'Chameleon', the scintillating Concord Records debut from multi-GRAMMY nominated Harvey Mason, finds him drawing upon the rich jazz-funk legacy of the 1970s and recasting seven of that era's most enduring classics with an early 21st-century sheen. A legendary session drummer, producer, composer and recording artist, Mason is among the most recorded and in-demand musicians of all-time. 'Chameleon' features some of the brightest young jazz talents on the scene today. Such as trumpeter Christian Scott, bassist Ben Williams, pianist/keyboardist Kris Bowers and guitarist Matthew Stevens. Bringing more young firepower to the fore are trombonist/vocalist Corey "CK" King, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, vocalist Chris Turner and keyboardist Mark de Clive-Lowe. Helping Mason steer this cooperative are some of his contemporaries - bassist and co-founder of the legendary Yellowjackets, Jimmy Haslip; percussionist and founder of Los Hombres El Caliente, Bill Summers; and bassist Paul Jackson. Summers and Jackson worked with Mason on Herbie Hancock's 1973 landmark LP, 'Head Hunters'. The disc includes an imaginative take on "Chameleon" from that session, as well as other classic 70s jazz-funk gems such as Bobby Hutcherson's "Montara" and Donald Byrd's, "Places and Spaces". In a phenomenal career Mason has been hired by everyone from Barbra Streisand to James Brown, Mary J Blige to Herbie Hancock, Jennifer Hudson to Frank Sinatra and John Legend to the London Symphony Orchestra.
I**.
Ok but not outstanding or exciting.
Harvey Mason at Cti records and later must have played on all of the most significant jazz funk records made. Benson, Bob James, Grover Washington. I came upon his solo work with Earthmover but try as I may I haven’t found a solo project that matches his work as as session man on drums with other artists. This is the same. Ok but no innovative or outstanding melodic track can I find.
M**H
Not just drum n' bass
Beautiful funky/soul songs with some refined, restrained percussion and drumming from a master.
M**S
Five Stars
GREAT ALBUM.
