Hermenengildo "Gildo" Mahones (June 2, 1929, New York City – April 27, 2018) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist.

Biography

Mahones was born to Puerto Rican parents in

East Harlem East Harlem, also known as Spanish Harlem or and historically known as Italian Harlem, is a neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York City, roughly encompassing the area north of the Upper East Side and bounded by 96th Street to the south, F ...

in New York City. Early in his career, he played with Joe Morris (1948) and

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...

. Mahones served in the Army, and then played with

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

from 1953 to 1956. Later in the 1950s Mahones toured with the Jazz Modes (which included

Charlie Rouse Charlie Rouse (April 6, 1924 – November 30, 1988) was an American hard bop tenor saxophonist and flautist. His career is marked by his collaboration with Thelonious Monk, which lasted for more than ten years. Biography Rouse was born in Wash ...

and

Julius Watkins Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''Down Beat'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Mi ...

Sonny Stitt Edward Hammond Boatner Jr. (February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982), known professionally as Sonny Stitt, was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his ...

, and Benny Green. From 1959 to 1964 Mahones played behind

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross Lambert, Hendricks & Ross were an American vocalese trio formed by jazz vocalists Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross. From 1962 to 1964, Ross was replaced by vocalist Yolande Bavan. History The group formed in 1957 and recorded their f ...

. When Lambert, Hendricks & Ross broke up, Mahones moved to Los Angeles, where he worked both as a studio musician and as a jazz sideman. He led his own trio and appeared on recordings by

O. C. Smith Ocie Lee Smith (June 21, 1932 – November 23, 2001), known professionally as O. C. Smith, was an American singer. His recording of " Little Green Apples" went to number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1968 and sold over one million rec ...

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably his s ...

, James Moody,

Harold Land Harold de Vance Land (December 18, 1928 – July 27, 2001) was an American hard bop and post-bop tenor saxophonist. Land developed his hard bop playing with the Max Roach/ Clifford Brown band into a personal, modern style, often rivalling Cliffor ...

and

Blue Mitchell Richard Allen "Blue" Mitchell (March 13, 1930 – May 21, 1979) was an American trumpeter and composer who worked in jazz, rhythm and blues, soul, rock and funk. He recorded albums as leader and sideman for Riverside, Mainstream Records, and Blu ...

Leon Thomas Amos Leon Thomas Jr. (October 4, 1937 – May 8, 1999), known professionally as Leon Thomas, was an American jazz and blues vocalist, born in East St. Louis, Illinois, and known for his bellowing glottal-stop style of free jazz singing in the l ...

, Jim Hall,

Big Joe Turner Joseph Vernon "Big Joe" Turner Jr. (May 18, 1911 – November 24, 1985) was an American singer from Kansas City, Missouri. According to songwriter Doc Pomus, "Rock and roll would have never happened without him." His greatest fame was due to ...

Lorez Alexandria Lorez Alexandria (born Dolorez Alexandria Turner; August 14, 1929 – May 22, 2001). was an American jazz singer, described as "one of the most gifted and underrated jazz singers of the twentieth century". She became established in the midwest b ...

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

Pony Poindexter Norwood "Pony" Poindexter (February 8, 1926, New Orleans, Louisiana – April 14, 1988, Oakland, California) was an American jazz saxophonist. Poindexter began on clarinet and switched to playing alto and tenor sax. In 1940 he studied unde ...

Booker Ervin Booker Telleferro Ervin II (October 31, 1930 – August 31, 1970) was an American tenor saxophone player. His tenor playing was characterised by a strong, tough sound and blues/gospel phrasing. He is remembered for his association with bassi ...

, and

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

. Mahones died on April 27, 2018, aged 88.

Discography

As leader

*''

I'm Shooting High ''I'm Shooting High'' is an album by jazz pianist Gildo Mahones recorded for the Prestige label in 1963.

'' (Prestige, 1963) *'' The Great Gildo'' (Prestige, 1963–64) *''Gildo Mahones Trio'' (Interplay, 1990)

As sideman

With

Kenny Burrell Kenneth Earl Burrell (born July 31, 1931) is an American jazz guitarist known for his work on numerous top jazz labels: Prestige, Blue Note, Verve, CTI, Muse, and Concord. His collaborations with Jimmy Smith were notable, and produced the 1965 ...

*'' Bluesy Burrell'' (

Moodsville Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

, 1963) With

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

*''

Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching Band ''Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral & Marching Band'' (1971) is an album by Bill Cosby. It is an instrumental jazz-funk album in which Cosby plays electric piano. It is his third musical album release. The first track is a tribute to Ma ...

'' (Uni, 1971) *''

Bill Cosby Presents Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band ''Bill Cosby Presents Badfoot Brown & the Bunions Bradford Funeral Marching Band'' (1972) is an album written and produced by Bill Cosby. It is Cosby's fourth musical release, although he does not perform on the album, save for a vocal part on "A ...

