17: Mike Mainieri
This native New Yorker made his debut as a professional musician aged 14, playing the vibes in a small combo led by legendary jazz bandleader Paul Whiteman before joining drummer Buddy Rich’s band, where he stayed between 1956 and 1963. After that, Mainieri began a solo career, playing in a decidedly hard bop vein, but by the late 60s, he was experimenting with jazz-rock while pioneering an electric-powered instrument called a synth-vibe. In 1979, he formed the popular all-star fusion band Steps, which later morphed into the long-running Steps Ahead and is still going strong today. A flexible musician, Manieri’s credits range from jazz guitarist