Born: May 3 Primary Instrument: Piano
Bob Mamet is an internationally acclaimed Jazz pianist and composer. Born and raised in Chicago Illinois, he attended the prestigious Peabody Conservatory before heading west to Los Angeles to begin a career as a composer and studio musician. Over the next several years he composed music for over a hundred projects in T.V. film, and advertising, in addition to touring as a sideman and bandleader.
Bob's distinctive mixture of Jazz styles and composition caught the ear of the major record labels, and in 1994 he signed with Atlantic Records. Bob recorded three highly successful albums for Atlantic, plus additional recordings for Sony and Warner Brothers. His collaborations with artists such as Alex Acuna, Larry Carlton, Eric Marienthal, Gerald Albright, David Benoit and countless other top artists led Jazziz magazine to proclaim him a “brilliant composer” who gives his players “an intelligent, thoughtful, and vibrant musical landscape in which to work.”
During this period Bob released a string of hit records, garnering extensive radio airplay worldwide. Most notable among these was “Greenstreet,” a hybrid of acoustic and contemporary Jazz idioms. Greenstreet captured the imagination of Jazz and Pop listeners alike, topping the charts for 7 weeks, and remaining to this day a fixture on the radio.
Bob has played sold out shows from large festivals to renowned Jazz clubs, incorporating vibrant and diverse styles into his acoustic piano performances. He has been described as a “master of melody and structure” by The San Francisco Chronicle; “adventurous… sparkling… intriguing” by Jazz Times Magazine; and the Chicago Sun Times calls him simply “The Natural.”
Bob has continued to compose music for a variety of projects, including the critically acclaimed score for the film “Lakeboat.” It features a 60-piece orchestra with individual Jazz Trio vignettes, each one corresponding to a different character in the film. The lyrical acoustic Jazz approach Bob utilized in the soundtrack became the catalyst for his latest CD Impromptu.
Impromptu marks Bob's long awaited return to the recording studio, and is his first as the Bob Mamet Trio. The ten original compositions are a modern take on the classic Jazz trio, invoking the memory of lyrical Jazz pianists such as Bill Evans and Vince Guaraldi. The stellar sidemen on the album include virtuoso bassist Darek Oles, and legendary drummer Joe La Barbera.
Without a wasted note in the bunch, this crew serves up classic jazz trio work without making it sound like old man jazz. A great listening date in any setting, this set has it all on the ball and mainstream jazz fans can use it as a cudgel to beat naysayers over the head when they turn up their nose at the notion of mainstream. This is a winner throughout. -Midwest Record
An understated player who digs into the meaningful refrains rather than the flashy runs, Mamet offers adventurous, challenging compositions which evolve and change. -Jazz Times Magazine
His spacing in “Venice Waltz” is beautiful too, I love it when he moves back after various phrases and just lets the note linger for awhile, it’s perfect. There’s also a great moment in “Until Morning” when he gets into a flourish and stays there for what seems like a long time. In truth it’s a short burst but the intensity of his playing stays that way for a moment and it feels bold, strong, courageous. -”This is Book's Music” Review
“Mamet is a brilliant composer [who gives] his players an intelligent, thoughtful, and dynamic landscape in which to work.” -Jazziz Magazine
Counterpoint Records
2010
Personnel: Bob Mamet: Piano, Darek Oles: Bass, Joe La Barbera: Drums
Adventures in Jazz
Atlantic Records
1997
Day into Night
Atlantic Records
1995
Signs of Life
Atlantic Jazz
1994
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