Harvey Mandel

Mandel was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Morton Grove, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. His sister, Rose Mandel, lives in Chicago and is Director of Mandel Productions Events & Entertainment.\n', '

His first record was the album Stand Back! Here Comes Charley Musselwhite\'s Southside Band in 1966 with Charlie Musselwhite. Described in Legends of Rock Guitar (1997) as a "legendary" album, it was influential in bridging the gap between blues and rock and roll, with Mandel\'s "relentless fuzztone, feedback-edged solos, and unusual syncopated phrasing." He relocated to the San Francisco Bay area, performing often at The Matrix, a club where local favorites like Jerry Garcia or Elvin Bishop would sit in and jam. He then met the pioneering San Francisco disc jockey and producer Abe "Voco" Kesh (Abe Keshishian), who signed Mandel to Philips Records and produced his first solo album,…