'' (Sussex, 1972) With

Ted Curson Theodore Curson (June 3, 1935 – November 4, 2012) was an American jazz trumpeter. Life and career Curson was born in Philadelphia. He became interested in playing trumpet after watching a newspaper salesman play a silver trumpet. Curson's fath ...

*'' Ted Curson Plays Fire Down Below'' (Prestige, 1962) With

*''

The Blues Book ''The Blues Book'' is an album by American jazz saxophonist Booker Ervin featuring performances recorded in 1964 for the Prestige label.

'' (Prestige, 1964) *''

Groovin' High "Groovin' High" is an influential 1945 song by jazz composer and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. The song was a bebop mainstay that became a jazz standard, one of Gillespie's best known hits, and according to ''Bebop: The Music and Its Players'' author ...

'' (Prestige, 1963–64) With

Bennie Green Bennie Green (April 16, 1923 – March 23, 1977) was an American jazz trombonist. Born in Chicago, Illinois, United States, Green worked in the orchestras of Earl Hines and Charlie Ventura, and recorded as bandleader through the 1950s and ...

*''

Walkin' & Talkin' ''Walkin' & Talkin is an album by American trombonist Bennie Green, recorded in 1959 and released on the Blue Note label.

'' (

Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

, 1959) With

Jon Hendricks John Carl Hendricks (September 16, 1921 – November 22, 2017), known professionally as Jon Hendricks, was an American jazz lyricist and singer. He is one of the originators of vocalese, which adds lyrics to existing instrumental songs and rep ...

*'' A Good Git-Together'' (Pacific Jazz, 1959) With Willis Jackson *'' Neapolitan Nights'' (Prestige, 1962) With

*''

The Hottest New Group in Jazz ''The Hottest New Group in Jazz'', also known by its full title ''Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross!: "The Hottest New Group in Jazz"'' or alternatively considered self-titled, is the fourth album by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, released in 1960. The titl ...

'' (Columbia, 1960) With Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan *'' At Basin Street East'' (RCA Victor, 1963) *'' At Newport '63'' (RCA Victor, 1963) *''

Havin' a Ball at the Village Gate ''Havin' a Ball at the Village Gate'' is the last album by the reformed jazz vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan, of Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks with Yolande Bavan. The group was formed after Annie Ross left the vocal group in 1962. The al ...

'' (RCA Victor, 1963) With

* ''

Pony's Express ''Pony's Express'' is the debut album by saxophonist Pony Poindexter which was released on the Epic label in 1962.Fitzgerald, M.Pony Poindexter Leader Entryaccessed July 2, 2015 Reception Ken Dryden of Allmusic stated: "It's a shame that Pony Po ...

'' (Epic, 1962) *''

Pony Poindexter Plays the Big Ones ''Pony Poindexter Plays the Big Ones'' is an album by saxophonist Pony Poindexter which was released on the New Jazz label in 1963.

'' (New Jazz, 1963) *''

Gumbo! ''Gumbo!'' is an album by saxophonists Pony Poindexter and Booker Ervin which was released on the Prestige label in 1963. The 1999 CD reissue added eight unreleased selections from earlier sessions, three led by Poindexter and five by Ervin. Re ...

'' (Prestige, 1963) with

With

*''We Paid Our Dues'' (CBS, 1961; Rouse tracks only, album shared with

Seldon Powell Seldon Powell (15 November 1928 – 25 January 1997) was an American soul jazz, swing, and R&B tenor saxophonist and flautist born in Lawrenceville, Virginia. He worked with Tab Smith (1949), Lucky Millinder (1949–51), Neal Hefti, and Louis Be ...

) With

*'' Sonny Stitt with Strings: A Tribute to Duke Ellington'' (Catalyst, 1977) With

and

*''

Les Jazz Modes ''Les Jazz Modes'' is an album by Les Jazz Modes, a group led by french horn player Julius Watkins and saxophonist Charlie Rouse. The album was recorded in 1956 and released on the Dawn label.Edwards, D. and Callahan, MDawn Album Discography acce ...

'' (Dawn, 1957) *'' Mood in Scarlet'' (Dawn, 1957) *''

The Most Happy Fella ''The Most Happy Fella'' is a 1956 musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Frank Loesser. The story, about a romance between an older man and younger woman, is based on the 1924 play '' They Knew What They Wanted'' by Sidney Howard. The show i ...

'' (Atlantic, 1958) *'' The Jazz Modes'' (Atlantic, 1959) With

Frank Wess Frank Wellington Wess (January 4, 1922 – October 30, 2013) was an American jazz saxophonist and flutist. In addition to his extensive solo work, Wess is remembered for his time in Count Basie's band from the early 1950s into the 1960s. Critic ...

*'' Yo Ho! Poor You, Little Me'' (Prestige, 1963) With

*'' Baby, Baby, Baby'' (Prestige, 1963) *'' Blue Spoon'' (Prestige, 1964)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahones, Gildo 1929 births 2018 deaths American jazz pianists American male pianists 20th-century American pianists Prestige Records artists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians People from East Harlem Jazz musicians from New York (state)