Mike Mainieri, 81
An american vibraphonist. He first played vibes professionally when he was 14 touring with Paul Whiteman in a jazz trio called Two Kings & a Queen. He later played with Buddy Rich's bands for a long period(1956-1963). He is best known for his work with the band Steps (later Steps ahead) that he formed in 1979 as an all-star jazz-oriented R&B/fusion band. He worked with many artists in the studio such as Warren Bernhardt Eliane Elias Rachel Z Mike Stern Tony Levin Victor Bailey Peter Erskine and Steve Smith.
