Biography
One of the most recorded drummers of all time in all genres of music, Harvey Mason’s resume is the envy of many musicians. With over 1,000 recording sessions and fifteen solo projects to his name, the Atlantic City native has played drums alongside some of the biggest names in popular music. He’s grooved with soul stars (Aretha Franklin), jazz geniuses (Herbie Hancock), and pop queens (Cher); collaborated with famous record producers (Quincy Jones) and accompanied iconic singer-songwriters (Carole King). His ability to play and record all genres of music earned Mason the nickname “Chameleon,” a moniker referencing the title of the 1973 Herbie Hancock hit he co-wrote with the keyboardist and Bennie Maupin.
In addition to his role as a first-call session drummer, Mason is also a Grammy-nominated recording artist, composer, and producer in his own right. As a solo artist, he enjoyed a string of US R&B hits in the ’70s; and in the ‘90s, he co-founded the highly successful Fourplay, a popular contemporary jazz supergroup.
Today in 2025, the Fourplay founding member, co-producer, drummer and composer has signed a recording agreement with Evolution Music Group. His debut release for the company’s evosound label is Changing Partners , a collection of acoustic straight-ahead jazz recorded with different piano trios. The follow up to his group project, Harvey Mason Chameleon , the album features a rotating cast of musical collaborators, including jazz luminaries Chick Corea , Stanley Clarke , Dave Grusin , and Buster Williams . The presence of Cuba’s Gonzalo Rubalcaba , France’s Jackie Terrason , Japan’s Makoto Ozone , Denmark’s Thomas Fonnesbaek , Poland’s Darek “Oles” Oleszkiewicz , the UK’s Orlando le Fleming , and Sweden’s Lars Jansson brings an international flavor to an enthralling game of musical chairs where Mason – whose masterful drumming is the record’s beating heart – is the only constant.
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