Writing for JAZZIZ Discovery, Michael Roberts opens with an unusual mentor for a jazz musician: Mason's own cell phone. Rather than coming up through a musical household, Mason describes teaching himself by moving freely between artists on streaming, from Ray Charles to Charlie Parker to Miles Davis, using that instant access to absorb the music faster than a more traditional path might have allowed.
Roberts traces the more conventional turning points from there: watching the 2004 Ray Charles biopic Ray on videotape as a young teenager, which pushed Mason toward the piano; his grandmother then encouraged him with a small Casio keyboard; and his later meeting with Branford Marsalis, who was struck enough by Mason's rapid development to push him toward New York and, eventually, Juilliard. Marsalis went on to bring Mason onto the soundtrack for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and later served as mix consultant on The Southern Suite, with brother Wynton Marsalis listed as executive producer on the Blue Engine release.
“Instantly accessible and multifaceted” — JAZZIZ
The review's most distinctive find is buried inside "Final Voyage," the album's opening track. Roberts draws out Mason's own explanation that the title and the tune's solo section are a deliberate wink at Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," a subtle homage folded into an otherwise forward-looking song. Roberts also connects that same instinct to Mason's work as pianist and musical director on "When You Wish Upon a Star," a Disney tribute tour where he reworks songs like "Feel Soul Good" from Soul and "So This Is Love" from Cinderella through his own arranging lens, drawing on influences from Jon Batiste to Ahmad Jamal.
ABOUT THE SOUTHERN SUITE ALBUM
The Southern Suite is Sean Mason's debut album, released October 27, 2023, on Blue Engine Records (BE-0043) and later added to the Taylor Christian Records catalog in January 2026. Mason wrote and handpicked the quintet for all eight tracks, joined by Tony Glausi, Chris Lewis, Felix Moseholm, and Domo Branch, weaving classical, gospel, and early jazz influences into a record rooted in his Charlotte upbringing. The album reached No. 13 on JazzWeek and No. 4 on the NACC Jazz chart, with airplay on more than 310 stations internationally.
ABOUT JAZZIZ DISCOVERY
JAZZIZ Discovery is the all-digital, subscriber-only extension of JAZZIZ Magazine, which has covered the jazz world for over 35 years and is recognized as one of the largest jazz publications in the world. The platform offers daily features, reviews, and streaming content alongside JAZZIZ's flagship digital magazine.
RESOURCES
Official Website: seanmason.net
Stream the Album: Listen on Spotify
Original Source: Read the review on JAZZIZ Discovery
