State of the Art is the new studio album from Grammy-nominated pianist, composer, and producer Sean Mason, arriving October 16, 2026, on Taylor Christian Records. On his third album as a bandleader, Mason reunites with longtime rhythm-section collaborators Felix Moseholm on bass and Domo Branch on drums, and welcomes movement artists Reyna Nuñez and LeAndre Douglas into the sessions as full creative collaborators. Mason wrote and produced all seven tracks himself, spanning swing, post-bop, soul, and contemporary groove, with rhythms rooted throughout in social dance.
At the heart of the record is the exchange between those five collaborators: musicians and dancers responding to one another in real time, in a shared creative process that is at once personal and collective. Nuñez and Douglas's footsteps, voices, and gestures are not layered in after the fact; they're present inside the takes themselves, actively shaping the music's direction.
"I wanted the mission of the trio to help everyone become more like themselves. I wanted to play with dancers instead of playing for dancers." - Sean Mason
The album's title operates on two levels: a nod to the highest standard of musical craft, and a more direct question Mason poses about the recording itself, at a moment when the line between live performance and studio production has grown increasingly difficult to discern.
PERSONNEL
Sean Mason – Piano
Felix Moseholm – Bass
Domo Branch – Drums
Reyna Nuñez – Movement Artist
LeAndre Douglas – Movement Artist
TRACK LISTING
State of the Art consists of seven songs, including the album's two singles, “Secure the Bag” and “A Good Day,” alongside “Honey Pie,” “Carolina Waltz,” “This or That,” “Nightcap,” and the closing live recording “One United (Live at Dizzy's Club).” Tracks one through six were recorded at Oktaven Audio in Mount Vernon, NY. “One United” was captured live at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club and is a re-recording of a tune that first appeared on Mason's 2023 debut, The Southern Suite.
FEATURED SINGLE: “SECURE THE BAG”
The album's lead single and opening track, “Secure the Bag,” arrives August 21, 2026, accompanied by an official video directed by Justin Bellucci. Moseholm's bass vamp establishes a groove Mason describes as both wide and airy, echoing Duke Ellington's “Chinoiserie,” before tightening into a drier, street-inflected feel. Branch's brushwork lends the track its character, and midway through, Nuñez incorporates a found tambourine directly into her movement.
A second single, “A Good Day,” follows on September 18, ahead of the full album's release on October 16. The tune draws on the feel-good records that shaped Mason's ear growing up in Charlotte, and carries that same sense of warmth throughout. When he first played it for Nuñez, she told him the melody reminded her of hearing Mary J. Blige growing up in Brooklyn, a connection that speaks directly to the mood Mason was chasing with the song.
"I love that connection, because the tune really does evoke that sense of warmth and optimism." - Sean Mason
HOW THE ALBUM WAS MADE
Mason provided Moseholm and Branch with solo-piano recordings of the new compositions less than a week ahead of the trio's live premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club. As the group began performing the material live, their interpretations expanded the compositions beyond Mason's original conception.
"For me, the compositions are living organisms. The first step is the conception of them in solitude, the second is bringing them into a room with other musicians, and the third is performing them live and continuing to watch them grow in the moment." - Sean Mason
Two days after the Dizzy's Club premiere, Mason, Moseholm, and Branch entered the studio alongside Nuñez and Douglas, recording the album in a single session with no more than two takes per composition. That constraint preserved a sense of discovery throughout the session, allowing each collaborator to respond instinctively in the moment.
The collaboration with Nuñez and Douglas dates back to 2022, when the three first worked together on The Jazz Continuum, a production choreographed by LaTasha Barnes exploring the relationship between jazz and dance; Mason and Charles Turner received a 2023 Bessie Award for the production's music and sound design. With State of the Art, Mason returns to the trio format that shaped his early career in New York, extending it through this ongoing partnership with movement artists.
CATCH THE SEAN MASON TRIO LIVE
Find upcoming jazz tour dates, tickets, and concert details on the official Sean Mason tour page.
Follow Sean Mason on social media for updates on the Official Release of the “State of the Art” Album.
FOLLOW SEAN MASON
Instagram: @_seanmason_
TikTok: @seanmason_
Facebook: Sean Mason Official
YouTube: Sean Mason
X (Twitter): @_seanmason_
Spotify: Sean Mason
ALBUM CREDITS
RECORDING:
- Todd Whitelock – Recording & Mixing Engineer
- Mark Wilder – Mastering Engineer
- Deanna Fielding – Recording Assistant
- Jessica Slaven – Recording Studio Coordinator
- Ryan Streber – Recording Studio Coordinator
- Kayla Carter – Recording Studio Support
- Haydee Villacis – Recording Studio Support
- Tiger Diep – Editing Engineer & Mixing Assistant
- Christopher Gold – Editing Engineer & Mixing Assistant
- Ryan Hagler – Sheet Music Engraver
DESIGN & VIDEO
- Amelie Lehoux – Art Direction & Design
- Justin Bellucci – Director/DP
- Ryan Bronz – Camera Operator
- Josh Sturm – Gaffer
- Dan Sachun – 1st AC
- Guillermo Villanka – 2nd AC
- Hunter Hawke – Sound Mixer
- Lorien Byrne – Video Editor
BUSINESS
- Chandni Baclili – Marketing
- Lydia Liebman – Public Relations (North America)
- Arlette Hovinga – Public Relations (Europe)
- Josh Ellman, Mark Rini – Radio Promotion
- Karen Kennedy – Management
- Chris Mees, Matt Morrell, Jean-Noël Ginibre – Booking
PUBLISHING
All songs composed and produced by Sean Mason.
All compositions published by Mason Enterprises Global, LLC.
Publishing administration by Kobalt Music Publishing.
Sheet music published by Buck & Sally.
℗© 2026 Taylor Christian Records. Taylor Christian Records is an independent record label founded by Sean Mason.
Source: Official press release, Lydia Liebman Promotions, for State of the Art (TCR-003).
