Contact

(o) 434-984-6664
(c) 434-825-5142
Email- masonmanagement@centurylink.net

Clients Old and New

I've had the pleasure of, and continue to work with, some immensely talented people over the years. 


Below is a list of clients whom I represent, however, do not manage. We've worked and continue to work on many projects. If you're interested in booking or working in other capacities (production, etc.) with any of these great folks, please contact us.

My clients and I are so grateful for all of the support received from you over the years.




Many thanks!

Elva M...

Ahmad Jamal
www.ahmadjamal.net




Critic Stanley Crouch cites AHMAD JAMAL's impact on the fresh form in jazz as an outstanding conceptionalist. Crouch consider's Mr. Jamal's distinctive style as having had an influence on the same level as "Jelly Roll Morton, Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, Art Tatum, Count Basie, Theolonius Monk, Horace Silver and John Lewis, all thinkers whose wrestling with form and content influenced the shape and texture of the music, and whose ensembles were models of their music visions."

Considering his trio "an orchestra", Mr. Jamal not only achieves a unified sound, but subtly inserts independent roles for the bass and drums. The hallmarks of Mr. Jamal's style are rhythmic innovations, colorful harmonic perceptions, especially left hand harmonic and melodic figures, plus parallel and contrary motion lines in and out of chordal substitutions and alterations and pedalpoint ostinato interludes in tasteful dynamics. He also incorporates a unique sense of space in his music, and his musical concepts are exciting without being loud in volume. Augmented by a selection of unusual standards and his own compositions, Mr. Jamal impressed and influenced, among others, trumpeter Miles Davis. Like Louis Armstrong, Mr. Jamal is an exemplary ensemble player -- listening while playing and responding, thus inspiring his musicians to surpass themselves
Audiences delight in Mr. Jamal's total command of the keyboard, his charasmatic swing and daringly inventive solos that always tell a story.

Pianist Ahmad Jamal's intricate use of space and rhythm has created many haunting musical landscapes during his long career. Jamal greatly expanded the possibilities of the piano trio, and his compositions influenced Miles Davis and John Coltrane. In fact, Miles referred to Jamal as his favorite pianist saying all his inspiration comes from Jamal, and instructed his piano players to "play like Jamal."

Mr. Jamal was born on July 2, 1930, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A child prodigy who began to play music at the age of 3 when his uncle Lawrence challenged him to reproduce the sounds of popular music on the piano. He began formal studies at age 7. While in high school, he completed the equivalent of college master classes under the noted African-American concert singer and teacher Mary Caldwell Dawson and pianist James Miller. Upon hearing pianist Erroll Garner, another Pittsburgh native, Jamal turned his attentions towards jazz.

Ahmad joined the musicians union at the age of 14, and he began touring upon graduation from Pittsburgh's prestigious Westinghouse High School at the age of 17, drawing critical acclaim for his solos. In 1950, he formed his first trio, The Three Strings. Performing at New York's The Embers club, Record Producer John
Unfortunately, the trio disbanded in 1962, when Crosby left to join pianist George Shearing. Jamal then formed a new trio with bassist Jamil Nasser and drummer Chuck Lampkin. This trio released the album Macanudo among others. In 1967, Jamal released the album Standard Eyes and in 1968 he released Cry Young, which was a minor hit, spending several weeks on the pop album charts.

In 1969, Jamal began to release many different projects and materials focusing on different styles of music. The album The Awakening featured Jamal playing Brazilian songs such as Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave." Other albums from this period included Freeflight and Outertimeinnerspace, which displayed the pianist's abilities on the Fender Rhodes electric piano. Freeflight was Jamal's 1972 set at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Jamal continued to work with arranger Richard Evans in the 1970s recording Ahmad Jamal '73.



In the early 1980s, Jamal worked with vibraphonist Gary Burton, releasing several albums and touring extensively. Also during the 1980s, Jamal performed frequently with drummer Idris Muhammad who continues to work with the pianist to this day. In 1985, Jamal signed with Atlantic Records, marking his return to a major record label for the first time in over a decade. He released several albums on the label including Digital Works and Crystal. In the 1990s, Jamal switched over to the Telarc label releasing 1994's I Remember Duke, Hoagy, and Strayhorn. Now approaching his ninth decade in music, Jamal continues to perform and record actively. He currently resides in upstate New York, and has stated that the calmness and tranquility of the environment have aided in his longevity and continual creative process as a musician. Jamal's work has also been sampled by many different hip-hop artists, primarily by Kanye West, DJ Premier from Gangstarr, and Jay-Z who sampled Jamal for his 1996 hit album, Reasonable Doubt on the song "Feelin' It." Among his many honors, in 1994 Jamal was named a Jazz Master by the United States' National Endowment for the Arts, the nation's highest honor for jazz musicians.

