cymbals". muratdiril.com. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
  4. 1 2 3 "Artists". Vic Firth. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
  5. ↑ "Contact – Harvey Mason". Harveymason.net. Retrieved August 2, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 Fourplay (3) – Elixir at Discogs
  7. ↑ Harvey Mason – M.V.P. at Discogs
  8. 1 2 Harvey Mason – Groovin' You at Discogs
  9. ↑ "Harvey Mason « Fourplay". Fourplayjazz.com. 2016-07-16. Retrieved 2016-07-22.
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