Harvey Mandel

Harvey Mandel is an American rock guitarist whose innovative techniques helped formulate the Jazz Fusion genre of the early nineteen seventies. Mandel was one of the first artists to be heard on FM radio, with his legendary solo debut "Cristo Redentor". A night at The Fillmore West elevated Mandel's profile indefinitely, when Canned Heat's Henry Vestine abruptly quit the band. Michael Bloomfield, already in three different bands at the time, joined them for the first set. But Harvey took the reigns for set two and was made a full-time member as of their next gig- Woodstock. Gold records, world tours with Canned Heat, John Mayall and The Blues Breakers gave Mandel the exposure and confidence needed to refocus on his solo career. "Baby Batter", which originally was to be released on Chris Blackwell's Island Records, stands as Harvey Mandel's greatest recording achievement. After Mandel's manager at the time was thrown out of Blackwell's office for demanding an outrageous signing bonus, Janus Records released the album in 1971. A decade of brilliance followed, collaborations with Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Barry Goldberg and The Rolling Stones cemented Mandel's legacy as a cult hero. The eighties big-hair sound marginalized Harvey Mandel music for a while, but the guitarist made a stunning return to form in the nineties, with several critically acclaimed recordings. Relocating to San Francisco, and after two heavy blues CDs, Harvey recorded the blistering "Planetary Warrior" album. Songs from this disc were included on multiple episodes of Don Johnson's "Nash Bridges" television series. Mandel continues to do global tours and recordings with Canned Heat, Chicago Blues Reunion and The Electric Snake Band.