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Mike Mainieri

{{short description|American vibraphonist}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Mike Mainieri

| image = Mike Mainieri Cosmopolite (204846).jpg

| caption = Mainieri in 2016.

| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

| birth_name = Mike Mainieri

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1938|07|04}}

| birth_place = The Bronx, New York, United States

| spouse = Dee Carstensen (m.1993){{cite web|url=https://swco-ir.tdl.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/d0fc3fed-9908-4bfc-a1d9-46e4a9d4f12c/content|title=Dee Carstensen – Bio|author=Arthur Wood|publisher=Texas Tech University - Southwest Music Archive|year=2006|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}

| genre = Jazz, Jazz fusion, rock

| occupation = Musician, composer, label owner

| instrument = vibraphone, keyboards

| years_active = 1952–present

| label = Elektra Musician, NYC

| associated_acts = Buddy Rich, Steps Ahead

| website = {{URL|www.nycrecords.com}}

}}

Michael T. Mainieri Jr. (born July 4, 1938){{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=1593}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/living-with-music-a-playlist-by-meghan-daum/|title= Living With Music: A Playlist by Meghan Daum|last=Garner|first=Dwight|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 6, 2008|access-date=January 21, 2018}}

Biography

Mainieri was born in The Bronx, New York, United States. Mainieri was a pioneer in introducing an electronic vibraphone, known as a synth-vibe, and has recorded with such musicians as Buddy Rich, Wes Montgomery and Jeremy Steig. He performed for a live album by Laura Nyro and was featured on several tracks from the Dire Straits album, Love Over Gold (1982),{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-over-gold-mw0000189679/credits|title=Love Over Gold - Dire Straits | Credits |website=AllMusic|access-date=September 27, 2021}} as well as on "Ride Across the River" on the album Brothers in Arms (1985).{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/brothers-in-arms-mw0000650079/credits|title=Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits | Credits |website=AllMusic|access-date=September 27, 2021}} He performed on the albums Heads by Bob James, Heart to Heart by David Sanborn,{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/heart-to-heart-mw0000198864|title=Heart to Heart - David Sanborn | Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic|access-date=September 27, 2021}} and Tiger in the Rain by Michael Franks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/tiger-in-the-rain-mw0000192875|title=Tiger in the Rain - Michael Franks | Songs, Reviews, Credits |website=AllMusic|access-date=September 27, 2021}}

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 and other members of Steps Ahead. He produced three albums for Carly Simon. Mainieri married singer-songwriter/harpist Dee Carstensen in 1993.

Discography

File:Mike Mainieri Cosmopolite (204247).jpg, Oslo, 2016.]]

{{Incomplete list|date=August 2024}}

{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}

= As leader =

  • Blues on the Other Side (Argo, 1963) (as The Mike Mainieri Quartet)
  • Journey Thru an Electric Tube (Solid State, 1968)
  • Insight (Solid State, 1968) (as The Mike Mainieri Quartet)
  • Love Play (Arista, 1977)
  • Free Smiles: Live at Montreaux 1978 (Arista Novus, 1978) (with Warren Bernhardt)
  • Wanderlust (Warner Bros., 1981)
  • Man Behind Bars (NYC, 1995)
  • An American Diary (NYC, 1995)
  • Live at the Seventh Avenue South (NYC,1996) (as The Mike Mainieri Quartet){{Cite web|url=https://jazzband-live.de/seventh-avenue-south/|title=Seventh Avenue South- Der Jazzclub der Brecker Brothers von 1977-1987|website=Jazzband-live.de|access-date=2020-02-06}}
  • An American Diary: The Dreamings (NYC, 1997)
  • Northern Lights (NYC, 2006)
  • L'Image 2.0 (L'Image, 2009)
  • Crescent (NYC, 2010)

= As a member =

== With Arista All Stars ==

  • Blue Montreux (Arista, 1979) – live

== With [[Steps 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 Dire Straits

With Eliane Elias

With Art Farmer

With Michael Franks

With Tim Hardin

With Don McLean

With Buddy Rich

With Carly Simon

With Paul Simon

With Sonny Stitt

With Kazumi Watanabe

With others

{{div col end}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.mikemainieri.com/ Official web site]
  • {{cite web|last=Yanow|first=Scott|title=Mike Mainieri|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-mainieri-p101049/biography|website=AllMusic|access-date=May 1, 2011}}
  • [http://potc.giorgiosound.com/index.php?page=mike%20mainieri Mike's featured page on the Party Of The Century international music project]
  • [http://news.allaboutjazz.com/mike-mainieri-and-kim-thompson-interview.php Mike Mainieri interview at allaboutjazz.com]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mainieri, Mike}}

Category:1938 births

Category:Living people

Category:American jazz vibraphonists

Category:American jazz bandleaders

Category:American people of Italian descent

Category:Musicians from the Bronx

Category:Jazz musicians from New York (state)

Category:Steps Ahead members

Category:White Elephant Orchestra members