Mike Mainieri

Mike Mainieri stands out as a vibraphonist whose long, varied career has spanned jazz, fusion, and studio work. He began performing on the instrument professionally at fourteen, joining Paul Whiteman’s Two Kings & a Queen jazz trio on the road. Between 1956 and 1963 he held a sustained role in Buddy Rich’s ensembles before shifting focus to session work and appearing on numerous pop releases. Along the way he collaborated with Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, and Wes Montgomery from 1967 to 1968, and he took part in the early fusion outfit Jeremy & the Satyrs. From 1969 to 1972 Mainieri directed the twenty-piece rehearsal ensemble White Elephant, whose roster featured the Brecker Brothers alongside other New York studio musicians. In 1979 he assembled the all-star jazz-oriented R&B/fusion group Steps—later renamed Steps Ahead—whose first lineup included Mike Brecker, Don Grolnick, Eddie Gomez, and Steve Gadd. He has reconvened the band on multiple occasions since, drawing strong input from saxophonist Bendik, Warren Bernhardt, Eliane Elias, Rachel Z, Mike Stern, Tony Levin, Victor Bailey, Peter Erskine, and Steve Smith. Mainieri launched his own NYC label in 1992 and released the exploratory album An American Diary on it. Before establishing NYC he had issued leader dates on Argo in 1962 as well as on Solid State, Arista, Artists House, Warner Bros., and Elektra.