Chameleon

Chameleon

The lead composition, Chameleon, from Herbie Hancock s 1973 landmark Head Hunters serves, in part, as the signifying reference for Harvey Mason s new CD. Not only did Mason provide the rhythmic spank for the jazz-funk staple, he co-wrote it with Hancock along with several other bandmates Paul Jackson and reedist Bennie Maupin. Chameleon features some of the brightest young jazz talents on the scene today: NEXT Collective alumni such as trumpeter Christian Scott, bassist Ben Williams, pianist/keyboardist Kris Bowers, guitarist Matthew Stevens, trombonist/vocalist Corey CK King, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, vocalist Chris Turner, and keyboardist/electronica producer, Mark de Clive-Lowe. Helping Harvey 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 having worked with Mason on the original Head Hunters).<br><br>Besides being the mainstay drummer of Fourplay (who has sold millions of albums, to date), Harvey has also worked with Barbra Streisand, James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Bjork, Carlos Santana, Michael Jackson, John Legend, Seal, and the London Symphony Orchestra. He has composed and written songs recorded by artists ranging from Nancy Wilson and Mary J. Blige to The Notorious B.I.G., Lupe Fiasco, Nelly/P. Diddy and T.I.