Michael T. Mainieri Jr. (born July 4, 1938) is an American vibraphonist, known for his work with the jazz fusion group Steps Ahead. He is married to the singer-songwriter and harpist Dee Carstensen.

Biography

Mainieri was born in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, United States. Mainieri was a pioneer in introducing an electronic

vibraphone The vibraphone is a percussion instrument in the metallophone family. It consists of tuned metal bars and is typically played by using mallets to strike the bars. A person who plays the vibraphone is called a ''vibraphonist,'' ''vibraharpist ...

, known as a synth-vibe, and has recorded with such musicians as

Buddy Rich Bernard "Buddy" Rich (September 30, 1917 – April 2, 1987) was an American jazz drummer, songwriter, conductor, and bandleader. He is considered one of the most influential drummers of all time. Rich was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, ...

Wes Montgomery John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery (March 6, 1923 – June 15, 1968) was an American jazz guitarist. Montgomery was known for an unusual technique of plucking the strings with the side of his thumb and his extensive use of octaves, which gave him a dist ...

and

Jeremy Steig Jeremy Steig (September 23, 1942 – April 13, 2016)Peter Keepnews, "Jeremy ...

. He performed for a live album by

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968 ...

and was featured on several tracks from the

Dire Straits Dire Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar), David Knopfler (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), John Illsley (bass guitar and backing vocals) and Pick Withers (drums and per ...

album, '' Love Over Gold'' (1982), as well as on " Ride Across the River" on the album '' Brothers in Arms'' (1985). He performed on the albums ''Heads'' by Bob James, ''Heart to Heart'' by

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 19 ...

, and '' Tiger in the Rain'' by Michael Franks. He has also released numerous albums and videos as a leader for a variety of labels, most notably his 1980 album for Warner Bros. titled ''Wanderlust'', which featured

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

and other members of Steps Ahead. He produced three albums for

Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, memoirist, and children's author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Top 40 U.S. hits include " Anticipation" (No. 13), " The Right Th ...

. Mainieri married singer-songwriter/harpist Dee Carstensen in 1993.

Discography

As leader

* ''

Blues on the Other Side ''Creating Blues on the Other Side'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Mike Mainieri recorded in 1962 and released on the Argo label.

'' (Argo, 1963) (as The Mike Manieri Quartet) * ''

Journey Thru an Electric Tube ''Journey Thru an Electric Tube'' is an album by American jazz vibraphonist Mike Mainieri first released in 1968 on the Solid State label.Payne, D.Sonny Lester discographyaccessed March 16, 2018Steps Ahead

Studio albums * ''Step by Step'' (1980) * '' Steps Ahead'' (1983) * ''Modern Times'' (1984) * ''Magnetic'' (1986) * ''N.Y.C.'' (1989) * ''Yin-Yang'' (1992) * ''Vibe'' (1994) * ''Steppin Out'' (2016) Live albums * ''Smokin' in the Pit'' (1980) * ''Paradox'' (1982) * ''Live in Tokyo 1986'' (1986) * ''Holding Together: Live in Europe 1999'' (2002)

As sideman

With

* '' Love over Gold'' (Vertigo, 1982) * '' Brothers in Arms'' (Vertigo, 1985) – recorded in 1984-85 With

Eliane Elias Eliane Elias
BrowseBiography.com, 20 November 2011; retrieved 10 September 2014. is a Brazilian

Dreamer'' (Bluebird, 2004) * '' Dance of Time'' (Concord, 2017) With

Art Farmer Arthur Stewart Farmer (August 21, 1928 – October 4, 1999) was an American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player. He also played flumpet, a trumpet–flugelhorn combination especially designed for him. He and his identical twin brother, doub ...

* '' Big Blues'' with Jim Hall (CTI, 1979) – recorded in 1978 * ''

Yama Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities. ...

'' with

Joe Henderson Joe Henderson (April 24, 1937 – June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. In a career spanning more than four decades, Henderson played with many of the leading American players of his day and recorded for several prominent l ...

(CTI, 1979) With Michael Franks * '' Tiger in the Rain'' (Warner Bros., 1979) – recorded in 1978 * ''

Time Together ''Time Together'' is a jazz vocal album released in 2011 by Michael Franks with Shanachie Records. It is Franks' seventeenth album and marked a departure from his previous recordings by being his first with an independent record label. Track lis ...

'' (Shanachie, 2011) With

Tim Hardin James Timothy Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk music, folk and blues music, blues musician and composer. As well as releasing his own material, several of his songs, including "If I Were a Carpenter (song), ...

