LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ OWL Studios) AS SEEN VIA NPR A BLOG SUPREME
'An ambitious new jazz release - one that continues to push the edges of fusion, incorporating hip hop and funk with the presence of Snoop Dogg and George Clinton' 'It wouldn't be unfair to call The Headhunters the godfathers of Jazz Fusion'
The Legendary Headhunters, Lead by Founding Members Mike Clark and Bill Summers, Ready 'Platinum' for June 14th Release on Owl Studios; Early Raves Take Shape
Soon to be Featured in Modern Drummer, RELIX Magazine, JAZZIZ, JAZZTIMES, DRUM! Magazine and Much More Critics Begin Highlighting Specific Tracks: 'Platinum opens with "Mission Statement", and bassist Gary Mielke nearly steals the show right out of the box, oozing funk in a driving line that electrifies the entire song. Jaecyn Byrne takes the mic with a rap about his goals as an artist that's both poetic and sharp. "Salamander" is a funk-driven instrumental with a wicked trumpet/sax pairing. There's a danceable yet mellow groove here that's inescapable.'
Early raves have greeted 'Platinum', by The Legendary Headhunters. Critics have described the collection as 'an ambitious new jazz release - one that continues to push the edges of fusion, incorporating hip hop and funk with the presence of Snoop Dogg and George Clinton,' and have proclaimed: 'it wouldn't be unfair to call The Headhunters the godfathers of Jazz Fusion,' 'Platinum will likely be one of the Top-25 selling Jazz albums of 2011, and for good reason.' 'A true fusion of Hip Hop, Jazz, Rap, Salsa, Rock, New Orleans, African rhythm and more. The Headhunters are steeped in the funk and jazz traditions. The groove in undeniable...'
Recently included via NPR A BLOG SUPREME, the June 14th CD, on the respected Owl Studios label, finds Headhunters' founding members Mike Clark and Bill Summers powering their band (and notable guest artists) through an invigorating collection of original songs that deftly move from Hip-Hop to Jazz to Funk to Rap to R & B.� In addition to Snoop Dogg and George Clinton, other guests include rappers Killah Priest, Jaecyn Bayne, Private Pile, jazz headliners Donald Harrison, Patrice Rushen, the renowned Bennie Maupin and more. Learn more about the project, and check out audio samples, here: https://www.headhunters-platinum.com and here:
https://www.reverbnation.com/c./rpk/314649?access_code=f5cc78fdf66f6baadeb1&auto_play=trueNo press
The genre-bending album has generated interest among a wide range of media, from national outlets RELIX MAGAZINE, MODERN DRUMMER, JAZZIZ, JAZZTIMES, DRUM! MAGAZINE to major dailies, syndicated outlets, rock/pop writers, key jazz freelancers, web-based editorial content sites and much more. See a sampling of pre-release coverage, below:
Something Else! ALL ABOUT JAZZ Sneak Peek: The Headhunters, 'Tracie' �
By Nick DeRiso, 5/2/11
https://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/05/02/something-else-sneak-peek-the-headhunters-tracie-2011/
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=80644
The Headhunters have completed an ambitious new jazz release - one that continues to push the edges of fusion, incorporating hip hop and funk with the presence of Snoop Dogg and George Clinton, yet still retains the band's funky core sound. That's perhaps nowhere better heard than on this standout track from Platinum, to be issued by the Owl Studios label on June 14.
The Latin-tinged 'Tracie' begins with a bassline from Richie Goods that sounds like a question mark, surrounded by a sensual, undulating rhythm that's become something a trademark for the Headhunters. Direct connections from their original incarnation as the hip-shaking backing group for Herbie Hancock's blockbuster 1973 collaboration Head Hunters arrive in the form of Bill Summers and Mike Clark, still this rumbling presence on percussion and drums, as well as original Headhunters saxophonist Bennie Maupin. Also featured: altoist Donald Harrison (with Summers and Clark since 2001), and trumpeter Derrick Gardner.
