Harvey Mason

In the 1970s, Harvey Mason was one of those busy L.A.-based sessions players who had one foot in jazz and the other in R&B. The drummer backed his share of soul heavyweights (including Earth, Wind & Fire, Aretha Franklin, James Brown and the Brothers Johnson), but he never lost his jazz chops. Recorded in 1976, Earthmover is among the mostly instrumental albums that Mason provided during his stay at Arista. This self-produced LP, which finds him trying to balance commercial and creative considerations, is a mixed bag. Some of the material is strong, especially the cerebral fusion item "No Lands Man" (which boasts Jan Hammer on keyboards) and the funky "Bertha Baptist." And the contemplative "First Summer" is an enjoyable track that reminds the listener of the underrated Hawaiian funk/fusion outfit Seawind, which isn't surprising because it was co-written and arranged by Seawind's Bob Wilson.

Harvey Mason 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, Dave Grusin, Chick Corea, the Brecker Brothers, Chuck Loeb, Nathan East, Lee Ritenour, Casiopea, 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.

Together with jazz legend and Grammy award winner Bob James, trumpeter Till Brönner – Germany’s most successful jazz musician – has transformed holiday moods into a multi-layered sound painting. Close your eyes and dream: “On Vacation is first and foremost a feeling for me and we have transformed this feeling into music,” explains Brönner Virtuosic, full of creative love for refined details and at the same time of the greatest possible nonchalance, Brönner and James create an imaginative and sonorous music for inspiration, reflection and daydreaming.

'Between the Sheets' is the second studio album of smooth jazz group Fourplay and was released in August 1993. The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart and No. 15 on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. 'Between the Sheets' sold over 500,000 copies in the United States and thus certified gold by the RIAA. 'Between the Sheets', the popular single, written by the Isley Brothers, features Fourplay members Bob James (piano), Lee Ritenour (guitar), Nathan East (lead vocals and bass) and Harvey Mason (drums) with guests, soul singer Chaka Khan on lead vocals, backed-up by Philip Bailey and Phil Perry. Sultry and smooth, oozing with class. Amoroso is a sprightly tune that features sparkling solos from James and Ritenour while East and Mason (composer) keep a lively groove simmering underneath. This continues to be a defining album for smooth Jazz genre and Fourplay.