Harvey Mason

Throughout his professional journey, Harvey Mason established himself as a prolific studio musician whose drumming versatility allowed him to thrive across diverse musical settings. He studied at Berklee before earning his degree from the New England Conservatory. His initial professional engagements featured a four-month stint alongside Erroll Garner in 1970, followed by a full year with George Shearing spanning 1970 to 1971. After parting ways with Shearing, Mason relocated to Los Angeles, where he swiftly secured steady studio assignments involving both film and television projects. Beyond his extensive behind-the-scenes contributions, he remained deeply engaged with the jazz community, performing with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters in 1973, joining Gerry Mulligan for a 1974 Carnegie Hall concert, and collaborating with Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington, Jr. on Mister Magic, Lee Ritenour, Victor Feldman, George Benson on the drums for "This Masquerade," Bob James, and numerous additional artists. In 1998, Mason honored Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers through a series of club performances in the Los Angeles area. During the early 2000s he maintained his consistent session schedule while issuing two solo releases, Trios in 2003 and With All My Heart in 2004. Mason returned to his 1970s Headhunters era in 2014 with the Concord album Chameleon.