Written in memory of Summers' late wife, the tune finds Maupin switching to tenor - and very nearly stealing the show. But then Gardner provides this sharp, incisive contrast to the fuller, more boisterous sound of a group of saxes that also includes Rob Dixon, almost like a fast-talking old friend. It's the perfect counterpoint. When the wider group rejoins for a restatement of the main theme, the song flirts with reverie for a moment, but then regathers itself for another brilliant round of soloing. Clark and Summers are joined on the timbales by Alexei Marti, and together they launch 'Tracie' forward into its triumphal fade. If you worried that a Santana-style merry-go-round of guests might push these reunited Headhunters too far afield, 'Tracie' quickly, and definitively, puts that to rest.
Read the expansive, two-day, syndicated interview feature with Bill Summers from Somethingelsereviews/All About Jazz, recently posted by NPR A BLOG SUPREME's 'AROUND THE JAZZ INTERNET' column:
Part One: https://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/06/08/something-else-interview-percussionist-bill-summers-of-the-headhunters/
and Part Two: https://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/06/09/one-track-mind-bill-summers-on-watermelon-man-god-make-me-funky-others/
JAZZTIMES.com
Mike Clark: A Positive Force
Interview with drummer from original Headhunters group
By Dominic Fragman- 5/26/11
Mike Clark's skills, creativity and groove communique from behind the drum set have long been the catalyst for many a drummers' funk and jazz aspirations-whether said drummers are aware of the influence or not. Clark's syncopated sense of time has oozed out from Oakland onto countless records and tours. He is widely known for his work with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters, beginning with the 1974 record, Thrust and the sounds of "Actual Proof." Clark is now a staple on the world's music scene. He keeps more than busy with a variety of musically varied projects and has established himself at home and abroad as a popular jazz-drumming bandleader.
Clark's latest project, the Headhunters' Platinum, will be released on June 14 on the Owl Studios label and will feature the group under the leadership of Clark and Bill Summers, with contributions from Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, Killah Priest, Donald Harrison, Patrice Rushen, Rob Dixon, Derrick Gardner and Richie Goods. Read the full, lengthy feature, here: https://jazztimes.com/articles/27749-mike-clark-a-positive-force
NEW ORLEANS TIMES PICAYUNE
Headhunters, Los Hombres Calientes keep Bill Summers busy during the New Orleans Jazz Fest By Keith Spera 4/29/11 https://www.nola.com/jazzfest/index.ssf/2011/04/headhunters_los_hombres_calien.html
Percussionist Bill Summers is fired up about the new album by the Headhunters, the storied jazz fusion band he's powered since the 1970s.
"It's called 'Platinum,' so it better be good," Summers said this week during a rare quiet moment in New Orleans, his longtime home. "I feel pretty good about it. It's the best record we've done in many years."
Guests on "Platinum" range from Snoop Dogg to George Clinton to members of the Count Basie Orchestra. Summers and drummer Mike Clark are the longest-serving members of the Headhunters; current collaborators include local saxophonist Donald Harrison Jr. and rapper Private Pile.
The Headhunters celebrate "Platinum" with a Saturday show at Maison on Frenchmen Street. Additionally, Summers and trumpeter Irvin Mayfield have reactivated Los Hombres Calientes, the Grammy-nominated Latin jazz band they laid to rest after Hurricane Katrina; Los Hombres performs on the New Orleans Jazz Fest's Jazz & Heritage Stage on Friday, April 29 at 4:20 p.m.
"I'm really enjoying working with Irvin," Summers said. "He's a different guy now. He's settled down." Between the Headhunters, Los Hombres, and his various cultural initiatives, workshops and mentoring, Summers says he's "busier now than I've been in the last five years."
