Co-produced
by Chris Dunn, Sr. Director of A&R for Concord Music Group, 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 enliven Chameleon.
Bringing more young firepower to the fore are trombonist/vocalist Corey “CK”
King, saxophonist Kamasi Washington, vocalist Chris Turner, and
keyboardist/electronica producer, Mark de Clive-Lowe.
Helping
Mason 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 worked with Mason on Herbie Hancock’s 1973 landmark LP,
Head Hunters.
The lead
composition, “Chameleon,” from Head Hunters serves, in part, as the signifying
reference for Mason’s disc. Not only did Mason provide the rhythmic spank for
the jazz-funk staple, he co-wrote it with Hancock along with several other
bandmates – Jackson and reedist Bennie Maupin.
The
other part of the equalization for the disc’s title comes from “chameleon”
being a nickname, given to Mason, because of his incredible versatility. As a
first-rate session musician and live performer, his brilliance resides not only
in jazz. He’s demonstrated musicianship in R&B, pop, country, Latin and
European classical music; Mason also has played on an astounding number of
recordings, movie and TV scores and commercial jingles.
After
two decades of playing with the GRAMMY®-nominated ensemble Fourplay – with
which he’s still a member – Mason decided to reignite his solo career by
forming a band based on the first edition of Hancock’s Head Hunters ensemble.
Mason took the combo to Japan and received rave reviews. That reception, along
with serious encouragement from his manager, inspired him to record Chameleon.
“I came back [from Japan] and my manager spoke with Chris Dunn, who was real
excited about it. He championed the idea with Concord,” Mason recalls.
During
the sessions, Mason was surprised about how strongly ’70s jazz-funk resonated
with today’s more cutting-edge jazz artists. “It’s funny because a lot of those
records, I may have listened to them maybe one time since I recorded them,”
Mason explains. “As a musician, you’re always trying to evolve. When I listen
to my drumming back then, it sounds dated. Now my sound is more opened. Back then, I had only one head on the toms,
so they didn’t ring as much. They had a darker sound. I’ve modernized my
drumming to accommodate the music that’s happening now. So when I listen to the
old stuff, I just say, ‘Wow! That’s really something. That’s what they want to
hear now.’”
After
witnessing Dunn’s passion for the project, Mason took his lead in terms of
repertoire and sound quality. “I said to
myself that there might be something to this that I might not be seeing. So I
trusted his instincts,” Mason says. “As we put it together, I saw where he was
coming from.”
A
tour-de-force destined become a new hallmark in Mason’s illustrious career,
Chameleon begins with a smoldering rendition of Grover Washington, Jr.’s “Black
Frost,” arranged by King. It features Kamasi Washington blasting a searing
tenor sax solo across an evocative sonic terrain crafted by Bowers and Corey
King keyboard and synth chords as Steven’s bluesy guitar accompaniment helps
the rhythm section give it more funky momentum.
Like
most of the songs on the disc, Mason participated in the recording sessions of
the original version of “Black Forest.” That 1974 date was of his first
opportunity working with CTI Records and Creed Taylor. He recalls that except
for Bob James (who co-wrote and arranged the song), many of the other musicians
initially gave him the cold shoulder. “I remember no one would speak to me
except for Bob because I was this hotshot making all these hits in L.A.,” Mason
says, “Bob was very welcoming to me. We instantly became friends. When we
started playing, everything sort of opened up and things were cool after that.
Those guys became some of my greatest friends.”
The disc
continues with an imaginative take on Bobby Hutcherson’s “Montara,” which has
become a hip-hop gem thanks to people like the Roots and Madlib sampling it. On
Chameleon, Mason handles the vibraphone part but allows Stevens, who arranged
the makeover, to emerge as the lead voice on the melody, before passing the
baton to de Clive-Lowe on Fender Rhodes.
Mason
wasn’t on the original version of “If I Ever Lose This Heaven,” a soul-jazz
ballad classic on Quincy Jones’ 1974 LP, Body Heat. But Dunn insisted on
including it on the disc; he suggested Turner, who croons a simmering rendition
of the lyrics, originally sang by Minnie Riperton and the song’s co-writer,
Leon Ware. Arranged by King with vocals produced by Mason’s son, the new
version retains the sensual vibe of the original, yet it shimmers with a
modern, after-hours appeal.
Chameleon
then breaks into one of its three sensational interludes. The first one, “Going
Back” provides an ideal vehicle for showcasing de Clive-Lowe’s arranging and
instrumental prowess on the keyboard as he tickles a hypnotic groove alongside
Mason and Jackson.
The disc
then slides into Bowers’ stunning arrangement of Rushen’s jazz-funk gem,
“Before the Dawn,” which is graced by impressionistic horn chords from Scott,
Washington and King.
Donald
Byrd’s classic “Places and Spaces” arrives next, first with a haunting prelude,
before it launches into a swaggering groove, enlivened by Scott’s electrifying
trumpet solo. King, who arranged the strutting down-tempo makeover, also lends
his suave vocals on lead.
Afterward,
Mason’s wistful ballad, “Either Way” arrives. Originally appearing on Dave
Grusin’s 1979 LP, Mountain Dance, the song became famous in hip-hop circles
after being sampled on Biggie Small’s 1994 rap tune, “Everyday Struggle.”
Bowers deftly taps into that hip-hop/jazz connection with a melancholy
arrangement.
The
title track comes as a grand finale with an imaginative arrangement from
reedist (and Concord labelmate) Ben Wendel of Kneebody. For the new
arrangement, Mason invited Summers to reprise his famous hinedewho intro to
“Watermelon Man” from Hancock’s Head Hunters LP as a suspenseful teaser. It
works like a charm as “Chameleon” moves into its trademarked stuttering melody
and humpback groove.
The disc
is a true testament to the enduring vitality of ’70s jazz-funk, and to Mason’s
incredible musical flexibility. He’s a musician intent on constantly pressing
forward. So Chameleon is hardly caught up in shallow nostalgia; it’s undeniably
contemporary. “The music sounds different than it did back then,” Mason says.
“But you get the same feeling and vibe. “
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