“Great musician! When he plays, he initiates and inspires sophisticated but friendly musical conversations with other players on stage. He’s tasteful and eloquent, but also down to earth. This is a very mature approach for such young musician. But it doesn’t surprise me...his personality, when off stage, is exactly the same”
Robert began playing piano at age nine, starting his journey as the first in his family to play in instrument. He fell in love with music at an early age and began listening to a wide range of styles. Whether it was enjoying music during Sunday service at his baptist church growing up, or listening to the his parents favorite r&b classics while on road trips, Robert soaked in as many influences as possible.
Although piano was his favorite instrument, he wanted to find a way to share his love for music with others and perform in groups. Originally from Gahanna, Ohio He picked up the violin and joined the school orchestra in fifth grade, and also joined the middle school band on French horn the following year. Robert continued playing classical music through senior year. Robert was first exposed to jazz when he performed piano in the school jazz ensembles growing up. His jazz band director, Kelly Shellhammer, would let him take home her favorite cds, where he listened to greats like Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock. Robert quickly fell in love with the style, which sparked his curiosity.
Robert’s interest grew as he found a style of music where he could improvise and play his favorite instrument in a group setting. To get a deeper understanding of the music, Shellhammer introduced him to Columbus pianist, Mark Flugge, where Robert was able to further develop jazz theory and improvisation.
Robert continued to further pursue his study in music at The Ohio State University where he got his Bachelor’s degree in Jazz studies in 2015. He also received several scholarships at OSU including: the Atkin Jazz Scholarship, Tom Battenberg Jazz Scholarship, and the George and Janice Scantland Jazz Scholarship.
His personal group, the Robert Mason Trio released their debut album, “State of Soul” in 2019, featuring a blend of jazz and soulful sounds. Robert is excited to debut his newest project as an organ trio, “State of Groove”. Robert has performed at venues and events such as: Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, Columbus Jazz and Ribs Festival, the Lincoln Theatre (Columbus, OH), Blu Jazz+ (Akron, OH), The Refectory (Columbus), Natalies Music Hall & Kitchen (Columbus). As an artist, he has performed with musicians such as: James Gaiters, Dwight Adams, Bobby Floyd, Kevin Turner, Reggie Jackson, Cedric Easton, Milton Ruffin, George Delancey, Tony Mcclung, Shawn Wallace, Eddie Bayard, Dwight Bailey, Jim Rupp
“Robert Mason is excellence personified. When it comes to musicians, he is truly a rare find.”
“Robert is an incredibly talented humble giant! His devotion to his craft makes him shine brilliantly!”
