In A Mellow Tone
Wednesday February 22nd, 2023 with Heavy Ben
Black History Month profile on Harvey Mason
Happy 76th birthday to Harvey Mason, the most recorded and most influential drummer / percussionist in the world of jazz-funk, fusion, and soul-jazz.
Mason made over 200 recording appearances in the 1970s alone, and hundreds more since. His career began in the late '60's performing with jazz legends Duke Ellington and Erroll Garner. He has performed on over 150 motion picture soundtracks, played at a dozen Academy Awards, and earned seven Grammy nominations. He remains active in his band Fourplay.
Harvey Mason's contributions are so vast that you wonder what the 1970s would have sounded like without him.
https://www.discogs.com/artist/64652-Harvey-Mason?type=Credits&subtype=Instruments-Performance&filter_anv=0
Today we'll focus on the mid-1970s jazz-funk that paved the way for future generations of jazz musicians and hip hop producers.
| Hour one |
| Camel Rise Bobby Hutcherson - Montara - Blue Note - 1975 |
| Leaving This Planet Charles Earland - Leaving This Planet - Prestige - 1974 |
| Pretty Pepper King Errisson Island Son - We Must Say Goodbye - Kosons - 1973 |
| Jubilation Patrice Rushen - Before The Dawn - Prestige - 1975 |
| Darkness, Darkness Phillip (Phil) Upchurch - Darkness, Darkness - Blue Thumb - 1972 |
| Modaji Harvey Mason - Marching In The Street - Arista - 1975 |
| Bitter With The Sweet Carole King - Rhymes & Reasons - Ode - 1972 |
| Higga-Boom Gene Harris - Astralsignal - Blue Note - 1974 |
| The Streets Of San Francisco Henry Mancini - The Cop Show Themes - RCA Victor - 1976 |
| Witch Hunt Donald Byrd - Street Lady - Blue Note - 1973 |
| Hour two |
| Chicago, Damn Bobbi Humphrey - Blacks And Blues - Blue Note - 1974 |
| Crisis Freddie Hubbard - High Energy - Columbia - 1974 |
| A Child's Love (Slow) Johnny Hammond - Gears [expanded edition] - Milestone - 2015 (orig. 1975) |
| Bertha Baptist Harvey Mason - Earthmover - Arista - 1976 |
| Chameleon Herbie Hancock - Head Hunters - Columbia - 1973 |
| A Very Gentle Sound Gloria Lynne - A Very Gentle Sound - Mercury - 1972 |
| Soulution Joe Henderson - Black Miracle - Milestone - 1976 |
| Tryin' To Find Out About You Quincy Jones - Mellow Madness - A&M - 1975 |
| Mister Magic Grover Washington, Jr. - Mister Magic - Kudu - 1975 |
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Good stuff!
9:25 PM, February 21st, 2023