Mason Casey is a dynamic, bold and truly unique harmonica player, singer and songwriter. Mason's music reflects the bare bones, raw and powerful energy that is distinctive to New York, where he was born and raised. Though now living in Los Angeles, it is in New York where he crafted his style of soulful Blues that mixes Modern Blues with elements of Soul, Funk, RnB, Acid Jazz and Latin American rhythms. During the 1990's, Mason quickly ascended the ranks of Manhattan’s Blues scene that produced local talent Joan Osborne, The Spin Doctors, The Holmes Brothers and Popa Chubby. He was billed as "New York City's Number One Blues Harmonica Player" from 1994 through 2001 and was a mainstay at NYC clubs: Manny's Car Wash, Chicago Blues, Mondo Cane, Dan Lynch’s, Mondo Perso, and The Bitter End.
It was in partnering with Popa Chu
bby that Mason got his first break in the record business. In 2000, the Popa Chubby produced recording "Reefer Smokin' Man" (Dixiefrog Records) received national and international press along with critical praise. The team of Chubby and Casey would go on to record "Soul On Fire" (2001 Dixiefrog Records) and "Deep Blue Dream" (2003 Dixiefrog Records). Through the strength of these records, along with his powerful live performances, Mason has been booked on the stages of international festivals and in clubs throughout the US, Europe, Brazil and South Africa. People are discovering a fresh new talent that is willing to break the mold of the Blues Purist/Traditionalist. Mason's live shows have a bold bravado that echoes the raw power of his influences: William Clark, Junior Wells, James Cotton, Magic Dick and many others. His stage presence and high energy show separate him from the pack. In short, Mason Casey is his own man. He makes music his own way.
Finding an abundance of work and enthusiastic crowds turning out for his shows in Europe, in 2002 Mason moved to Holland for two-years, returned to the U.S in 2004 and now resides in Los Angeles, California. While out in L A, Mason reconnected with Blues and Soul music producer/songwriter Jon Tiven (Wilson Pickett, Don Covay, Huey Lewis and the News, Jeff Healey, Robert Cray, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, Shemekia Copeland, B.B. King). Back in NY, Tiven had frequently called upon Mason as a harmonica player and vocalist on various records that he was producing, including Wilson Pickett and Don Covay. When Pickett heard Mason play the harmonica, he said, "Now that's how the harmonica is supposed to sound!" Pickett invited him to appear on his Triple Handy Award winning release “It’s Harder Now”/ Bullseye Records. It turned out to be Wilson Pickett’s final recording.
Between NY and LA, Mason and Tiven began exchanging ideas for a new release. They wrote numerous songs together and those tunes made their way to the desk of Fred Litwin, president of NorthernBlues Music. Fred signed Mason to his label, and he is now in the company of great artists such as Janiva Magness, Watermelon Slim and Mem Shannon. The result is, ”Sofa King Badass” (2007/ NorthernBlues). Say it slow and you'll get the message. Collaborating on this recording is a cast that would make up a veritable Rock and Soul Hall of Fame roster. The list includes the legendary Don Covay, who contributes background vocals, Steve Cropper who plays guitar and writes on a couple of tracks, as well as Chicago guitarist Jimmy Johnson, Felix Cavaliere playing keyboards, Chester Thompson on drums and Wayne Jackson on trumpet. The session was recorded at songwriter/engineer Dan Penn’s (Aretha Franklin) studio in Nashville.
Graham Clarke (Blues Bytes Magazine) writes: "Casey is a highly original songwriter…ranging from rockers like You Make It Hard, Chesterfield County Jail, the wild title track Sofa King Badass, and It Takes A Lotta Love, to deep funky soul like Let Me In, Take Me To The Airport, and Done Crying, to straight blues cuts like That’s My Heart. Sofa King Badass... is a robust mixture of rock, soul, and blues that will please fans of all three styles. You’ll be hearing more of Mason Casey in the future. Count on it."
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