One of the few professional jazz vibes players still swinging, protégé of the late Lionel Hampton, Jason “Malletman” Taylor continues on his mission to keep real music alive with his vibraphones on tour, in the recording studio and for clinics across the US.
With Harman’s AKG C516 ML instrument microphones mounted onto his vibes, Malletman entertains crowds with energetic, explosive jazz performances.
The 5-time GRAMMY-ballot nominated musician, who is recognized for his unique presentation of jazz, R&B and swing has worked, opened for and performed with a long list of notable entertainers, including Earth, Wind & Fire, Tito Puente Jr., P. Diddy, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Wil Calhoun (Living Colour), Chester Thompson (Genesis), Pacquito D’Rivera, and Brad Whitford (Aerosmith).
“I’ve been looking for the right microphone for a long time. Throughout my career, I’ve had all kinds of combinations of sound technicians and microphones that didn’t quite cut it, and the poor sound bugged me,” explains Malletman. “I couldn’t really describe what I was looking for, but I knew I hadn’t found it.
“With the C516’s, my sound is like, BANG! It’s incredible through the mix – crisp, lively, and tight. I move around a lot during my show, so the mics’ durability and ability to remain adhered to the vibes is an added bonus. The C516’s can keep up with me, and that’s saying a lot.”
The C516’s mounting system ensures the mics are always kept in place and out of the way, while the internal shock mounts suppress any mechanical noise from the instrument or stage floor – even the dancing and showmanship of Malletman – keeping the sound of the vibes pure and clean.
Malletman’s performance, in addition to playing the vibes, includes spoken entertainment to his audience and an AKG D5 is on hand for all of his shows.
