Gildo Mahones

An extremely talented bop-based pianist, Gildo Mahones labored in obscurity within the LA area for quite some time. Mahones played in early stages with Joe Morris (in 1948) and Milt Jackson. Over time in the Military, he was Lester Young’s regular pianist from 1953 to 1956. Mahones gigged using the Jazz Settings (offering Charlie Rouse and Julius Watkins), Sonny Stitt, and Bennie Green, and from 1959 to 1964 he was area of the trio that supported Lambert, Hendricks & Ross (later on Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan). Following the vocal group split up, Mahones relocated to LA and started freelancing both in jazz and in the studios. Furthermore to his personal trio, Mahones caused O.C. Smith, Lou Rawls, Wayne Moody, the Harold Land-Blue Mitchell Quintet, Leon Thomas, Jim Hall, Big Joe Turner, Lorez Alexandria (documenting five albums with her), and Benny Carter. Mahones, who was simply also a sideman on albums by Pony Poindexter, Booker Ervin, and Jimmy Witherspoon, led two record times of his personal for Prestige in 1963 and 1964 and something for Interplay in 1990.