WILDYSWORLD
By Wildy Haskell� 5/26/11
(excerpts)
https://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2011/05/headhunters-platinum.html
It wouldn't be unfair to call The Headhunters the godfathers of Jazz Fusion. Originally Herbie Hancock's backing band for his 1973 masterpiece album Head Hunters, The Headhunters have continued on over the years as periodic collaborators with Hancock as well as an individual band. On hiatus throughout the 1980's and most of the 1990's, The Headhunters reunited with Hancock in 1998 for The Return Of The Headhunters. The Headhunters have continued on their own since then, blend jazz, funk, African and Caribbean styles with traditional and electronic instrumentation to create a singular sound that has been copied, imitated and sampled by numerous acts over the years. Led by long-time members Mike Clark and Bill Summers, the Headhunters return on June 7, 2011 with Platinum, a collection of twelve thrilling tracks with special guests such as Snoop Dogg, Killah Priest, Jaecyn Bayne, Private Pile, Bernie Maupin, Patrice Rushen and George Clinton. Platinum opens with "Mission Statement", and bassist Gary Mielke nearly steals the show right out of the box, oozing funk in a driving line that electrifies the entire song. Jaecyn Byrne takes the mic with a rap about his goals as an artist that's both poetic and sharp. "Salamander" is a funk-driven instrumental with a wicked trumpet/sax pairing. There's a danceable yet mellow groove here that's inescapable. Snoop Dogg, Killah Priest and George Clinton all have input on "D-Funk (Funk With Us), a vibrant blend of funk and jazz in a modern setting. "Tracie" dips into Latin Jazz and Meringue in an enjoyable instrumental that you won't be able to sit still for. "Paging Mr. Wesley" steps back into a late 1970's and early 1980's pop/jazz/disco sound for a catchy and danceable instrumental. Things get truly interesting on "M. Trane", a sax-led instrumental sonically inspired by John Coltrane that's fired along by deceptively cool percussion work. Saxophone plays a bit too heavy a role here, but it's otherwise a fine piece of ensemble work. "Apple Tree" finds Jaecyn Bayne returning to mic with another song about aspirations. Once Bayne runs out, the Headhunters take things on to a new phase of instrumental jazz expressionism that is better experienced than described. "Palm Nut" is an extended instrumental that gets a bit lost in its own voluminous nature at times, but always returns to a solid theme. Entertaining and well played the experimental free style jazz number benchmarks on tradition, while constantly casting out for new horizons musically. "Congo Place" is a solid offering, and leads into the alternating frenetic and lyric passages of "Headhunting". Pretty at times, raucous at others, "Headhunting" uses trumpet and a trio of saxophones to smooth out the edges in between energetic and occasionally chaotic passages and runs. "Skizness" brings Private Pile to the fore with a purely entertaining rumination on state of being. The Headhunters wrap things up with a more straightforward pop/jazz sound on "Soul Glow"...Platinum will likely be one of the Top-25 selling Jazz albums of 2011, and for good reason. Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5) Learn more about The Headhunters at www.owlstudios.com. Platinum drops on June 14, 2011. You can pre-order the album from Amazon.com as a CD or Download from Amazon.com.
JAZZTIMES.com
Tony Adamo and the legendary Headhunters
By Tony Adamo, 5/24/11 Members of the legendary Headhunters who backed Herbie Hancock on several recordings have cooked up a new soul groove for Tony Adamo's remake of the Tower of Power hit, 'What is Hip.' Original members Mike Clark (drums), Bill Summers, (percussion) and new Headhunter, Richie Goods (bass) form an insatiable groove that is interwoven throughout this funk/jazz hip/spoken word mash up of a song. Jerry Stucker, who produced and plays guitar on Adamo's cover of 'What is Hip,' is credited with contributing to the new Headhunter release PLATINUM, due out in the middle of June on Owl Studios Records.� The Headhunters where the supporting band for Herbie Hancock's studio album, HEADHUNTERS which became one of the best selling jazz/funk recordings ever. The Headhunters band with Mike Clark replacing Harvey Mason (drums), worked with Hancock on a number of other albums, including, THRUST, MANCHILD, FLOOD, SECRETS and SUNLIGHT. Singer Tony Adamo is a Strokeland Record artist. Strokeland is owned by Stephen 'Doc' Kupka, co-founder of the super funk horn band Tower of Power. Get ready for the new Headhunter CD, PLATINUM, and get hip to the infectious slice of funk and boogie beats on Tony Adamo's regroove of Tower's 'What is Hip.'� Read the full article, here: https://jazztimes.com/community/articles/27760-tony-adamo-and-the-legendary-headhunters
Read Maxx Myrick's 'Platinum' write-up, via Nashville Examiner: https://www.examiner.com/jazz-music-in-nashville/headhunters-release-platinum-june-14th-review
'The true fusion of Hip Hop, Jazz, Rap, Salsa, Rock, New Orleans, African thythm and more. The Headhunters are steeped in the funk and jazz traditions. The groove in undeniable and the layers of rhythm, melody and spoken word will raise the bar and set a benchmark for the world to follow.' Read the full write-up via the link, above.
