MEET THE ARTIST

Jay Mason

Baritone saxophonist and woodwind player whose lowest reed line anchors the saxophone section and connects it to the rhythm below.

Mason's baritone is both foundation and propulsion. It can reinforce the bass, answer the trombones or give the saxophone section a distinct edge of its own.

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Jay Mason · live at JAX

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WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW THEM

How to hear the baritone chair.

THE REGISTER

The floor of the section.

Follow the lowest saxophone line when the ensemble punches, then listen for the motion between accents.

BIG PHAT BAND

A modern big-band lineage.

Mason is associated with Gordon Goodwin's precision-driven large ensemble.

THE JAX RETURN

January and October 2026.

Two BBB broadcasts make the baritone's structural role easier to recognize.

THE STORY

The low reed that moves the band.

Jay Mason gives the saxophone section its floor. On baritone saxophone, his line connects the reeds to bass, trombones and drums; as a woodwind doubler, he also brings the flexibility demanded by professional large-ensemble writing. Mason is associated with Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, where the baritone chair is part of a precision-driven modern big-band sound. The BBB offers a related but distinct setting, built around Bernie Dresel's drum chair, electric guitar and upright bass. Campus JAX documents Mason with The BBB on January 11 and October 4, 2026. Hearing the two broadcasts together makes the baritone easier to locate: not simply the lowest saxophone, but a hinge between sections and a source of forward motion.

LIVE AT JAX

The Room Comes Alive.

START HERE · LIVE PERFORMANCE · CAMPUS JAX APPEARANCE · Oct 4, 2026

The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel — Live from Campus JAX

JAX HISTORY

Jay Mason at Campus JAX

A selective history of live performances and appearances, preserved across visits to the room.

FROM THE ARCHIVE

Previous JAX moments

REPLAY · Oct 4, 6:30 PM

The BBB Featuring Bernie Dresel

Blistering big band jazz with rockabilly fire