Sean Mason & Catherine Russell at The Savoy Denver

Sean Mason and Catherine Russell play two shows at The Savoy Denver as part of MAS Presents' The Roots of Jazz series, a celebration of jazz history in Denver's Five Points neighborhood supported by Denver Arts & Venues and the Five Points Jazz Grant. The date carries extra weight: it marks Russell's return to Denver a decade after first performing on the MAS Presents stage in April 2015, and it lands on MAS Presents' own 10th anniversary, the reason for the rare two-show booking.

The pairing grew out of My Ideal, their Grammy-nominated 2024 duo album released on Dot Records, which is built around homages to James P. Johnson and Fats Waller, as well as tributes to Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra. Russell, whose voice NPR once described as wailing "like a horn" and whispering "like a snake in the Garden of Eden," brings a catalog spanning more than 200 recordings and collaborations with David Bowie, Paul Simon, and Steely Dan; Mason meets her with his own grounding in the tradition and a growing reputation as one of jazz's most closely watched young pianists.

BEFORE YOU COME

Two performances mark the night: an early show (doors at 4 PM, music at 5 PM) and a late show (doors at 8 PM, music at 9 PM), the rare double-header reflecting the special nature of the date. Tickets for each show must be purchased separately, so decide in advance which set works for your evening. General admission runs $27, with premium High Tops and Front 2 Rows seating at $42; discounted tickets are available for Five Points residents ($15), students 18 and up ($10), and youth under 18 (free), with all prices increasing by $2 if purchased at the door. Seating is general admission, first-come, first-served within your ticket tier, and the show is all-ages, so families are welcome at either set.

ABOUT THE SAVOY DENVER

The Savoy Denver is a community and events hub in a renovated, Victorian-era building in Denver's Curtis Park neighborhood, at the heart of the city's historic jazz district. MAS Presents, the nonprofit promoter behind The Roots of Jazz series, programs the room as its home venue for touring jazz artists.

ABOUT SEAN MASON

Sean Mason has worked with Branford and Wynton Marsalis and Christian McBride, contributed to Broadway productions including Hadestown and The Phantom of the Opera, and leads the Sean Mason Quartet, praised for its dynamic energy and inventive arrangements. His 2024 collaboration with Catherine Russell, My Ideal, is his first Grammy-nominated project and their first full album of voice-and-piano duets.