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| Mason Casey - Bio |
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The rhythm and the blues had a baby and they named it rock ‘n’ roll. But
sometime later they had another child you may not yet have heard so much about. His name is Mason Casey. Born in New York City, raised in the country, Mason worked as a stone mason for many years; all the while learning and practicing the blues harmonica and soul singing. He continued working on his music, playing his style of soulful blues at small dives, on the streets, anywhere he could get a gig or draw a crowd. In the early 90’s he moved to New York City and moved up through the ranks of the NYC blues scene. From 1994 through 1998 he was billed as “New York City’s Number One Blues Harmonica player” at Manny’s Car Wash in New York City. When playing in Brazil at the Natu Noblis Blues festival in 2002, Ron Levy (B.B. King’s former band leader) said to Mason “You really know how to get the people going!” Mason soon thereafter hooked up with a soul music producer/songwriter named Jon Tiven. They wrote and demo’d a bunch of songs together and Tiven used him as a harmonica player and vocalist on the records he was producing, including Wilson Pickett and Don Covay. When Wilson Pickett heard Mason play the harmonica he said, “Now that’s how the harmonica is supposed to sound!” Pickett also had raves for Mason’s singing, telling him “Man you sound like Joe Cocker, when me and Joe Cocker do a concert together they got to re-adjust the microphones!” Tiven shares with us a Wilson/Mason episode: "When we were recording Wilson Pickett's It’s Harder Now album, I had written a song that Wilson wanted to record called 'Taxi Love,' but he hadn't really learned to sing it. I’d also given a copy to Mason because I wanted him to play harp on the song. So Mason shows up in the studio with his harmonicas, and the band was ready to cut it, but Wilson was being a little timid about singing the song with the band because he didn't want to steer them wrong. He asked Mason if he wouldn't mind putting down a guide vocal, and as Mason knew the song from the demo he did it without a lyric sheet. After he finished singing the song he turned to Wilson and asked if that helped him, and Wilson responded with great enthusiasm, took the rough mix home, and sang HIS version modeled after Mason's guide vocal.” Popa Chubby heard the style music Mason was playing and made Mason an offer he couldn’t refuse. In 2000 he recorded Reefer Smokin’ Man (2000 Dixiefrog Records) followed by Soul On Fire (2001 Dixiefrog Records) and Deep Blue Dream (2003 Dixiefrog Records). After a two-year stint in Europe, Mason returned to the US and took up residence in Los Angeles California where he lives today. Mason continued to work his trade as a mason, getting gigs as a blues/soul man and working as an actor. He can be seen in the film Get Smart, as well as the television show Jericho. As luck would have it, Tiven’s tenacious nature brought the good fortune of a record offer to Mason’s door. Fred Litwin, president of NorthernBlues Music, heard Mason’s latest work and decided this Mason Casey needed to make a record. So make a record they did. And it was good. No, it was great. Sofa King great. |
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