More about the project, here:
The structure of 'Platinum' is as engaging as its content, as a series of interstitials punctuate its powerful songs. Snippets of phone conversations, behind-the-scenes chats, melodic teasers, witty asides (and more) help to segue from song to song. The collection begins forcefully, with its 'Mission Statement', as a pulsating Headhunters groove is punctuated by rapper Bayne's affirmations. From there we move to the late-night, hip-shaking instrumental 'Salamander', a track that lets each band member shine, and adds a crisp layer of horns to the mix. On the wild track 'D-Funk (Funk With Us,) Snoop Dogg and George Clinton are featured in a multi-layered song that also showcases rapper Killah Priest, vocalist Cynthia Layne and more. One of the album's many strengths lies in the fact that the instrumental tracks are as dramatic as the hip-hop/rap tracks...there is no lack of intensity and confidence on the album, and the propulsive energy is palpable. On some songs, such as the brilliant 'Apple Tree' (easily a centerpiece of the album,) Clark and Summers' writing is filled with such bravado that it's hard not to be impressed by their boldness.�
Linda Reynolds provides some context, in her engaging liner notes: 'The Headhunters, founded in 1973, were a legendary jazz-funk fusion band immortalized from their recordings and tours with jazz giant Herbie Hancock. The inaugural Head Hunters album with Hancock went on to become the first platinum jazz/fusion project in history....the intro to their song� 'God Make Me Funky' is one of the most sampled pieces in hip hop music, an homage to the Headhunters revered elder status and� their direct lineage to the continuation and continuum of the music-that one song has been identified in the samples of dozens of rappers from pioneers like Eric B. and� Rakim to De La Soul to Mobb Deep to the Fugees to Prince, and on and on and on.'� Full liners follow, below.
The range of artists on 'Platinum' is top-shelf: Mike Clark - Drums; Bill Summers - Percussion, Vocals; Richie Goods - Bass; Kyle Roussel - Keyboards; Donald Harrison - Alto Saxophone, MOOG Bass, Keyboards; Rob Dixon - Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Keyboard; Derrick Gardner - Trumpet. Guest Artists: Snoop Dogg - Rap; Killah Priest - Rap; Jaecyn Bayne - Rap; Private Pile - Rap; George Clinton - Philosophical Interjection; Cynthia Layne - Vocals; Alexei Marti - Timbales, Vocals; Patrice Rushen - Keyboards; Bennie Maupin - Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone; Azar Lawrence - Soprano Saxophone; Gary Mielke - Bass, MOOG Bass, Keyboards; PJ Yinger - Trumpet; Jerry Stucker - Guitar.
Owl Studios' Head J. Allan Hall is the album's Executive Producer, with Mike Clark and Bill Summers as Producers and Rob Dixon and Gary Mielke as Co-Producers.� More details, here: https://www.headhunters-platinum.com/project1.1.htm
Owl Studios is an award-winning, independent record label, with an artist roster that includes a Grammy-nominated artist, two Independent Music Award winners, an American Pianists Association Jazz Fellowship recipient, and a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Performer Award recipient. In the short time since its inception, Owl Studios has become a well-respected, artist-friendly record label in the genres of Jazz, R&B, Neo Soul, Jazz Fusion and Jam Band. Learn more about Owl Studios, here:� https://www.owlstudios.com/
In the March issue of DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE, writer Eric Fine previewed 'Platinum' as the band's 'most ambitious album since the 1970s.' The concept behind the new album is fitting - as noted in a recent article: 'Jazz/fusion groundbreakers the Headhunters have been sampled by countless hip-hop and pop artists. These days, the band is incorporating rap and hip-hop into its own sound.'
Renowned drummer Mike Clark previewed the project as 'some of the finest musicians playing some killer funk, which is always a lot of fun. This time we stir it up with spoken word from a multi generational mix of artists, telling it like it is and always has been.' Venerable percussionist Bill Summers added the amalgam of rhythm, melody and spoken word represents 'true fusion of Hip Hop, Jazz, Rap, Salsa, Rock, New Orleans, African rhythm and its classical forms.'
DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE
March, 2011 issue By Eric Fine
New Headhunting Funk Experience
Classic '70s Jazz Fusion Band Returns To Studio With Surprising Guests
Drummer Mike Clark earned acclaim as a master of funk rhythms after joining Herbie Hancock's Headhunters in 1973. But Clark is hardly nostalgic about his four-year tenure with the band. Ask Clark whether he thought the Headhunters would still exist more than 30 years after the band regularly backed Hancock, and Clark responds quickly: Absolutely not, he says. He would have been especially shocked with the group's new incarnation and its planned spring release. A reunion album (Return Of The Headhunters!) in 1998 notwithstanding, the Headhunters' new era began after a promoter asked Clark to assemble a jazz-funk band in the late 1990s for a national tour.
Appearing under the name Prescription Renewal, the lineup paired young players like guitarist Charlie Hunter and DJ Logic with original Headhunters bassist Paul Jackson, organ player Dr. Lonnie Smith and trombonist Fred Wesley. After percussionist Bill Summers, another original Headhunter, sat in with Clark, the two revived the Headhunters' moniker in 2001 while adding saxophonist Donald Harrison to the lineup. Recent editions of the Headhunters continue to mix youth and experience, and have toured internationally. The band embarked on a series of dates in November at pop-oriented venues, where it performed on bills that also featured the Mumbles, a keyboard duo from London. The current group includes rapper Private Pile, and increasingly spotlights new material. It resurrects 1970s tunes like 'Watermelon Man' and 'Sly,' but only by request. 'I don't mind playing these tunes,' Clark said, 'but we put the focus on what we're doing now. Nobody's even thinking about the old days, [and] nobody's reflecting back on what we did with Herbie. This is a different group of musicians, except for Bill and me.' The Headhunters will release their most ambitious album since the 1970s in May. Platinum (Owl Studios) will include rapper Snoop Dogg, funk legend George Clinton and original Headhunter saxophonist Bennie Maupin. Al Hall, the album's executive producer, was reluctant to incorporate rap, but relented after establishing guidelines. 'I said let's go ahead and do it, but with three rules: no racial stuff; no heavy cursing; and no demonizing women. And so [Clark and Summers] looked at each other and said, 'We don't have anything to do,'' Hall said, laughing. You should have heard the first track we had-immediately, it was all three [taboos] pulled into one or two sentences,' said Hall, who founded Owl Studios in 2005 in Indianapolis. 'We're working around that. It's kind of a business part of it that you can't have radio play if you're going to be using the f-word, the n-word or all those other things.' Profane or not, bassist Richie Goods said the band attracts a growing number of the young people largely absent from straight-ahead gigs. 'Even if we didn't have the rapper there's a whole younger audience that's into what we do,' said Goods, the Headhunters' bassist since 2007. 'But that's the direction they want to move. Everyone's writing a lot of music, and they recorded some new music, and they want almost like a new face for the Headhunters. I don't think they ever want to take those vintage songs out of their repertoire, but they want to start building a new repertoire that's just as strong as the old repertoire.' -Eric Fine - DOWNBEAT, 3/11
The ambitious project was also previewed via JAZZIZ.com (see below.) as The Headhunters offered fans a sneak peek of the album during a U.S. tour late last year - in advance of a local concert, The Philadelphia Inquirer hailed them as 'one of the most innovative groups in history.'