Selected Discography as the Ahmad Jamal Trio or Ahmad Jamal:

Ahmad's Blues (Okeh/Columbia, 1951)
Live at the Pershing Lounge (Chess, 1958)
Cross Country Tour:1958-1961 (Chess)
Extensions (Impulse!, 1965)
Standard Eyes (Impulse!, 1967)
Cry Young (Impulse!, 1968)
The Awakening (Impulse!, 1970)
Freeflight (Impulse!, 1972)
Crystal (Atlantic, 1987)
Pittsburgh (Atlantic, 1989)

Richard Evans

http://www.berklee.edu/faculty/detail/richard-evans

Title: Professor
Department: Contemporary Writing and Production
"If you have music running through your head when you wake up in the morning, when you brush your teeth, and all day . . . well, that's the kind of thing we should be trying to help you with. But we'll show you what others did, too, so you can use them as role models.
"We try to help you polish your gift. To do that, I believe you have to learn your craft first. We're in an age now where people have an instant, microwave mentality: Right away, I want it right now, bam. But there are some things that you have to woodshed and get.
"That's the way I teach you. I have to hold you down at first. I know you want to go and play, do whatever you want, use any kind of score pacing you want, write anything you want. And that's what you'd like to do. But I'm not going to let you do it!
"So, when you come in here, you have to do it the way I say in the beginning. And then after you master whatever it is I ask you to do, I'll release you and let you create your thing. But we've got to hold you down for a minute so you can learn things. And if you don't agree with that, well, fine. But I'm showing you what works in a studio—things that will get you in the door."
  • B.A., Governors State University
  • M.A., Governors State University
  • Producer and arranger for Natalie Cole, Peabo Bryson, Ramsey Lewis, Noel Pointer, Ahmad Jamal, Eddie Harris, Tower of Power, Buddy Rich, Sonny Stitt, and others
  • Recipient, Grammy Award for Best Producer
  • Recipient, Clio and Golden Reel awards

Tito Nieves
www.titonievesonline.com



Humberto "Tito" Nieves (born June 4, 1958) (also known El Pavarroti de la Salsa) became one of the leading Salsa singers of the 1980s and the early 1990s.
Born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico and raised in the United States, Nieves began his career while participating in Orquesta Cimarron, a New York-based group. In 1977, he teamed up with singer Héctor Lavoe and his Orchestra and joined The Conjunto Clasico. Later, Nieves decided to start his solo career in 1986, setting himself apart by singing Salsa in English. He is known for his hits such as El Amor Más Bonito, Sonámbulo, and the English-salsa hit, I Like It Like That (1997). Present hits from the album Fabricando Fantasias include Fabricando Fantasias and Ya No Queda Nada with La India, Nicky Jam, and K-Mil. He attended Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, New York, and though he left before graduating, he was given an honorary diploma in 1994.
In 2007, he released Canciones Clasicas De Marco Antonio Solís, a tribute to Mexican singer, Marco Antonio Solís



Angel Fernandez 
www.angelfernandez.com/






Music Producer, Composer, Arranger and Director
Instruments:  Trumpet and Guitar

  

Angel Fernández's musical career demonstrates a creative scope that spans across many genres - Latin and Pop, Jazz and Rock, Funk and classical music. In addition to aforementioned Salsa superstar Marc Anthony and Pop triple-threat Jennifer Lopez, for whom he has been the long time music directors, he has worked with such diverse artists as Talking Heads' David Byrne and the late Salsa/Latin jazz great Ray Barretto, just to name a few. His skills as producer, composer, arranger and performer can be heard on many recordings.


From the humble beginnings in Santiago, Dominican Republic, to Brooklyn, New York, Angel demonstrates an affinity for music.  The sixth of nine children, he began with drums in the fourth grade, followed by the trumpet in the fifth. 

