ARTISTS

Elliot Mason

Trombonist Elliot Mason is a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra directed by Wynton Marsalis and co-leader of the Mason Brothers Band with his brother Brad. His career includes performances with the Count Basie Orchestra, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau, Mingus Big Band, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra, George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band and The Temptations. 

Elliot uses HERCULES trombone stands DS420B and DS520B; mic stand MS651B; and music stands BS100B and BS411B. He says, "Hercules innovative designs are incomparable. The DS520B evenly locks your trombone in from the cork barrel to ensure the weight of your horn is not put on the crook of the slide, also resulting in no scratches to the inner bell and enabling you to leave a mute in if desired. The DS420B is hands down the sturdiest and lightest in-bell trombone stand on the market today."

Born in England on January 13, 1977, Elliot 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 Elliot soon switched his focus from the trumpet. As an eleven-year-old, Elliot 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, Elliot 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, Elliot 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, Elliot moved to New York City, where he distinguished himself as a respected and highly in demand trombone and bass trumpet player.

Elliot has also performed with Jessica Simpson, Queen Latifah, Willie Nelson, Shirley Bassey, Natalie Cole, Wynton Marsalis, Randy Brecker, Chris Potter, Mike Stern, Hiram Bullock, Joe Zawinul, Airto Moreira, John Abercrombie, Abe Laboriel, Gary Husband, Kenny Wheeler, Claudio Roditi, Vincent Herring, Slide Hampton, Carl Fontana, Bill Watrous, Matt Garrison and Lionel Loueke.

Visit www.masonbrothersband.com, www.myspace.com/masonbrothersband, and www.youtube.com/elliotmason to find out more.