* '' Tim Hardin 4'' (Verve, 1969) * '' Bird on a Wire'' (Columbia, 1971) With Don McLean * '' American Pie'' (United Artists, 1971) * ''

Playin' Favorites ''Playin' Favorites'' is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Don McLean, released in 1973. It was re-issued by BGO Records in 1995. Track listing Side A #"Sitting on Top of the World" (Bo Carter, Little Walter) #"Living With ...

'' (United Artists, 1973) With

* ''

Buddy Rich Just Sings ''Buddy Rich Just Sings'' is a 1957 studio album by Buddy Rich, one of three vocal albums that Rich recorded. The album has also been re-issued on CD with the contents of '' The Voice is Rich'' added as 'bonus' material. Track listing # "Cath ...

'' (Verve, 1957) * '' Richcraft'' (Mercury, 1959) * '' The Driver'' (EmArcy, 1960) * ''

Playtime ''Playtime'' (stylized as ''PlayTime'' and also written as ''Play Time'') is a 1967 comedy film directed by Jacques Tati. In the film, Tati again plays Monsieur Hulot, the popular character who had central roles in his earlier films '' Les Vac ...

'' (Argo, 1961) – recorded in 1960 * '' Blues Caravan'' (Verve, 1962) – recorded in 1961 With

* '' Spy'' (Elektra, 1979) * ''

Come Upstairs ''Come Upstairs'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on June 16, 1980. It was the first of her three albums for Warner Bros. and it has a harder, more rock-oriented sound tha ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1980) * ''

Torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. I ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1981) * ''

Hello Big Man ''Hello Big Man'' is the 11th studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Warner Bros. Records, on August 31, 1983. The album was Simon's last for Warner Bros. (and for what became the Warner Music Group, having also spen ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1983) With

Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...

* ''

'' (Columbia, 1972) – recorded in 1971 * '' Hearts and Bones'' (Warner Bros., 1983) – recorded in 1981-83 With

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 h ...

* '' What's New!!!'' (Roulette, 1966) * '' I Keep Comin' Back!'' (Roulette, 1966) With Kazumi Watanabe * ''

To Chi Ka ''To Chi Ka'' is a fusion album by Kazumi Watanabe. It was recorded and mixed in March 1980 during a very prolific period for Watanabe and then released in May 1980. The album features some of the most acclaimed jazz and rock musicians; part of the ...

'' (Columbia, 1980) * ''

Dogatana ''Dogatana'' is a 1981 album by Japanese jazz guitarist Kazumi Watanabe. As usual for Watanabe, it features many acclaimed musicians. The album, compared to other Watanabe works, has a very acoustic sound and is characterized by peculiar guitar "d ...

'' (Denon, 1981) * '' One for All'' (Polydor, 1999) – live * ''Lotus Night'' (Warner Music, 2016) – live With others *

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...

, '' Toys in the Attic'' (Columbia, 1975) - conductor *

Manny Albam Manny Albam (June 24, 1922 – October 2, 2001) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger, record producer, and educator. Early life A native of the Dominican Republic, Albam grew up in New York City. He was attracted to jazz at an ea ...

, ''

The Soul of the City ''The Soul of the City'' is an album by American jazz arranger and conductor Manny Albam featuring performances recorded in 1966 and originally issued on the Solid State label.Payne, D.Sonny Lester discographyaccessed April 14, 2015

'' (Solid State, 1966) *

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

, '' Livin' Inside Your Love'' (Warner Bros., 1979) * Stephen Bishop, ''

Red Cab to Manhattan ''Red Cab to Manhattan'' is the third album by singer/songwriter Stephen Bishop and his first for Warner Bros. Unlike his previous two albums, '' Careless'' and ''Bish'', none of its tracks nor the album itself cracked the top 100 on the ''Billb ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1980) *

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 ...

, ''

A Generation Ago Today ''A Generation Ago Today'' is an album by guitarist Kenny Burrell featuring standards associated with the Benny Goodman Sextet and Charlie Christian recorded in 1966 and 1967 and released on the Verve label.Marc Cohn Marc Craig Cohn (; born July 5, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1992. Cohn is best known for the song " Walking in Memphis" from his eponymous 1991 album, which was a Top 40 ...

, '' The Rainy Season'' (Atlantic, 1993) *

Paul Desmond Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, " Take Five". He ...

, '' Summertime'' (CTI, 1968) * Urbie Green, '' The Fox'' (CTI, 1976) *

Jake Holmes Jake Holmes (born December 28, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s. Holmes is the author of the song " Dazed and Confused", later reworked by Led Zeppelin. Holmes also composed the ...