Angel Fernandez: Talent Behind the Talent

By Chris Yandek · July 22, 2010 · No comments
CY Celebrity Interviews, CY Whats Happening, Men, Music
Jennifer Lopez receive, there are unsung people behind the scenes working to help them achieve excellence. Performer, musical director, composer and arranger Angel Fernandez has been working with Marc Anthony for nearly 16 years. And when Jennifer Lopez did her latest stint on Saturday Night Live back in February, it was Fernandez who helped put together her performances.
Fernandez’s first big gig was as a teenager, getting the chance to perform and then write with Latin music legend Ray Barretto. From there he went on to work alongside Celia Cruz and David Byrne – front man for The Talking Heads – as well as Anthony and Lopez.

Fernandez’s career spans decades of significant change in the music industry. He has adapted to the times, growing and staying relevant by performing in various musical genres. Recently, he toured with popular Dominican group Aventura, which in recent months sold out shows at Madison Square Garden.

Fernandez cites Aventura’s success as a sign there is light at the end of the tunnel in an uncertain music industry – particularly if you’re able to come up with something new.
Though his long time colleague, superstar Jennifer Lopez canceled her latest album a couple of months ago, Angel states there are future projects in the works and not to count Ms. Lopez out. Fernandez isn’t sure where the future of the music industry is going, but the smart money says he will continue to grow, adapt and succeed in it.


JOHN SANTOS

http://www.johnsantos.com/



Five-time Grammy-nominated percussionist and US Artists Fontanals Fellow, John Santos, is one of the foremost exponents of Afro-Latin music in the world today. Born in San Francisco, California, November l, l955, he was raised in the Puerto Rican and Cape Verdean traditions of his family, surrounded by music. The fertile musical environment of the San Francisco Bay Area shaped his career in a unique way. His studies of Afro-Latin music have included several trips to New York, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Brazil and Colombia.He is known for his innovative use of traditional forms and instruments in combination with contemporary music, and has earned much respect and recognition as an educator, composer, and record and event producer. He’s been a prolific performer, composer, teacher, writer, radio programmer, and record/event producer whose career has spanned over 35 years. John has worked with acknowledged, multi-generational masters such as Cachao, Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Bebo Valdés, Max Roach, Eddie Palmieri, Patato Valdés, Lázaro Ros, Bobby Hutcherson, Chucho Valdes, Chocolate Armenteros, John Handy, Billy Cobham, Zakir Hussain, George Cables, Rene Lopez, Generoso Jimenez, Joe Henderson, Francisco Aguabella, John Faddis, Ed Thigpen, Giovanni Hidalgo, Steve Turre, McCoy Tyner, Batacumbele, Poncho Sanchez, Omar Sosa, Mel Martin, Ignacio Berroa, Danilo Perez, Los Pleneros de la 21, Jose Luis “Changuito” Quintana, Armando Peraza, Pancho Quinto, Tootie Heath, Jacqueline Castellanos, Malonga Casquelord, CK Ladzekpo, Pancho Terry, Yosvany Terry, Dafnis Prieto, Oscar Castro Neves, Mark Murphy, Larry Coryell, Lázaro Galarraga, Regino Jimenez, Luis Daniel “Chichito” Cepeda, Pedrito Martinez, Jerry Medina, Orestes Vilató, Larry Vukovich, Arturo Sandoval, Nestor Torres, Anthony Carrillo, Paoli Mejías, Raul Rekow, Andy Gonzalez, Jerry Gonzalez, Jovino Santos Neto, Lalo Schifrin, Pete Escovedo, Claudia Gómez, Maria Márquez, Jon Jang, Ray Vega, Chembo Corniel, Wayne Wallace, John Calloway, Mark Levine, Elio Villafranca, Bruce Forman, Linda Tillery, Charlie Hunter, Joyce Cooling, Bobby Matos, Mark Weinstein, Jackeline Rago, Roberto Borrell, Sandy Perez, Jesus Diaz, Roman Diaz, Pablo Menendez, Yma Sumac, and Carlos Santana. 

