BIOGRAPHY
Co-leader of the Mason Brothers Quintet
Member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra 2006 - present
Jazz Trombone Professor at The Juilliard School 2016 - present
Jazz Trombone Professor at NYU 2011 – 2019
Artist in Residence at Berklee College Of Music 2014 - 2015
Jazz Trombone Professor at Northwestern University 2008 - 2015
Jazz Trombone Professor at The New School 2006 – 2014
Quotes
“Elliot’s unbelievable as a trombonist, there’s unworldly facility, virtuosity and clarity in his playing, he can sing a melody out from the trombone; it’s like a human voice the way he plays it” – Wynton Marsalis
“Setting the bar for jazz trombone, redefining the parameters of brass playing in it’s purest sense, and taking that aspect of his art into new realms too”
– Randy Brecker
“Elliot Mason has to be one of the most important trombone/bass trumpet voices in modern music to emerge. He truly transcends the instruments he is undoubtedly already so supremely proficient in mastering to a level where I wasn't even aware it was trombone or a bass trumpet. To me, that's greatness. In Elliot you experience everything, from the most profound lyricism right over to the most intense, vital and truly electrifying. A most compelling, moving and exhilarating musician of today” – Gary Husband
“Elliot brings innovation, imagination, intelligence, fire and fierce swing to the trombone” – Michael Brecker
Biography
Elliot Mason is an internationally acclaimed trombonist, composer, educator, and bass trumpet specialist. For more than two decades, he has been a member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra under the direction of Wynton Marsalis and performs regularly with the Wynton Marsalis Septet.
Alongside his work with Jazz at Lincoln Center, Mason leads his own Quintet, co-leads the Mason Brothers Quintet with his brother, Brad Mason, and performs with the Sofijazz Quintet.
An accomplished educator, Mason has served on the jazz faculty at The Juilliard School since 2016, as their Jazz Trombone Instructor, Studio Class Resident Artist, and Brass Mentor.
Born in England, Mason began studying trumpet with his father at the age of four before discovering the trombone at seven, a moment that would define his musical path. By the age of eleven, he was performing professionally in dance halls, theatres, clubs, and pubs, developing remarkable versatility across musical styles while focusing on jazz and improvisation. At fifteen, he received the Daily Telegraph Young Jazz Soloist Award.
Mason later earned a full-tuition scholarship to Berklee College of Music, where he studied with renowned educators Hal Crook and Phil Wilson. During his time at Berklee, he received several of jazz's most prestigious honors, including the Frank Rosolino Award for Outstanding Trombone Performance, the International Trombone Workshop Under-29 Jazz Trombone Competition, and the Slide Hampton Award for Outstanding Performance.
Following graduation, Mason relocated to New York City, where he quickly established himself as one of the most sought-after trombonists and bass trumpet artists in contemporary music.
Throughout his career, he has performed with many of jazz's most celebrated ensembles, including the Count Basie Orchestra, the Mingus Big Band, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau, and the Toshiko Akiyoshi Orchestra.
As a featured performer and collaborator, Mason has shared the stage with an extraordinary range of artists, including Paul Simon, Wayne Shorter, Branford Marsalis, Chick Corea, Kenny Garrett, Bobby Hutcherson, Ahmad Jamal, Chucho Valdés, Chano Domínguez, Chris Potter, Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, Carl Fontana, and Bill Watrous.
His distinctive musical voice, technical mastery, and fearless innovative improvisation have made him one of the most influential jazz trombonists of his generation.
Mason is an endorsed artist with B.A.C. Musical Instruments and performs on the Elliot Mason Signature Series trombone, developed in collaboration with the company.
Recent Discography
Sofija Knezevic – Sofijazz
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Black, Brown & Beige
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Rock Chalk Suite
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Sherman Irby's Inferno
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – The Music of Wayne Shorter
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Jazz for Kids
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Una Noche Con Ruben Blades
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Big Band Holidays II
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Swing Symphony
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Sherman Irby's Inferno
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Jazz and Art
Elliot Mason & Cre8tion – Before, Now & After
Sherman Irby & Momentum – Cerulean Canvas
The Mason Brothers Quintet – Efflorescence
Ted Nash Big Band – Presidential Suite (2017 Grammy for Best Large Ensemble)
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Handful of Keys
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – The Music of John Lewis
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Big Band Holidays
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – The Abyssinian Mass
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Live in Cuba
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Portrait in Seven Shades
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis – Vitoria Suite
The Mason Brothers Quintet – Two Sides, One Story