, ''How Much Time'' (Columbia, 1972) *

Janis Ian Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit "Society's Child, Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" an ...

, ''

Night Rains ''Night Rains'' is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Janis Ian, originally released in 1979 on Columbia Records. The commercial failure of her previous self-titled album and its accompanying singles led Columbia to demand ...

'' (Columbia, 1979) – recorded in 1978 * Bob James, ''

Heads A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals m ...

'' (Tappan Zee, 1977) * Garland Jeffreys, '' Garland Jeffreys'' (Atlantic, 1973) *

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo artist since th ...

, '' 52nd Street'' (Columbia, 1978) * Etta Jones, '' Etta Jones Sings'' (Roulette, 1966) – recorded in 1965 *

Mark Knopfler Mark Freuder Knopfler (born 12 August 1949) is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Born in Scotland and raised in England, he was the lead guitarist, singer and songwriter of the rock band Dire Straits. He pursued a s ...

, '' Local Hero'' (Vertigo, 1983) – recorded in 1982 *

Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a memb ...

, '' I Came to Dance'' (A&M Records, 1977) *

Pat Martino Pat Martino (born Patrick Carmen Azzara; August 25, 1944 – November 1, 2021) was an American jazz guitarist and composer. Biography Martino was born Patrick Carmen Azzara in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to father Carmen "Mickey" ...

, '' Starbright'' (Warner Bros., 1976) *

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

, ''

Kisses on the Bottom ''Kisses on the Bottom'' is the fifteenth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, consisting primarily of covers of traditional pop music and jazz. Released in February 2012 on Starbucks' Hear Music label, it was McCartney's first studio album si ...

'' (Hear Music, 2012) * Brother Jack McDuff, '' Who Knows What Tomorrow's Gonna Bring?'' (Blue Note, 1970) *

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work as a bassist. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandros ...

, '' Suddenly'' (Warner Bros., 1983) * Monday Orchestra, ''Never Alone: The Music of Michael Brecker'' (Barnum For Art, 2018) – recorded in 2017 *

, '' Down Here on the Ground'' (CTI, 1968) – recorded in 1967-68 *

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

, '' Living in the USA'' (Asylum, 1978) *

Ali Ryerson Ali Ryerson (born 21 October 1952 in New York City) is a flutist with a background in both classical and jazz, as well as being an instructor. She has performed and toured worldwide with a wide range of artists including Billy Taylor, Kenny Barr ...

, ''Con Brio!'' (ACR Music, 2011) *

, ''

Time Again Time Again is a punk rock band from Hollywood, California which is represented in the band's songs and album art. The band was formed in the summer of 2004 by Daniel Dart, Elijah Reyes. Before they even had a full band or a single song written ...

'' (Verve, 2003) *

Boz Scaggs William Royce "Boz" Scaggs (born June 8, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. An early bandmate of Steve Miller in The Ardells and the Steve Miller Band, he began his solo career in 1969, though he lacked a major hit until ...

, ''Speak Low'' (Decca, 2008) *

Chris Smither William Christopher Smither (born November 11, 1944) is an American folk/ blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. His music draws deeply from the blues, American folk music, and modern poets and philosophers. Early life, influences and educa ...

, '' Honeysuckle Dog'' (Okra-Tone, 2005) – recorded in 1973 *

Bert Sommer Bert Sommer (February 7, 1949 – July 23, 1990) was an American folk singer and songwriter. He appeared in the musical ''Hair'' and at the Woodstock Festival, and released several albums as a singer-songwriter. Life and career Sommer was born i ...

, ''Bert Sommer'' (Buddah, 1970) * Swiss Jazz Orchestra, ''Pools: Live at Jazzfestival Bern'' (Mons, 2016) – live recorded in 2015 *

Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer ...

, '' Over the Rainbow'' (Capricorn, 1972) *

Tony Orlando and Dawn Tony Orlando and Dawn is an American pop music group that was popular in the 1970s, composed of singer Tony Orlando and the backing vocal group Dawn (Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson). Their signature hits include " Candida", " Knock Thre ...

, '' Dawn's New Ragtime Follies'' (Bell, 1973) – recorded in 1972-73 * Stefano Zeni, ''Parallel Paths'' (Zanetti, 2018)

References

External links

Official web site
*
Mike's featured page on the Party Of The Century international music projectMike Mainieri interview at allaboutjazz.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mainieri, Mike 1938 births Living people American jazz vibraphonists American jazz bandleaders American people of Italian descent People from the Bronx Jazz musicians from New York (state) Steps Ahead members White Elephant Orchestra members