John is widely respected as one of the top writers, teachers and historians in the field and was a member of the Latin Jazz Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Institution. He is currently part of the faculty at the Jazz School Institute (Berkeley, CA) and the College of San Mateo (CA). He has conducted countless workshops, lectures and clinics in the US, Latin America and Europe since 1972 at institutions of all types including the Adventures in Music program of the San Francisco Symphony, the Berklee School of Music in Boston, UCLA, Yale, Stanford, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, the University of Michigan, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State Hayward, the University of Colorado, Yakima Valley Community College, the Afro-Cuban Drumming and Dance Program at Humboldt State University (CA), Cal State Sonoma, Cal State Sacramento, Cal State San Jose, Tulane University of Louisiana, Jazz Camp West, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Los Angeles Music Academy, the Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco), he Lafayette Summer Music Program (CA), and La Universidad Inter-Americana in San Germán Puerto Rico. He has contributed to the international magazines Percussive Notes, Modern Drummer, Modern Percussionist, and Latin Percussionist. The San Francisco Bay Area community in which he still lives and works has presented him with numerous awards and honors for artistic excellence and social dedication.
John was the director of the Orquesta Tipica Cienfuegos (l976-1980) and the award-winning Orquesta Batachanga (1981-1985). He was founder and director of the internationally renowned, Grammy-nominated Machete Ensemble (1985-2006), who released nine CDs with special guests from Puerto Rico, Cuba, NY, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, mostly on John’s Machete Records label. He currently directs the John Santos Sextet, Latin jazz ensemble. Their second CD, Perspectiva Fragmentada, released in October 2008, was nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association (NY), and by Cubadisco (Cuban Grammys) as one of the top Latin Jazz releases of the year, and selected as one of the five top Latin Jazz CDs of 2008 by New York’s All About Jazz magazine, among many honors. John’s Afro-Caribbean Folklóric Ensemble, El Coro Folklórico Kindembo, has produced three full length CDs since 1994, two of which were Grammy-nominated including the most recent, La Guerra No, in 2009.

John’s work has been recognized and supported by the California Arts Council, United states Artists, the Zellerbach Family Fund, the Fund for Folk Culture, he Ford Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, the East Bay Community Foundation, the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture, the Creative Work Fund, the City of Oakland, and the City of San Francisco that issued a mayoral proclamation declaring November 12, 2006 John Santos Day.
John is an endorsee of Latin Percussion instruments, Remo drumheads, Sabian cymbals, Engelhart Metal Percussion, and Fat Conga Cajones.

OCHO Y MAS


Afro Beat /Latin/ Jazz
www.myspace.com/8ymas

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marc-Quinones-Bobby-Allende/43029010687#!/pages/Marc-Quinones-Bobby-Allende/43029010687?v=wall

Born in The Bronx, New York Dic !8,The began playing drums and congas at the age of three and was playing professionally at the age of nine. In his youth he played timbale with Latin music stars such as Tito Puente and co-founded a group named Los Rumberitos. At the age of 17 he joined the salsa music band of Rafael de Jesus. He then graduated from high school.

Quiñones spent the next five years in salsa master Willie Colón's band, playing every percussion instrument at one time or another. His ability to sight-read music led to him becoming musical director of the band for the last two years; he also co-produced one of Colon's albums. He then spent two years playing with Rubén Blades as well as playing on and touring for David Byrne's Latin music Rei Momo project. In 1989 Quiñones joined the jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra where he played for two years.

After a chance meeting with Butch Trucks in 1991, he was recruited to join The Allman Brothers Band. There he plays alongside drummers Trucks and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson: the general pattern is that Trucks is the timekeeper, Johanson adds colors, and Quiñones establishes rhythms that the guitarists can play against.

When the Allmans are not active, Quiñones plays with various salsa bands and works as a session musician for albums (such as Marc Anthony's 2001 Libre), television soundtracks, and commercials.

.Boert Bobby Allende
Born and raised in New York City, Bobby's foundation in Afro-Cuban Percussion commenced at the age of three. With the patient and constant guidance of his Uncles Angel Allende and Papiro Allende (well-respected musicians) Bobby embarked on a journey that has taken him around the world twice over. His dedication to his craft and spirited personality has earned him the respect of some of the top names in the industry and the endorsements of Latin Percussion, Vic Firth, Zildjian and many others.

His performances with Buddy Rich on the Mike Douglas Show (age 7) and with Julio Iglesias at Madison Square Garden (age 10) helped open the doors of opportunity. At a performance at Madison Square Garden the legendary Tito Puente invited Bobby to perform alongside him. Thus, the formation of the juvenile group the "Rumberito All Stars" was born. The group continued to be the opening act for Tito Puente through 1980 and allowed Bobby to refine his craft under the supervision of a legend.

