This edition’s centre feature has given me the opportunity to speak with one of my trombone heroes; Elliot Mason. I have always been truly inspired by Elliot’s skills as a technician, improviser and all round musician, and it is a pleasure to give readers an insight into the life of this exciting man!

 1. I gather you came from a musical family, how did you end up playing trombone?

Both my parents are jazz musicians; my father was a music educator who played trumpet, trombone and bass trumpet and my mother was a jazz vocalist. From as early as I can remember there was always jazz on in the house. If someone wasn’t listening to it, they were practising it. For me, this created an overwhelming curiosity towards the extravagant metal objects in the forbidden room. When I was four years old I tried to play my Dad’s Bach Mount Vernon bass trumpet while it was on it’s stand, this swiftly resulted in me getting my own trumpet. At age seven, my father thought my embouchure was better suited for trombone and I willingly made the switch.

2. In your early playing days in Norwich, what kind of ensembles were you involved in? Did jazz play a big part from the beginning?

There were several ensembles that were instrumental in the early stages of my development, including the Norwich Schools Jazz Orchestra and the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. As NYJO was in London, every weekend for three years, my Dad would travel there with me by train to rehearse. By the time I was twelve years old I was playing almost every night of the week, with bands ranging from my school peers to some of the local veterans including the Jonathan Wyatt Big Band, who first introduced me to playing the music of Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington and Count Basie.

So yes, Jazz absolutely played a large role in my life right from the beginning, and that’s not to mention that my mother was singing professionally while pregnant with me.

3. Who were your teachers in Norwich? 

There were a good number of musical influences in Norwich, including experienced musicians in the local jazz scene that would encourage me to sit in. But as far as a teacher, no-one came close to my father. The time I spent playing, listening and absorbing jazz with him was by far the most essential to my musical development.

 4. What made you decide to move to America? When did you go?

 When I was sixteen I came to the U.S. to study at Berklee College of Music. My brother Brad, a trumpeter, was already studying at Berklee, so my parents were comfortable sending their youngest son there at such an early age. I was fortunate to receive a full tuition scholarship, because without this opportunity it would have been impossible for me to attend. Of course my parents were quick to remind me that I still had to get good GCSE grades in order for Berklee to accept me.

 5. How did you enjoy your time at Berklee? Who were your teachers?

Berklee is a great school, especially if you have an idea of what classes to take and who to take them with. I studied with Hal Crook, Phil Wilson and Tony Lada. Each of them has a diverse focus and teaching style. I also really enjoyed Ed Tomassi’s classes.

Berklee and the city of Boston were great stepping stones for me at that time in my life. Going from Norwich to New York at age sixteen would have been culturally overwhelming. But Brad and I definitely had our sights set on New York.

 6. How did you get the job with the ‘Jazz at the Lincoln centre orchestra’?

I joined the orchestra seven years ago. At that time I had already been in New York City for eleven years. Unlike most of the musicians in the band, I had not met or played with Wynton before getting the call.

This past June, Wynton Marsalis did an interview for Cambridge News in which he revealed how I became a member of the JLCO. I was actually unaware of what went on behind the scenes until reading the interview myself. Here’s a quote from the interview:

"Normally, when we have an opening coming up, I ask each of the sections who they would like to play with and they give me their 1-2-3. The trombone section unanimously chose Elliot Mason. They said, ‘Man, if we could get Elliot to be in the band, that would be a Godsend because he is the greatest trombone player in the world’.[PC1]  He’s unbelievable as a trombonist, there’s such virtuosity and clarity in his playing, but he is even greater as a person. As a person, he is like pure gold. He gives so much and is always keen to give himself fresh musical challenges. His mother and father are both jazz musicians and his brother too. It’s in his blood. He can sing a melody out from the trombone; it’s like a human voice the way he plays it.” Wynton Marsalis

7. Alongside your job with the JLCO, what other kinds of playing or ensembles are you involved with? 

There are two other musically fulfilling projects that I very much appreciate at the moment. One is with the love of my life, Sofija Knezevic, an amazingly talented jazz vocalist whose music brings out another dimension in my playing. Hearing her sing a melody is pure inspiration to me.

And, of course my band with my brother Brad, someone who I have an unparalleled unique musical bond with. We recorded our debut album a few years ago entitled “Two Sides, One Story”.

Since then I’ve been writing new music, largely inspired by my current path, which I think is one where emotions take precedence.

We are preparing to record our second album, “Chapter 2: Efflorescence”, in early September. We are fortunate to have our new works feature a fresh cast of some of our favourite jazz musicians. 

8. Do you have any advice on how to create your own unique voice on the trombone?

As a musician you spend an infinite amount of time playing and practicing alone. Often this can aid you in getting to the core of who you are as a person. When I first began developing my musical vocabulary I immersed myself in the work of jazz greats, trying to absorb my influences instead of imitating them. I was always eager to gravitate toward working on my own voice and my own form of self-expression by devoting a good amount of time to making sense of the music within. 

The essence of who you are is distilled when you improvise. Everyone has a distinctive sound of their own, but practise is essential in expressing that sound. To me, how you tell the story defines your unique voice. The delivery is as important as the content. This is clearly reflected in the work of jazz masters. Someone with intent behind their solo can talk to you, even if you don’t speak the language.

What helps me to continually evolve is to routinely examine my motives and priorities. I feel that as an artist, nothing influences your individual voice more than feeding from your life's journey. Embrace your experiences, positive and negative, and let them influence what you say and how you choose to say it.

Tom Dunnett (The Trombonist, Autumn 2014)