Mazarati

Mazarati
Name	Mazarati
Background	group_or_band
Origin	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Years active	1986–1992
Labels	Paisley Park Records, Warner Bros. Records
Associated acts	Prince (musician), The Family (band), Jungle Brothers, Ta Mara and the Seen

Mazarati was an American funk and pop ensemble formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the mid-1980s and associated with the Paisley Park Records enterprise and the wider Minneapolis sound. The group released a self-titled album in 1986 that blended funk, R&B, and pop and featured contributions from artists and producers connected to Prince (musician), Brownmark, and The Time (band). Mazarati toured regionally and had a footprint in the 1980s American urban music scene before members pursued session work and production roles with national acts.

History

Mazarati emerged from the Minneapolis scene alongside acts such as Prince (musician), The Time (band), Sheila E., Jellybean Johnson, and Cindy Wilson of The B-52's during a period of heightened industry attention following albums like Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times. The group signed to Paisley Park Records and worked directly with producers and musicians linked to Warner Bros. Records, Quincy Jones, and collaborators who had credits with Sly and the Family Stone figures and Parliament-Funkadelic alumni. Early press compared their formation and aesthetic to ensembles such as Ta Mara and the Seen, The Family (band), and session collectives tied to Bobby Z. and Andre Cymone. Mazarati’s studio sessions involved engineers and arrangers who also worked with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and contributors from the Twin Cities recording community. After their debut, lineup changes, contractual shifts at Paisley Park Records, and broader market trends led members to work with acts including Johnny Gill, Chaka Khan, Jill Jones, and producers associated with Morris Day and Vanity 6. By the early 1990s several members concentrated on songwriting and production for artists signed to A&M Records, Epic Records, and independent labels.

Musical style and influences

Mazarati’s sound reflected the Minneapolis sound synthesis of synth-driven funk, percussion-forward grooves, and pop songcraft also found in records by Prince (musician), The Time (band), Jellybean Johnson, and Sheila E.. Their arrangements showed influence from Parliament-Funkadelic, Sly and the Family Stone, and the horn-driven soul of Tower of Power while incorporating studio techniques associated with Revolution (band), Van Halen-era production, and electronic textures similar to Depeche Mode and New Order. Vocal harmonies referenced traditions from The Temptations, The Dells, and contemporary R&B groups such as New Edition and The S.O.S. Band. Songwriting and rhythmic approaches displayed ties to pop-soul practitioners like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, and modern funk revivalists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Living Colour in their emphasis on tight rhythm sections. Production choices revealed familiarity with techniques used by Arthur Baker, Shep Pettibone, Stock Aitken Waterman-era pop, and the sampling sensibilities prominent in releases by Public Enemy and Beastie Boys.

Personnel

Core members and contributors to Mazarati included musicians and technicians connected to regional and national acts: vocalists and instrumentalists who worked alongside Prince (musician), Brownmark, Jellybean Johnson, Morris Day, and session players appearing on recordings for Chaka Khan, Sheila E., Carmen Electra, and Jill Jones. Production collaborators included engineers and arrangers with credits for Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Bruce Hornsby, and studio personnel who later assisted projects by Paula Abdul, Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson. Touring and backup musicians who performed with Mazarati went on to play for Johnny Gill, Andre Cymone, Ta Mara and the Seen, The Family (band), The Revolution (band), The Time (band), and artists signed to Paisley Park Records.

Discography

- Mazarati (1986) — released on Paisley Park Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records; sessions featured songwriting or arrangement input from personnel linked to Prince (musician), Brownmark, Jellybean Johnson, and engineers who had worked with Quincy Jones and Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. - Singles and promotional releases from the album circulated to radio alongside contemporaneous releases by The Time (band), Sheila E., Ta Mara and the Seen, and The Family (band). - Posthumous compilations and reissues have appeared alongside archival releases by Prince (musician), Jellybean Johnson, and other Paisley Park Records artists, often packaged in retrospective collections associated with Warner Music Group and specialty labels focusing on 1980s funk and R&B.

Live performances and tours

Mazarati performed regionally in venues across Minneapolis, Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, the Midwest, and selected dates supporting acts tied to Paisley Park Records, including joint bills with The Time (band), Sheila E., Ta Mara and the Seen, and solo dates headlined by Prince (musician). Their live arrangements highlighted rhythmic sections reminiscent of performances by Parliament-Funkadelic, The Temptations, and touring funk outfits such as Average White Band and Lakeside. Festival appearances and club dates placed them on bills alongside national touring R&B and pop acts including New Edition, Jodeci, Jellybean Johnson, Chaka Khan, Johnny Gill, and opening slots for mainstream crossover performers of the era.

Legacy and impact

Though their commercial catalog was limited, Mazarati’s association with Paisley Park Records and the Minneapolis sound contributed to the era’s cross-pollination between funk, pop, and R&B. Members’ subsequent roles as session musicians and producers influenced recordings for artists on labels such as A&M Records, Epic Records, Warner Bros. Records, and independent imprints, connecting them to careers of Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, Johnny Gill, and regional acts in the Twin Cities scene. Retrospective coverage situates their work alongside archival projects documenting Prince (musician) and Paisley Park Records releases, and collectors cite Mazarati’s recordings in compilations focused on 1980s funk, R&B, and the evolution of hybrid pop styles that informed later producers like Dr. Dre, Timbaland, The Neptunes, and Pharrell Williams.

Category:American funk musical groups Category:Musical groups from Minneapolis