For over 3 decades, Mandrill has been a staple in the World Music scene and one of Funk and R&B’s most progressive bands. Widely sampled, their signature sound can be heard on numerous albums including Kanye West’s Grammy Award-winning College Dropout. A family of multi-instrumentalists, with a blend of Caribbean culture and urban America, Mandrill pioneered the Jazz Fusion movement. Formed by the Wilson Brothers Lou, Ric, "Doc" and Carlos, Mandrill is now fueled by a new generation of musicians including Marc Rey, Keith Barry, Michael Beholden, Gemi Taylor, Stacey Lamont Sydnor and Eli Brueggemann. Mandrill has performed with James Brown at Madison Square Garden and the Apollo Theatre, with Duke Ellington at Philharmonic Hall, and with Miles Davis at Bill Graham's Fillmore West. The group has also shared the stage with Herbie Hancock, David Bowie, Patti LaBelle, Earth Wind & Fire, Tito Puente and the Fania All-Stars, Frank Zappa, The Eagles, Deep Purple, Mott The Hoople, Jim Croce, and War.
Mandrill participated with Aretha Franklin and other musicians in the creation of a platinum album for the United Nations that raised funds for children and international refugees. The group is actively involved in a campaign that focuses on the preservation of rain forests and the plight of its namesake, the mandrill (West African baboon) that is critically endangered due to habitat encroachment and poaching.