JAZZIZ.com - News column and photo for the Headhunters CD and tour
THE HEADHUNTERS HIT THE ROAD
https://www.jazziz.com/news/2010/10/22/the-headhunters-hit-the-road/
The storied jazz/funk/fusion band, the Headhunters, are currently finalizing tracks for Platinum, a CD set for release early next year on the Owl Studios label. The disc will feature guest appearances by several intriguing names, including Snoop Dogg, George Clinton, Killah Priest, and Del the Funky Homosapien. In the meantime, the legendary band will embark on a U.S. tour in November. (See dates, venues and cities below.) Of the new album and the new year, not-overly modest Headhunters percussionist Bill Summers says: '2011 will mark the beginning of a new movement in music and jazz - the true fusion of hip hop, jazz, rap, salsa, rock, New Orleans, African rhythm and its classical forms. The Headhunters are steeped in the funk and jazz traditions. The groove is undeniable and the layers of rhythm, melody and spoken word in this release will raise the bar and set a benchmark for the world to follow. The truth of the matter is, we respect all forms of music and see a place in this unusual musical tapestry for every form of modern and ancient music forms. The project is entitled Platinum. For some this is an award presented to those who achieve a feat of reaching one million units sold and certified. For us, Platinum is a self-proclamation of achievement for creating a project deserving of recognition, and will be heard and appreciated by the millions of listeners worldwide.' The Headhunters were founded in 1973 and served as the supporting band for Herbie Hancock's 12th studio album, Head Hunters, which became one of the best-selling jazz records ever. The Headhunters went on to record a handful of additional albums with Hancock, and they've also released a couple of winning platters on their own. Jazziz.com, 10/22/10
The Roanoke Times
TOUR PREVIEW INTERVIEW FEATURE By Tad Dickens 11/10
Rap, hip-hop in the mix for Headhunters
https://www.roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/music/wb/267689
PHILLYBURBS/COURIER TIMES NEWS
Jazz-funk masters The Headhunters to perform at North Star Bar
https://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/courier_times/courier_times_news_details/article/2463/2010/november/01/jazz-funk-masters-the-headhunters-to-perform-at-north-star-bar.html
Other tour coverage includes PHILLY DAILY NEWS; 7Days, the key Alternative weekly in Burlington; VALLEY VOICE in Portland ME, which praised 'the Headhunters have redefined modern funk, world music, and jazz'; The ITHACA TIMES
�https://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?SubSectionID=63&ArticleID=13076&SectionID=3 and much more.
More about The Headhunters:
Founded in 1973, they recorded their eponymous debut Head Hunters with Herbie Hancock. The Headhunters, legendary jazz-funk fusion band, immortalized as a result of their long recording and touring stint with jazz giant Herbie Hancock. Hancock's 'Headhunters' album was the first to be recorded with the group and has been heralded as the first platinum Jazz/Fusion project in history. Thrust, Flood, Manchild and other historic recordings followed. The band went on to produce more seminal records on their own, including Survival of the Fittest ,which featured the funk anthem "God Make Me Funky," one of the most sampled jazz/fusion songs in modern music history. The Headhunters' music is a complex but harmonious blend of many styles and genres, spanning the globe, from Africa to Broadway. The group is acclaimed for its musical pioneering and innovative concepts.
More about BILL SUMMERS:
Bill Summers is one of the world's most accomplished percussionists; a true ethnomusicologist highly educated in principle and practice of literally hundreds of African, Cuban and Latin percussion rhythms after decades of global study. He has performed with a litany of the industry's top artists among which are Herbie Hancock, Diana Reeves, Madonna, Wayne Shorter, George Benson, Janet & Michael Jackson, Sonny Rollins, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Tupac, Wynton Marsalis and others too numerous to mention. Additionally, Mr Summers has participated, written and performed on a wide variety of film projects notably The Color Purple, ABC Series Roots and The Wiz. Beyond his impressive musical career, Bill founded the Summers Multi-Ethnic Institute of Arts. A highly respected school that offers classes to the community in areas such as music instruction, performance, publishing, sound engineering and more. As a performer, writer, producer, educator and man, Bill Summers is truly a positive participant in music communities that span the globe.
More about MIKE CLARK:
MIKE CLARK gained worldwide recognition as one of America's foremost jazz and funk drummers while playing with Herbie Hancock's group in the early 1970's. Mike became known as a major innovator through his incisive playing on Hancock's Thrust album, which garnered him an international cult following. Among the top sampled drummers of all time, Mr. Clark is featured regularly in leading industry publications, authored a bestselling book Funk Drumming: Innovative Grooves & Advanced Concepts, and is a former faculty member of Drummers Collective. At the core of his playing, Mike, a mainstream jazz drummer has become one of the most vital to sit behind a set. He's performed with jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker, Bobby Hutcherson, Woody Shaw,Vince Guaraldi, Tony Bennett, Wayne Shorter, Mike Wolff, Christian McBride, Mose Allison and many illuminating etceteras too numerous to list. Mike has an extensive discography and touring schedule both as a sideman and leader. Notably his release Give The Drummer Some earning a rare four and a half stars in Downbeat, as was The Funk Stops Here, a joint effort with Hancock alumni Paul Jackson. His 2009 release Blueprints of Jazz, Vol. I was named one of the best recordings of the decade by Downbeat; followed by Carnival of Soul in 2010 which was nominated by the Independent Music Awards for the Best Jazz Album of the Year. A true original, Mike's work continues to delight and astound his fans around the world.
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