From Herbie Hancock to Donald Byrd and the Mizell Brothers: meet one of the most iconic drummers in the history of jazz and funk.

Harvey Mason is a master of the drum. His work on Donald Byrd’s breakthrough LP Black Byrd showcased his signature loose, rolling funk feel, and soon he was a fully fledged member of Herbie Hancock’s seminal Headhunters group. After that the floodgates opened, with ‘The Mase’ laying down the rhythm track on classic records by the likes of James Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Ahmad Jamal, Bobby Hutcherson, Chick Corea, Minnie Riperton, Patrice Rushen, Earth, Wind & Fire, Bobbi Humphrey, Gary Bartz – the list goes on and on. He’s also put the hours in behind the desk, producing records for the likes of Seawind, Midnight Star and Dionne Warwick. Besides being the go-to drummer of the Mizell Brothers’ biggest compositions, Mr. Mason embarked on a solo career and signed a five-year contract with Clive Davis’ Arista Records in 1975. For his five jazz-rock and disco-tinged albums for Arista (and Ratamacue released for Atlantic in 1996), he earned five Grammy nominations. His journey in the drum has seen him go from Atlantic City, Erroll Garner and Duke Ellington to fusion, disco and film scores alongside the likes of CTI, George Benson, and Quincy Jones, not to mention his own smash hit records.

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