Tuneful Percussion

As one of Los Angeles’ top studio drummers, Harvey Mason gets plenty of work. The New England Conservatory of Music graduate, who moved to Southern California in 1970, has played on everything from the sound track of “Who Framed Roger Rabbit” and the TV series “Matlock” to records with Bob James, Lee Ritenour, Djavan and others.

Since he’s financially secure, Mason really doesn’t need to play with a small band at a local club. But, like most artists, he needs to express himself, so he’s fronting “The Organ Project,” a trio with Ronnie Foster, organ, and Perry Hughes, guitar, at Le Cafe in Sherman Oaks tonight and Sunday.

“It swings so hard, it’s really honest and simple and it just grooves,” says Mason, 41. “And with audiences liking it and getting excited, it rekindles old feelings and brings back such good memories.

“I grew up in Atlantic City and at that time, anybody who played organ came through there, so I worked or sat in with everybody, including Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Don Patterson, Charles Earland, Wild Bill Davis, Jack McDuff, Johnny (Hammond) Smith and Jack McDuff.”

That’s pretty much a Who’s Who of modern jazz organ.

The trio is a reunion of sorts. Foster, a renowned record producer, has been an associate of Mason’s for almost 10 years, and the drummer met Hughes, a Detroit resident who has been guitarist Earl Klugh’s accompanist for nine years, on a tour a few years back. “Perry’s a true be-bopper who can play with fire,” Mason says. “We don’t play too many originals, but we do play a lot of blues, oh yeah.”

Making the drums a tuneful addition to “The Organ Project” is the kind of challenge that keeps Mason on his toes. “Drums are an exhilarating instrument,” he says. “They’re are my way of transmitting all my energy into the band. It feels so great to play and feel like you’re really contributing. And I do like being musical on an instrument that’s difficult to be musical on.”