The Mason Brothers
 Brad and Elliot Mason hail from Norwich, England, a quiet city 100 miles north of London.
Their father, Barry Mason, a trumpet/trombone player and teacher, and their
mother, Christine Vance, a jazz vocalist, introduced the young brothers early on
to such greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Rosolino, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis
and John Coltrane. While only in their teens, Brad and Elliot became highly
skilled in jazz improvisation and they were soon renowned for
their maturity and musicality. Alone, each musician is outstanding, but
together, the brothers’ almost psychic connection creates improvisational magic.
Today, based in New York, they are taking their unique contemporary sound beyond the
boundaries of improvisation and composition to heights both dramatic and
inspirational.
Elliot Mason
Elliot Mason (Trombone), born in England on
January 13, 1977, began trumpet lessons with his father at age four and at
age seven, took up the piano. However, struck with an overwhelming curiosity
in his father’s trombone, young Mason soon switched his focus from the
trumpet.
As an eleven-year-old, Mason was already performing as a trombonist in dance
halls, theaters, clubs, and pubs, covering all styles of music but
concentrating primarily on jazz and improvisation. In 1992, at fifteen, he
won the national Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Soloist (under 25) Award and was
featured at John Dankworth's Wavendon Jazz School. Entering alternate age
categories the next year, Elliot and his brother Brad, as the Mason
Brothers, won the national competition a second time and by age sixteen,
Mason left England to join his brother at the Berklee College of Music in
Massachusetts on a full tuition scholarship where he met and studied with
Hal Crook and Phil Wilson, among others.
In 1994, Mason won the prestigious Frank Rosolino Award for outstanding
trombone performance abilities, and was invited to perform at the
International Trombone Workshop. At eighteen, he won the ITW 's Under 29
Jazz Trombone competition, as well as the Slide Hampton Award in recognition
of outstanding performance abilities from Berklee. After graduating from
Berklee in 1996, Mason moved to New York City, where he distinguished
himself as a respected and highly in demand trombone and bass trumpet
player.
In 2007, Elliot Mason was invited to become a member of the Jazz at Lincoln
Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis. While a permanent performer
with JLCO, Mason continues to co-lead the Mason Brothers Band with his
brother, Brad.
Mr. Mason’s career includes performances with the Count Basie Orchestra,
Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau, Mingus Big Band, Maria Schneider
Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra, George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band and
The Temptations. He has also performed with Jessica Simpson, Queen Latifah,
Willie Nelson, Shirley Bassey, Bette Midler, Glenn Close, Natalie Cole,
Wynton Marsalis, Randy Brecker, Chris Potter, Mike Stern, Hiram Bullock, Joe
Zawinul, Airto Moreira, John Abercrombie, Abe Laboriel, Jeff Ballad, Victor
Lewis, Gary Husband, Kenny Wheeler, Claudio Roditi, Vincent Herring, Slide
Hampton, Carl Fontana, Bill Watrous, Matt Garrison, Lionel Loueke and
Gregoire Maret.
Brad Mason
Brad Mason (trumpet) was born in England on
July 24, 1973. When only 5 years old, he began trumpet lessons with his
father, Barry. At 9, he began piano lessons and played both instruments at
school and outside recitals. By 14, he was performing three to four times a
week in dance halls, theaters, clubs, and pubs. Though his repertoire
included a variety of musical styles, the young musician was drawn early to
jazz and improvisation. In 1991, at age 17, Brad won the national Daily
Telegraph Young Jazz Soloist Award and was a featured performer at John
Dankworth’s Wavendon Jazz School.
Later that year, Brad moved to the United States to study, on a full tuition
scholarship, at the Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts where he met
and studied with Hal Crook and Phil Wilson, among others. He won his second
Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Soloist Under 25 Award in 1993, the same year his
younger brother, Elliot, won the Under 21 category. Brad represented Berklee
at performances throughout the United States, and in 1995 he traveled to
Israel to perform at Dave Liebman’s annual I.A.S.J. conference. He received
the Clark Terry Award in recognition of outstanding performance abilities
from Berklee College of Music in both 1994 and 1995. It was during these
years at Berklee that Brad developed his interest in the electronic valve
instrument (EVI) and he soon integrated it into his performances. After
graduating from Berklee, Brad moved to New York City where he quickly became
in demand as a trumpet and EVI player.
Mason’s recent career includes performances with the Mingus Big Band, John
Mayer, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Jessica Simpson, Alicia Keys, Natalie Cole, Willie Nelson, Mike
Stern, John Scofield, Gary Burton, Randy Brecker, Chico O'Farrel’s Latin
Jazz Band, Joe Zawinul, Gary Husband, Lionel Loueke, Antonio Sanchez, Lionel
Hampton, Bill Pierce, Hiram Bullock, Claudio Roditi, Dave Liebman, Ronny
Jordan, Vincent Herring, Abe Laboriel, and Lenny White.
Mason performed at the 31st American Music Awards as a member of the band,
Bombsquad, the recipients of the American Music Award for Best Unsigned Band
of 2003.
In January 2007, Mason joined the John Mayer Band on its 2007 world tour.
While working with Mayer, Mason continues to co-lead the Mason Brothers Band
with his brother, Elliot.
|