Bobby moved on to work with and tour with many other Latin musicians such as Hector Lavoe, Jose Alberto "El Canario", RMM All Stars and Ruben Blades among an extensive list of many others. Later, he became the Musical Director for Willie Colon, Marc Anthony and La India.

Bobby's expertise does not only limit him to the Latin Music Industry but has given him the opportunity to work with the likes of David Byrne, Grover Washington, Jr., Rodney Jones, Spyro Gyra and Marion Meadows.

His versatility with Latin rhythms did not escape the sights of Paul Simon and earned him a place in the orchestra for the Broadway musical "The Capeman." It also afforded him the opportunity to continue his working relationship with Salsa/Pop performer Marc Anthony. Bobby is currently the percussionist for Marc Anthony's Salsa band and Pop band.

Bobby is frequently called upon as a Musical Consultant to audition and hire musicians, rehearse and create set lists for new artists. His strong musical background and almost 30 years in the entertainment business have successfully allowed him a natural progression into this role.
 

 
Stu Gardner


Stu Gardner, writer composer, musical director for the "Cosby Show", "A Different World", "Living Single" and "The Little Bill Show".


Living Single (TV series) (composer: theme music)

A Different World (TV series) (composer: theme music - 146 episodes, 1987-1993) (musical director - 1 episode, 1990)
Great X-Pectations (1993) (composer: theme music)
Cabin in the Sky (1993) (composer: theme music)
Dancing Machines (1993) (composer: theme music)
Lean on Me (1993) (composer: theme music)
When One Door Closes...: Part 1 (1993) (composer: theme music)
The Cosby Show (TV series) (musical director - 43 episodes, 1985-1992) (composer: theme music - 42 episodes, 1985-1992) (composer: theme - 1 episode, 1990) (music director - 1 episode, 1991)
And So, We Commence (1992) (composer: theme music, musical director)
Some Gifts Aren't Deductible (1992) (composer: theme music, musical director)
You Can't Stop the Music (1992) (composer: theme music, musical director)
Clair's Reunion (1992) (composer: theme music, musical director)
Cliff Gets Jilted (1992) (composer: theme music, musical director)
1983 Bill Cosby: Himself (documentary) (composer: song "It Was a Good Idea at the Time")
1975 Coonskin (music production assistant)
Hide HideComposer (4 titles)
1994-1995 Living Single (TV series)
1990 A Different World (TV series)
1978 Top Secret (TV movie)
Soundtrack (2 titles)
1984 The Cosby Show (TV series)
1967 Point Blank (writer: "Mighty Good Times")

 Camara Kambon


Composer Camara Kambon is the youngest composer ever to receive a national Emmy award for the HBO film, "Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion." He received his second Emmy nomination for the HBO documentary, "Where Have You Gone Joe DiMaggio?" Among his other scoring credits are the PBS documentaries, "Family Name" and "Malcolm X: Make It Plain." Kambon is currently recording with Dr. Dre, while composing for an upcoming HBO film about the life and times of Howard Cosell. He founded Inflx Entertainment, a music production company that supplies music for film, television, multi-media and recording productions.


Camara was born on February 4, 1973 in Baltimore, Maryland. At the age of two, Kambon started studying drums. He moved on to the piano at age four and had composed his first musical riffs by the age of six. In 1983, Kambon enrolled in Peabody Preparatory in Baltimore, studying jazz, classical piano and composition. Kambon graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts in 1994, where he studied music production, music engineering and film scoring. While there, he composed music for the Emmy nominated films, Dancing: New Worlds, New Forms and Malcolm X: Make it Plain.

In 1996, Kambon won an Emmy Award for the music he composed for the HBO film, Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. At the age of twenty-three, he was the youngest composer ever to receive a national Emmy Award. Kambon then became head of Inflx Entertainment, a musical production company in Hollywood, California specializing in film, television and records. Kambon has worked as the composer for two television series, A Different World and Living Single. He has also worked as a keyboard player for producer and rapper, Dr. Dre. In addition, Kambon composed Korikabaya which was performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

In 1998, Kambon received his second Emmy nomination for the HBO documentary, Where Have You Gone Joe DiMaggio? Kambon received three Grammy nominations in 2001 for co-writing the Mary J. Blige hit, Family Affair; for his keyboard work on Nelly Furtado's Whoa, Nelly!; and for his contribution to Eve's album, Scorpion. Two years later, Kambon received another Emmy nomination for A City on Fire: Tigers of '68.

Kambon was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on September 17, 2008.