Rod Mason (musician)
Rod Mason (28 September 1940 in Plymouth, England) is an English musician (trumpet, cornet, vocals) of the Trad Jazz.
Mason, whose father ran a jazz band, initially studied trombone before he started playing trumpet and cornet in his father's band. From 1959 he was a member of the Cy Laurie Band. In 1962 he was part of the Monty Sunshine Band. A facial paralysis forced him to use other mouthpieces, which allowed him to extend the range of his game. In 1965 he founded his own band, and from 1970 he played in the Acker Bilk's Paramount Jazz Band, before he founded a band together with Ian Wheeler in 1973. This was a band with musicians like Brian Lemon, Dick Wellstood or Bob Wilber, he recorded numerous recordings for the Reef label. From 1980 Mason played in the Dutch Swing College Band. In 1985 he founded Hot Five band band, with which he released a number of albums for Timeless Records and regularly toured Europe. Mason is according to Digby Fairweather "a world-class trumpeter [...] with a phenomenal versatility, unlimited endurance and the frightening ability to sound like Louis Armstrong." He lives with his wife Ingrid in Kaarst.
Discography
- By The Beautiful Sea 1970
- Golden Hour Of Mr. Acker Bilk
- Rod Mason - Ian Wheeler 1974
- Rod Mason Featuring BAD JOKE 1975
- Giants Of Jazz 1976
- Salute To Satchmo 1976
- Dogging’ Around In Dixie" 1976
- Dr. Jazz 1976
- Good Companions 1977
- Meet Me Where They Play The Blues 1977
- Jazz At The Strathallan 1977
- Carry me back 1978
- Great having you around 1978
- Stars Fell On Alabama 1979
- After Hours At The North Sea Jazz Festival 1979
- Six For Two 1979
- The Last Concert 1979
- Digital Dixie 1981
- Digital Dutch 1982
- Come Back, Sweet Papa 1984
- Jazz Holiday 1985
- The Pearls 1986
- Rod Mason Hot Five 1986
- Rod Mason’s Hot Music 1988
- Rod Mason And his Hot Five featuring Angela Brown 1990
- Top 8 - Jazz Gala 1990
- I love Jazz 1992
- Ian Wheller at Farnham Meltings 1993
- 10 Years Rod Mason’s Hot Five - Things We Have Done For Jazz 1994
- Merry Christmas 1994
- Red sails in the sunset 1999
- 100 Years Louis Armstrong 2000
References
- Ian Carr, Digby Fairweather, Brian Priestley: Jazz Rough Guide. Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-476-01584-X