ABOUT THE ALBUM

Featuring rising star pianist Sean Mason’s adventurous, close-knit quintet, The Southern Suite looks back at the Charlotte-born musician’s roots from the vantage of Mason’s current position at the heart of the NYC scene. Mason’s technical prowess and compositional genius are on full display: he conjures up new songs that sound like they should already be part of the jazz canon. Unforgettable gospel-tinged hooks sit on top of a deep, compelling pocket, making for catchy, danceable, forward-looking music.

Hailed by NPR’s “Youngbloods” series as a musician on the rise, Mason has already performed and toured with jazz legends including Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, and Herlin Riley. Now, the release of The Southern Suite presents an astonishingly mature statement from a young star in the making, revealing the stunning scope and potential of Mason’s performing and songwriting ability.

“This album is situated at the intersection of ‘renaissance’ and ‘street culture,’” explains Mason. “Each song targets an aspect of rebirth. And looking back, it was extremely difficult to break out of the culture of conformity that street culture imposed on my life, as education wasn’t a top priority within my community, but fashion and trends were. Yet, I fought that internal battle so that I could attend to the deeply rooted, internal love of ‘renaissance’ and allow for the necessary rebirth to take place.” The Southern Suite represents a resolution of these polar forces and is a bold statement of purpose from a generational talent well on his way to becoming a leading jazz composer of the era.